Dramatic irony is when the audience or reader knows the words and actions of the characters in a work of literature, but certain characters in the story do not know them. The reader or audience has a greater knowledge of many of the characters themselves. Shakespeare employs dramatic irony in many of his tragedies; so that the audience is engaged, and so they are able to witness characters errors in their action, predict the fate of the characters, and experience feelings of tragedy and grief. As a tragedy, Hamlet deals with the problems that arise as a result of Hamlet's attempt to avenge his father's death. Throughout the play Hamlet is on the search of his self, while his actions are shaping who he really is. As he is attempting to find himself his actions go too far and cause many deaths even his own, and he never gets the opportunity of finding his true self. According to the Whit Cream team, “your choices, values and perspectives that shape your soul” define your self.
The play begins with the changing of the guards on a platform of the castle of Elsinore in Denmark. Recently the spectral likeness of dead King Hamlet has appeared to the guards. Horatio and Marcellus leave the barricades of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet, who is home from school, dejected by the “o’erhasty marriage” of his mother to his uncle less than two months after the funeral of Hamlet’s father (Gordon, 128). There is a post-coronation social gathering of the court, where Claudius pays tribute to the memory of his deceased brother, the former king, and then, along with Queen Gertrude. Dispatching Cornelius and Voltemand to Norway to settle the Fortinbras affair, addressing Polonius and Laertes on the subject of the latter’s return to sc...
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Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. (1.2)
One of the vital glitches is the clash between Hamlet's overpowering need to believe in the ghost of his father, who is the imposing figure in his life, and the awareness that he lacks realistic knowledge of the truth. Hamlet sets out on a mixed mission of accusation, revenge and the search for his true self. Even though Hamlet is the protagonist at the end of the play he ends up as the antagonist because his rage leads him to end several lives even his own, without discovery his serene self.
This play takes place mostly in Elsinore, Denmark between the fourteenth and fifteen century following the death of the late King Hamlet, who has been dead for two months prior to the beginning of the play (Shmoop Editorial Team). Act One commences in the middle of a routine nightly shift where Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, and two other guards witness the coming of a spirit that bears an uncanny resemblance to the recently deceased king. Meanwhile at Elsinore Claudius is crowned King with Hamlet’s mother as his queen. This chain of events causes discontent within Prince Hamlet as he delays his mourning time out of spite for the coronation. Afterwards, Horatio and the guards come to the consensus and tell Hamlet of their encounter so that the Prince may meet with the Ghost. The Ghost reveals to Hamlet that he was a victim of a well-planned murder at the hands of Claudius.
Humor was added to Hamlet by two major scenes, along with Hamlet's use of his antic-disposition. These two were: the scene between Hamlet and Polonius in the library, and the scene with the grave diggers (the clowns).
Blanche's facade of morality is ironic when the reader is informed of the truth, as is her eventual committal to a mental institute when the audience knows about Stanley's rape/sex. Shakespeare incorporates similar dramatic irony into Hamlet through the same technique. Examples include Laertes trusting of Claudius when in fact Claudius couldn't force himself to feel repentant. It is the use of this dramatic irony, based on the discrepancy between appearance and reality, which makes the plays' plots engaging and interesting. Irony is not only employed by the playwright's in the plots, but also in subtle symbolism which allows a multi-faceted portrayal of characters, and the fictional world in which they exist.
Hamlet begins on a dark night in Denmark’s Elsinore Castle. The ghost of recently deceased king, Hamlet’s father, is discovered by a pair of watchmen, followed by Horatio, and eventually Hamlet. The ghost informs Hamlet that he has been wronged by his brother Claudius, who coveting the throne, and after successfully plotting and murdering...
In the play Othello, Shakespeare uses many literary devices to help the reader understand the theme of the story. One of those many literary devices used in the play, is the wide range of irony. Throughout the pages of the book the reader will see the use of dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. Shakespeare does not use irony in an understated way, it is very direct, and can be found on almost every page of the book. The use of irony creates suspense, and adds interest as to what will happen.
An understanding of William Shakespeare’s philosophies reinforces the meaning of the human condition found in the play Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is an example in the exploration of good versus evil, deceit, madness, inter-turmoil, and utter existence. Shakespeare, fascinated by the human mind and human nature, clearly and completely illustrates the meaning of “self.” Hamlet is a drama that examines one’s personal identity. From the beginning of the story atop the castle when the guards enter the platform to the conclusion of the performance as Hamlet lies, dying in Horatio’s arms every characters’ psychological type is
Hamlet tarnishes his image and sacrifices his dignity as a result of his ploy to fool those around him and avenge his father’s murder. Initially, the character of Hamlet is portrayed as “a soldier” and “a scholar” with “a noble mind”. This description by Ophelia is one that the citizens of Elsinore including friends and family of Hamlet would have open-heartedly agreed to. After all, as Claudius said to Hamlet: “You are the most immediate to our throne...” Hamlet must act in a presentable state at all times so can be in favor with the people in the event that he were to become king. However, after the revelation by the Ghost that “The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown,” Hamlet is shocked but at the same time confused. He is forced into a conflict between acting and not acting ...
Throughout Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the idea of existentialism to explore the conflict between man and self. This conflict branches from the struggle for revenge in which Hamlet’s desire to establish order in a world of chaos leaves him destroyed and torn, leading to his inescapable downfall and deaths of the surrounding characters. However, as the play comes to an end, Hamlet is able to rise as an existential hero in Shakespeare’s work. Ultimately, Hamlet begins to understand his identity. Hamlet is able to confront his own existence and purpose in life only to realize that the world he lives in consists of facades with actors performing on a stage of false reality. As a result, the existential ideal unifies the play and the character of Hamlet, shaping the perception of action itself. Prince Hamlet is introduced as a confused, slow-to-act character. While he stays true to this characterization for almost the entire play, he does undergo a transformation. By the end of the play, Hamlet is able to prove his existence, demonstrate his own thoughts and actions, and display that...
In Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet faced many dilemmas that led to his transformation throughout the play. The people around him and the ghost of his father dramatically affect him. Seeing his father’s ghost had changed his fate and the person he had become. The path he chose after his encounter with his father’s ghost led to his death.
One main theme that arises in the Hamlet is the power struggle between Hamlet and Claudius. The main problem is between Hamlet and Claudius; they are in an ongoing battle throughout the play to see who will rise with the power of the throne. Claudius is the antagonist in the story and has multiple people under him that follow his every rule (Innes). He is a manipulative character who seeks revenge on Hamlet through other people he knows. On the other hand, Hamlet is the protagonist of the story, he is very unhappy after finding out the news of how his father had been killed (Innes). He is overtaken though by the ghost of his father, Old Hamlet, and is seen to become mad as a consequence. Although Hamlet seeks revenge against his new stepfather he procrastinates killing him. Hamlet has also considered killing himself beforehand because of the struggle of power between his stepfather and himself. In the last scene of the play the power struggle that had been between Hamlet and Claudius comes to a conclusion as Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius and Hamlet die. Throughout the play Laertes, Horatio and Gertrude choose a side to be on, either between Hamlet’s and Claudius’s who both are trying to obtain the utmost power.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about two lovers who are from two disputing families, and their eventual suicides. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout the play to create tension for the audience and foreshadow the ending. Dramatic irony is when the words or actions of characters in a story have a different meaning to the reader than to the characters. This is because the reader knows something that the characters do not. Romeo and Juliet’s death could have been prevented if the characters in the story weren’t so ignorant of their situations, and often times the reader recognizes this.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. In the play, the stage is set up for corruption, backstabbing, and murder. Throughout the whole play, Hamlet wants revenge for his father’s death, but he loses himself in the process. The play opens with the death of the old King Hamlet, and also ends with a series of deaths. Hamlet is upset about his rights to the throne being taken away when his mother, Gertrude, remarried so soon after his father’s death. In the play, Hamlet has a speech in act III, scene iii, lines 74-96. Hamlet makes his speech while Claudius is praying. Hamlet is speaking out loud to the audience. Even though Claudius is there, he is oblivious to Hamlet. Claudius does not see or hear what Hamlet is saying, he is only caught up in himself and what could happen, since Hamlet knows that he is responsible for the death his father. Claudius is worried about himself and losing the throne that he has stolen from his brother and his new wife. Hamlet’s speech in act III, scene iii, lines 74-96, advances the plot, and develops the theme of the play.
Hamlet’s mourning about the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother drives him to madness. This is the main characters inner tragedy that Shakespeare expresses in the play. First he considers suicide but the ghost of King Hamlet sends him on a different path, directing him to revenge his death. Shakespeare uses Hamlet to articulate his thoughts about life, death and revenge. Being a moral character he must decide if revenge is the right thing to do. Shakespeare relays many scenarios of reasoning to the audience about mankind His hero sets the wrongs on mankind right again.
Hamlet's problem is not exact; it cannot be pinpointed. In fact, Hamlet has numerous problems that contribute to his dilemma. The first of these problems is the appearance of King Hamlet's ghost to his son, Hamlet. Hamlet's morality adds a great deal to his delay in murdering the current king, Claudius. One of Hamlet's biggest drawbacks is that he tends to think things out too much. Hamlet does not act on instinct; however, he makes certain that every action is premeditated. Hamlet suffers a great deal from melancholy; this in turn causes him to constantly second guess himself. The Ghost is the main cause of Hamlet's melancholy. Also, Hamlet's melancholy helps to clear up certain aspects of the play. These are just a few of the problems that Hamlet encounters throughout his ordeal.
In 350 B.C.E., a great philosopher wrote out what he thought was the definition of a tragedy. As translated by S.H. Butcher, Aristotle wrote; “Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions. . . . Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality—namely, Plot, Characters, Thought, Diction, Spectacle, Melody. (http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html)” Later in history, William Shakespeare wrote tragedies that epitomized Aristotle’s outline of a tragedy. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one such tragedy.