The Theme of Actors and Acting in Hamlet

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Custom Written Essays - The Theme of Actors and Acting in Hamlet. Many would perceive madness and corruption to play the most influential role in Hamlet. However, it could be argued that the central theme in the tragedy is Shakespeare's presentation of actors and acting and the way it acts as a framework on which madness and corruption are built. Shakespeare manifests the theme of actors and acting in the disassembly of his characters, the façades that the individuals assume and the presentation of the `play within a play'. This intertwined pretence allows certain characters to manipulate the actions and thoughts of others. For this reason, it could be perceived that Shakespeare views the `Elsinorean' tragedy as one great puppet show, "I could see the puppets dallying". The façades that the individual characters assume are all essential to the complex deception and insanity that follow. Shakespeare's characters, it would seem, all have `multi-faceted' personalities (with the exception of Horatio). The true thoughts of these characters are seen only as asides, soliloquies or, in Hamlet's case, through the manipulation of language. Furthermore, Shakespeare introduces the Players to add an extra dimension to his ideas on the effects of disassembly. The juxtaposition of the `play within a play' acts as a subtle literary device that suggests that, as Hamlet's play occurs in the middle of the play, the play itself revolves around the pretence undertaken by the majority of Shakespeare's characters. Shakespeare's presentation of the way in which King Claudius acts correlates with the view that each `Elisinorian' character assumes a pretence. Shakespeare presen... ... middle of paper ... ...Fortinbras' - he is now ready to accept what life brings rather than to languish in indecision and procrastination, much to his personal annoyance. From this point Hamlet is in total control - no longer assuming an "antic disposition". Even in death, Shakespeare allows Hamlet's influence to continue through Horatio and Fortinbras. Shakespeare's utilization of acting and actors in Hamlet acts as the entire framework of the play, down to the very structure of the tragedy itself. The characters are given different façades in different situation and whilst interacting to different people. The language of Hamlet is manipulated in order to achieve the profile of the most complex actor of all. However, as the curtain falls, fate has got the better of all of the actors on the stage of Elsinore - bringing an end to the puppet-show.

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