Abstract This paper discusses how broken and dysfunctional families are a common thread in many of Shakespeare's works and how "Hamlet," one of Shakespeare's finest works, revolves around the broken family of Hamlet, the central character of the play. It looks at how the motive of broken and dysfunctional families also appears in numerous other Shakespeare works, including "The Comedy of Errors," "Romeo and Juliet," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Henry IV," "Henry V", and "Much Ado About Nothing" and how the theme itself causes grief, despair, death, and laughter. It analyzes how Shakespeare uses it quite effectively and how his work shows how a common theme can be woven into many different fabrics, making each of them a unique and lasting work of art.
From the Paper "This theme continues in "Romeo and Juliet," the Montagues and Capulets are broken and dysfunctional in their unreasonable hatred for one another, which ultimately leads to the death of their children, and the reconciliation of the families. The Montagues and Capulets have feuded for years, and hate each other with an unreasonable passion, and this passion carries down to their children, who fall in love despite their families' feuding. Unlike the comedies, where love heals all, and the families come together because of true love, in this tragedy, the broken families can only be healed by true tragedy, and as they both lose their children, the tragedy is complete, and the families recognize what they have lost because of their unreasonable hatred."
Tags: romeo, juliet, much, ado, about, nothing, henry
Abstract This paper examines how Act 3 Scene 1 is a key scene in William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet". It discusses how it represents the climax of a love story and the beginning of a tragedy and how the scene shows the consequences of hatred or feud and what can happen if things go too far. It also looks at the dramatic effectiveness this scene has on the audience, both contemporary and in Shakespeare's time.
From the Paper "Act 3 scene 1 has a lot of contrast because of its variety of language and style. For instance, it changes from blank verse, to prose to blank and rhyming verse. It's language and style changes to indicate the mood of the scene as well as it's development. In Act 2 scene 6 and Act 3 scene 2 Shakespeare uses blank verses to draw attention to a change in a speaker's mindset, to move from serious to lighter subject matter or vice versa, to emphasize the differences between social classes but in Act 3 scene 1 it is important that Shakespeare uses less verse because this an active scene. Prose is used a lot in this scene. In fact almost half the scene uses prose and this is appropriate because in Act 3 scene 1 there are a lot of speeches in which the characters speak about their state of mind and prose signal insanity."
Abstract This paper studies and identifies the real-life qualities imbued in the characters of Hamlet, Ophelia, and Gertrude, from the play "Hamlet". The paper presents examples of the characters' traits, qualities, and personal experiences that the audience can identify with and that have contributed to the appeal of "Hamlet" through the ages.
From the Paper "Hamlet's procrastination begins early in the play as soon as the ghost visits him. Hamlet has good intentions as revealed when he says, "Haste me to know"t that I with winds as swift . . . May sweep to my revenge? (I.v.29-31). Unfortunately, Hamlet's hesitation renders him unable to kill Claudius. Furthermore, he begins to doubt his father's ghost, which drives him to "test" Claudius with the play, Mousetrap. Even with confirmation that Claudius is guilty, Hamlet still cannot bring himself to kill him, using the fact that killing Claudius in a moment of prayer would send him directly to heaven. Instead, Hamlet says he would rather kill him in a vile condition, "When he is drunk asleep; or in his rage; Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed" (III.iii 89-90). Hamlet even procrastinates so much that the Ghost returns."
Abstract This study personifies the characteristics of all of the 'blue collar workers' in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", from the stuttering of Snug the Joiner to the arrogance of Nick Bottom, the weaver.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedic play of many plots that supports the themes that love is blind and that when in love one becomes very foolish. These themes are supported by all the characters in the play who are teased by a group of fairies who contaminate their victim's bodies with love potions to make them love other people. There are three main groups of people in the play fairies, royalty, and then at the bottom there are the mechanicals. Absurd, distasteful, rude, and above all of these stupid, men who are brought together by a mechanical Peter Quince who is assigned to produce a play entitled Pyramus and Thisbe to be executed after the marriage of the Duke."
Abstract William Shakespeare's most beloved plays are his tragedies. If one were to list his best and most popular plays, "Othello", "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "King Lear" ,and so forth, one would find the list comprised almost entirely of tragedies. The paper states, therefore, that it would not be amiss to say that much of the modern literary conception of theatrical tragedy is shaped and influenced by Shakespeare. At the same time, the paper shows that the definitions of the tragic form ,as understood at the roots of theatrical history in Greco-Roman times, continue to be part and parcel of the official comprehension of tragedy. The paper shows that many critics have sought to force Shakespeare into the mold of tragedy as defined in Aristotle's "Poetica", and many others have rightfully protested that he was not cast from that mold, and that, in fact, he owes little to it.
From the Paper "On the other hand, there is a startling number of criteria discusses by Aristotle that Yanni never mentions, and which Shakespeare either fulfills or denies to some degree. For example, Aristotle suggests that the proper metre for drama is "The iambic" the proof is that in talking to each other we most often use iambic lines.? (Aristotle) The majority of Shakespeare's tragedies, of course, use iambic lines. Likewise, Aristotle claims that ?Necessarily then every tragedy has six constituent parts, and on these its quality depends. These are plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song.? Shakespeare is well known for his focus on diction, spectacle, and even song. In these categories one could make any number of parallels between Aristotle's dramatic suggestions and the original staged forms of Shakespeare's work."
Abstract This paper imagines that Shakespeare and Plato are in the same city writing a piece together. It explains how they would come up with a different name for the same character, "Hamlet" or "Philosopher King". The paper gives a synopsis of the new play.
From the Paper "Hamlet is a play about political intrigue and murder in the household of Denmark. This however is underscored by what has amounted to a whiney uninspiring and grossly understated Hamlet, who you can listen to for hours on end but when it comes time to do something about his predicament, does nothing. Of anything he does do, its talk, and think. He thinks and debates and reasons through his decisions."
Abstract Analyzes the major female characters in "Hamlet" and "King Lear". Examines the relationship of these women to the tragic hero of each drama. Discusses the psychology of the female characters and the tragic decline of Hamlet and Lear.
From the Paper "This research examines the characterization of women in Shakespeare's Hamlet and King Lear as a presentation of an apocalyptic vision embedded in the tragic scheme of action. It will be argued that in each of the plays, different as they and their respect..."
Abstract Discusses the cruelty and destruction in Hamlet's story, the murder of Hamlet's father upon which the play's actions hinge, the demand for vengeance from the murdered King, and Hamlet's reaction.
From the Paper "This paper is a discussion of violence in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The play's actions hinge on a murder and, by the end, eight more people have died violently. Yet the greatest violence is done to the living (in some cases, driving them to kill), a..."
Abstract Discusses subplots as devices to support a central theme. Examples include the primary story of revenge and subplot of Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia in "Hamlet", as well as other subplots. Examines several different subplots in "King Lear."
From the Paper "In many of his plays, William Shakespeare used subplots or a device known as double plotting to enhance his audience's understanding of a play's theme and characterization. This device will be ..."
Abstract Discusses the setting of the last battle in the War of the Roses and the principal combatants. Examines Richard as the epitome of all England's wrongs and the nature of Richard III as a villain with some saving graces.
From the Paper "Shakespeare's Richard III is one of the Bard's "chronicle plays" that describes the eventual ascendancy of the House of Tudor to the English throne. Elizabeth I was the great-great niece of Richard III, who briefly ruled..."
Abstract Discusses common problems characters face in deciding how to behave when faced with conflicting loyalties. Examines the character of Brutus in Shakespeare's Elizabethan drama, "Julius Caesar", and political ideals.
From the Paper "Loyalty signifies one's duty and fidelity to a cause, a person, a place or an ideal. There are times, however, when more than one object of loyalty is present, and the result is conflicting loyalties. This paper will examine conflicting loyalties in two..."
Abstract The paper discusses Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." It shows how both authors use the device of a magical kingdom to recreate the world and protect young girls from reality.
From the Paper "The use of magic on stage and the accompanying unleashing of the imagination are effective means for getting the audience to stand back from everyday "reality" and to take a fresh look at the world around them. Shakespeare makes use of magic in this ..."
Abstract "Hamlet" is often viewed as a tragedy, but the character of Hamlet is also a portrait of the human condition. It is by focusing on Hamlet's humanity that Shakespeare is able to create such a memorable character. Hamlet cannot reconcile his emotion with his reason, and as a result, becomes the perfect case study for the psychological effects of grief, anger, and indecision. This paper analyzes Hamlet's mental decline and examines how his circumstances contributed to his condition.
From the Paper "We are told the years that Shakespeare wrote were "among the most exciting in English history" (Mowat xxviii). Due to the invention of the printing press, literature was becoming available to those who previously had no way to access it. This ?literary output fed directly into Shakespeare's plays,? says Barbara Mowat. Hamlet's depiction of the society he was living in reflects the "Neoplatonic wonderment at mankind" (xxviii), according to Mowat. The Renaissance was a time of "intellectual rebirth and religious reformation in Denmark" (Blits). An important aspect of this movement includes the fact that the pagan beliefs "rediscovered by the Renaissance and pursued by Hamlet emphasizes the radical inwardness of the soul" (Levy). These elements all become apparent through the character of Hamlet as he struggles between the new humanistic beliefs and the old traditional beliefs. Shakespeare skillfully illustrates the inner turmoil man encounters when confronted with such a conflict in thinking in Hamlet. Through Hamlet's seemingly split personality, Shakespeare is showing us two sides of ourselves."
Abstract Various incidents of betrayal plague Shakespeare's entire work of "Hamlet", and these acts of betrayal are the major cause of the character, Hamlet?s, decline. The paper shows how betrayal comes to Hamlet in different forms and, while in some cases it is open and obvious, in other occasions it is quite subtle in nature. The paper covers these instances separately to show how damaging they were to Hamlet's psychological and emotional health.
From the Paper "Some critics argue that Hamlet's friends were simply following orders and therefore should not be accused of betraying Hamlet. But if we carefully study the consequences of their actions, we will be able to see how their obedience and loyalty to the king constituted open betrayal of their friend's trust. Being childhood friends, they were supposed to help Hamlet in his times of pain and distress. Instead of declaring him mad, they should have listened to his problems, which they never did. They came back with the news of his lunacy and further assisted Claudius with his plans."
Abstract This paper discusses how, in these literary works, a notable characteristic is the authors? ability to weave in the aspect of dark humor, aptly using satirical comedy in order to criticize the rulers and leaders of their societies during their time. It explains how, in ?King Lear,? Shakespeare uses character profiles that fit the description of the antagonists and protagonists in political conflicts that were happening in Shakespeare's society. It also describes how Dante's work served as revelation to the people to witness the anomalies going on in their society.
From the Paper "In Inferno/Hell, Dante is accompanied by Virgil as they go through the inner circles, called bolgia, where different offenders of the sins of humankind are suffering and are being punished for their sins. There are nine bolgias inside, where the first circle is the limbo, described as a place where people experience ?gentle sadness.? Inside the bolgias are people suffering from the sins of humankind: lust, gluttony, the avaricious and prodigal, sullen, heretics, violent people against the tyrants, gods, or goods, fraudulent people in love, flatterers, simonists, diviners, barrators, hypocrites, thieves, fraudulent counselors, sowers of scandals and schism, falsifiers, rebels, and traitors against kin, homeland, guests, and benefactors."
