Abstract This paper contends that Hamlet, in Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet," feigned madness although he was sane. The paper cites evidence from the play to prove this contention.
From the Paper "According to Harold Bloom, William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark" is said to be his first great tragedy. Bloom Hamlet was written sometime between and ? and Bloom asserts that the death of Shakespeare's father and only son around this time and before the final draft of Hamlet was finished, deepened his understanding and sense of tragedy and loss. He weaved this experience into his retelling of the revenge play about Hamlet the Prince of Denmark."
Abstract This paper describes the evidence for Hamlet's and Lady Macbeth's insanity in the plays "Hamlet" and "Macbeth." Definitions of insanity from a psychological perspective are provided in this essay. Both plays are summarized with extensive quotes and examples of each character's behavior that would lead to the diagnosis of some form of psychosis, including murder and suicide.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare used the theme of insanity in many of his plays, and two of the most famous are 'Hamlet' and 'Macbeth'. The theme of insanity in both of these plays is illustrated through several characters. Through the course of this paper it will be shown that in these plays, the characters Lady Macbeth and Prince Hamlet are insane. This paper will discuss the nature of insanity, the role of insanity in both Hamlet and Macbeth, and controversy over the questions of insanity raised by both of these plays. While Hamlet and Lady Macbeth's complimentary characters Ophelia and Macbeth exhibit obvious signs of increasing insanity, it can be argued that both Hamlet and Lady Macbeth are mentally unstable from the beginning of their respective plays."
Abstract This drama study historically critiques the theme of political corruption as it evolves in the play, "The Tempest", by William Shakespeare. The paper analyzes the various characters of this play to illustrate how the struggle for power is complex and that power and greed are the basis of corruption. The paper also points out that ,although Prospero dissolves the aggression set against him in the play, Shakespeare
uses "The Tempest" to reveal a commentary on political intrigue and corruption that reflects the historical Elizabethan monarchal class system and the politics of Shakespeare's times.
Abstract Comparable to many of Shakespeare's works, "Othello" tells the story of a villain, a love, and a tragically flawed main character. This paper follows the development of Othello, from a revered hero to a tragically flawed human being. It explores his character throughout the progression of the scenes and looks at how through direct quotations and interaction with other characters, Othello is portrayed and understood as the tragic hero. It focuses on his major flaw - jealousy as well as his vulnerability, gullibility and trusting nature.
From the Paper "Shakespeare does a fabulous job of building Othello's character into the typical tragic hero. The reason that Othello's tragic flaw is so easy to spot is that, throughout the story, he is built up as the typical good guy. We see him as a man who is well liked, respected, revered and honored by others. As a governor-general, he is presented as a character of strength, confidence and high regard. In act one, scene two (1.2), several characters speak to Othello and refer to him with reverence. Even Iago, the villain who despises Othello, refers to him as "your honour" in the presence of others. Cassio calls Othello "General," and "Captain." We also know that Othello's lover, Desdemona, loves and respects him as well. "
Abstract Written in 1603, "Othello" by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that was transformed into an opera by Giuseppe Verdi. "Otello" is considered to be Verdi's greatest opera and was performed in Milan on February 5, 1887. This paper discusses how throughout the opera, Otello and Desdemona's relationship changes dramatically and how their relationship change is most evident when contrasting the end of Act I with scene two of Act III. The paper also looks at how Verdi uses many unique musical techniques to match the dramatic needs of the libretto in these two scenes.
From the Paper "At the end of Act I Otello, the protagonist of the opera, walks into the bedroom where Desdemona is lying clearly enjoying the solace and quietness of his bedroom with his new wife. This scene contrasts directly with the scene before it. With all of the uproar outside now broken up, Otello is now enjoying the peace and quiet with his adored wife. While Otello is walking toward Desdemona, the focus is placed on Desdemona while violins are playing very softly. The soft violins playing in the background give Desdemona even more of a romantic quality to her. As Otello sits down on the bed he reaches to touch her face and once again soft violins are playing without any drums or horns in the orchestra. "
Abstract This paper shows God and the Devil to be driving forces in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and gives examples from the text of the play.
From the Paper "God and the devil have a strong presence in "Macbeth". The characters look to heaven and hell as places they have to try and strive towards or steer away from. God and the devil seem to be the driving and obvious force behind the happenings of the tragedy. They mold the characters into what they are. Even when things do not end up in their favor.
The witches have an impact on the whole theme of the play. They are the ones who start to label Macbeth with titles, which he does not yet posses. The witches predict the future, which is to Macbeth's liking. ?All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth, that's shalt be king hereafter!?(1.3.46-48)"
Abstract This essay takes a look at how a Structuralist would view the main characters weaving through the plot of "King Lear". Structuralists believe that there is a structure (that can be located) in every piece of literature that makes the plot happen; without structure there would be no story. The first line of this paper is: ?The continuous reiteration of references, both explicit and implicit, to vision and blindness in King Lear renders its resultant symbolism an obviously necessary part of the play's construction.? The paper goes on to prove that if Lear hadn?t lost his physical eyesight and gained a spiritual kind of sight, there would be no story. That is the structure of the play.
From the Paper "The continuous reiteration of references, both explicit and implicit, to vision and blindness in King Lear renders its resultant symbolism an obviously necessary part of the play's construction. This language pattern plays a structural role in defining Lear's fall from self-assumed grace to what he belatedly recognizes as an enlightened perspective; he fails to "see" truth until he has lost his visions of grandeur along with his eyesight. Therefore, without King Lear's intellectual and spiritual blindness, there would be no meaning assigned to his eventual clarity concerning morality. His lack of vision in the beginning is what allocates meaning to his eventual clarity. Each recurring allusion to eyesight in the play is like a verbal organ that composes the framework for a whole body of paradoxical meanings relating to a larger picture of the human condition. "To have eyes, and to see not, is to be at the mercy of evil"? (Heilman 51)."
From the Paper "Shakespeare's last tragedy, Coriolanus, is both very similar to his earlier tragedies, but also highly individualistic. The central character, Coriolanus, is not the central villain of the play, unlike Macbeth. Neither is Coriolanus the central hero of the play, unlike Hamlet. Rather, Coriolanus is a perplexingly pitiable character that has both positive and negative characteristics. He is honorable in his personal, but not particularly loyal in his civic affairs. He is an elitist and violent, but he is also modest and worships his mother. Tullus Aufidius is the character that is counter-poised to Coriolanus throughout most of the play. He is Coriolanus's nemesis and competitor."
From the Paper "The characters in Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing, act as stereotypes of different ways of pursuing love, deceit and deception. They show two very different ways of wooing, one of superficiality and one of true, genuine feeling. The relationship between Beatrice and Benedict starts out almost child-like and ends on a note of true love and happiness. On the opposite pole, Claudio and Hero symbolize the superficiality behind wanton love. Both couples are pillars of how lovers, past and present, handle their relationships."
Abstract This paper discusses the unrealistic expectation of parents re: filial duty, love, obligation of parents and children to each other in Shakespeare's play, "King Lear".
From the Paper "It can be argued that the parents King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester damage their children's lives because of their unrealistic and confused expectations about filial love, duty, and the obligations of parents and children to each other. An examination of the characters in "The Tragedy of King Lear" supports this thesis. "
Abstract This paper looks at the effect of nature and the healing power of the woods in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." It shows how forest has the ability to repair social evils and restore the natural order of man, and how the universal themes of jealousy and true love depict how quarreling lovers can be brought to peace with each other by the healing properties of nature.
From the Paper "Shakespeare uses the universal themes of jealousy and true love to depict how quarreling lovers can be brought to peace with each other by the healing properties of nature. Originally, Demetrius and Lysander are in love with the fair Hermia. Hermia, however, only has eyes for Lysander, but her father insists that she marries Demetrius. To make matters more complicated, Helena, a friend to Hermia and Lysander, is deeply in love with Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander, planning to elope, leave the city and meet secretly in the woods. Following closely behind is Demetrius, pursued by Helena. They are met by the raw power of nature, embodied in a magical being called Puck. A servant to Oberon, King of the Fairies, Puck is the essence of the woods. Using magical flowers and confused about the identities of the nobles, he acts as Cupid and enchants the lovers, making Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with Helena. Puck, acting as symbol of nature, works, knowingly or not, to heal the troubled lovers. Oberon wants Demetrius to love Helena. When Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius, the couples are temporarily misaligned, and when he enchants Demetrius, Hermia is left without a love. But in the woods, all error can be remedied."
Abstract This paper uses both the new criticism and the deconstruction approach to find deeper insight to the possible meanings and connections in "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?"
Abstract This paper argues that a common theme in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's work, "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is the effect of fantasy and enchantment on the characters in those stories. An examination of the two works shows how fantasy influences and modifies the characters, how it affects the story's setting, and the message that each author is sending to the reader.
Abstract This paper explores the interplay between man's potential and man's behavior. Hamlet's character is studied through utilizing excerpts from the play to form the standards by which to define man. The many aspects of Hamlet's character are brought to light and although it has been argued, and most correctly, that Hamlet's character leads directly to his demise, it is precisely that character that has made him so attractive to countless scores of readers.
From the Paper "Prince Hamlet, in saying "What a piece of work is a man" (2.2.293-294), brings to light the idea of man's inherent potential. "How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god" (2.2.294-296). In this sense, man is capable of infinite measures, of being, essentially, godlike. Yet in actual performance, man is too often ruled by his passions, and often so in the absence of reason. We, as humans, are capable of greatness and nobility, yet we are each also capable of behavior befitting a beast. Hamlet then asks of Ophelia "What should such fellows as I do crawling between heaven and earth"? (3.1.128-129). All of the characters of the play are crawling between heaven and earth, yet some are drawn closer to the earth by way of their "beastly" behavior. The interplay between passion and reason therefore becomes paramount in placing the characters of the play on their respective "rungs of the ladder" between heaven and earth. "
A discussion of religious iconography and the virgin-whore dichotomy in pre and post Elizabethan England using Elizabeth I. and Hamlet's Gertrude as examples of the virgin and whore characterization.
2,285 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 5 sources, 1998, $ 70.95
Abstract A discussion of religious iconography as it relates to the Catholic Queens of England, Elizabeth I. and Hamlet's Gertrude. This paper contains a discussion of the virgin-whore dichotomy as it relates to the depictions of the Catholic Queens of England and Elizabeth I. in comparison to Gertrude. It also deals with an interesting change in religious iconization as England made its movement in support of the Protestant faith. The argument defines and discusses three areas in which queens are compared to religious icons and how their success and failure in these areas establishes their places in the virgin-whore dichotomy.
From the Paper "To give the queen the desired position in the dichotomy as the virgin, queens were often equated with religious icons, making their legacies almost saintly. These images of holiness defined both the queen's positions in the monarchy and the standards to which the future queens were held. After the fall of Catholicism in England, the iconizsation of the queen changed. Elizabeth in particular wasn?t associated by allegory alone to the Virgin Mary, but rather became the Virgin Mother of England in body as well as by allegory. This strengthened both her political position and her position in the virgin-whore dichotomy of the time. By comparing Queen Elizabeth, who was seen as a saintly, virginal figure, to Shakespeare's character Gertrude, who was seen as lusty and betraying, the major virgin-whore dichotomy of the Elizabethan and post-Elizabethan age can be exemplified."
