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Incidents that portray irony in Hamlet
A streetcar named desire character analysis essay
A streetcar named desire character analysis essay
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In both A Streetcar Named Desire and Hamlet, Tennessee Williams and
William Shakespeare, respectively, demonstrate their abilities to
create engaging plays which work on several levels in order to produce
the desired effect. One of the most important characteristics of these
plays is the playwrights' success in using their words to create the
worlds surrounding their works. Both Shakespeare and Williams
effectively use irony in the aforementioned plays, both in the plot
and with specific symbolism, to create mildly existential environments
where effective irony is a confirmation of fate and justice.
Immediately apparent to the reader upon completion of these two works
is the glaring appearance of irony in the plays' plots. For example,
in A Streetcar Named Desire, a great deal of dramatic irony is created
when the audience is made aware of details that characters are
ignorant to. 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. For example,
Shakespeare employs subtle i...
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...nd his kingdom throughout the play. A Streetcar Named Desire ends in
a comparatively ironical fashion, as Blanche symbolically dies from
her insanity just as her husband did physically. Even more ironic is
Williams' subtle commentary on Blanche's fate as Blanche's passage on
the streetcar "Desire" led to "Cemeteries" and she was ultimately not
permitted to remain in "Elysian Fields." Just as she lost "Belle
Reve," her beautiful dream was lost. It is this ironical poetic
justice that gives the plays their power, and creates the existential,
destiny driven worlds of the plays.
Using a varied array of techniques employing irony, Williams and
Shakespeare effectively develop and portray their plays. It is the
irony in Hamlet and A Streetcar Named Desire that accentuate the
play's plots and settings to make them appealing.
An element of literature in The Interlopers is situational irony. Irony is the contrast between an actual outcome and what the reader or the characters expect. Irony is important to this story because a major family conflict would have ended, but an event occurred and changed that. Irony is in the interlopers when the wolves came and ate the men. When Georg says, “I will be your friend” it was major irony (Saki 309). The whole story the reader thought that the two men would surely kill each other when they met, but they made up. Also, when Ulrich said “Wolves” there is a turning point fueled by Irony (Saki 310).
In this passage, Williams’ emphasises the nature of Blanche’s demise through the contrapuntal mode of the scene juxtaposing Blanche’s bathing with Stanley and Stella’s conversation. Williams wrote in a letter to Elia Kazan, who was to direct the film production of the play, that ‘It is a thing (misunderstanding) not a person (Stanley) that destroys (Blanche) in the ends’. This passage is significant as it shows the extent of Stanley’s misunderstanding of Blanche and his stubbornness to ascertain his condemnations to Stella. Furthermore, the use of colloquial lexis shows the true feebleness of Stanley’s claim because his judicial façade is diminished and shows the dangerous influence of claims as he sways Mitch away from Blanche. Stella’s character
Verbal irony is when someone says one thing but, means another. An example of verbal irony in the play is when Procter is in the courthouse and says that Elizabeth can not lie and then she does. “In her life, sir, she have never lied. There are them that cannot sing, and them that cannot weep, my wife cannot lie. I have paid much to learn it, sir” (pg 973 Miller Act 3), “Look at me! To your knowledge, has John Procter ever committed the crime of lechery? Answer my question! Is your husband a leacher!” (pg 974 Miller Act 3), “No, sir” (pg 974 Miller Act 3). Another example of verbal irony is when Abigail is in the court house and she is doing Gods work, but really she is doing the devils by getting all the girls to act like they see Mary’s spirit too. “Oh, Mary this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it’s God’s work I do” (pg 975 Miller Act 3). Dramatic irony is when the readers know something that the characters do not. One example of dramatic irony is when Abigail acts like she sees Mary Warrens spirit, but she really does not. “Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it’s God’s work I do” (pg 975 Miller Act 3), “Mary Warren! Draw back your spirit out of them!” (pg 975 Miller Act 3). Another example of dramatic irony is when Elizabeth was asked why she discharged Abigail she said that she did not satisfy
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).
Irony in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde The play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is full of irony. Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, the protagonists in the play, get themselves into a complicated situation called Bunburyism (as Algernon refers to it). They pretend to be someone that they are not to escape their daily lives. They lie to the women they admire, and eventually the truth is revealed.
The first type of irony is dramatic. Dramatic irony is when we know something that the character doesn't.
In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the importance of characters Laertes and Fortinbras have been an issue that's discussed and analyzed by many literary critics. Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are parallel characters in the play. Laertes and Fortinbras are often use by Shakespeare to compare the actions and emotions of Hamlet throughout the play. "They are also important in Hamlet as they are imperative to the plot of the play and the final resolution" (Nardo, 88). Shakespeare placed these three men: Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras into similar circumstances, which is, to avenge for their fathers' deaths. The main difference between the three is the way that each of them comes to grief of their fathers' deaths and the way they planned their vengeance.
An author can reveal characteristics of characters in literature through several different methods. Some common methods of characterization include one’s appearance, speech, thoughts, name, actions, and emotions. However, unconventional means can also be used, such as imagery, which is visually descriptive or figurative language. In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, imagery is used to characterize central characters to the play. Firstly, Hamlet’s characteristics are revealed through the imagery of death in his speech. Secondly, Claudius’ characteristics are revealed through the imagery in the Ghost and Hamlet’s descriptions of him, as well as his own thoughts. It is through this visually descriptive and figurative language, that readers can identify characteristics of these central characters.
The ordinary, but shepherd-like and curious enough to look realistically at the nature, Speaker of this poem shall be married; this much realizing the subtle fears and emotions of a "married ear" and sympathizing with it.
In Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Williams highlights the inequality of the patriarchal society through the character of Stanley Kowalski. Through the comparison of Blanche and Stanley respectively representing the ‘old south’ and ‘new south’, Williams draws out Stanley’s character as a Polish immigrant’s son, employed as a factory worker who is unwaveringly contributing to the diminishing of the aristocratic lifestyle which Blanche embodies. Williams presents the brutality of Stanley’s character through unconventional dramatic techniques, specific animalistic language and stage directions.
Defined by Dictionary.com dramatic irony is “irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience, but not grasped by the characters in the play” (“dramatic irony”). This type of irony is one that is not seen by characters, but is known to the reader. Towards the end of the story Josephine begs for Mrs. Mallard to open up the door and let her in, as she is afraid her sister is making herself ill (Chopin 201). This is dramatic irony as Josephine does not realize that her sister is not actually making herself ill, but is instead rejoicing in her husband’s death. Another instance at the conclusion of the story, Mr. Brently Mallard enters through the door, Richards quickly tries to block him from Mrs. Mallard seeing (Chopin 201). Richards assumes that Mrs. Mallard is still grieving from her husband’s death. He shields her from seeing Mr. Brently Mallard as he knows it will too much emotion. The dramatic irony is Richards does not realize that she is happy and blocking her view of her husband will make her upset, but only because Brently being alive means her freedom is
Wrought with double irony and an overall sense of mock-pastoral, English playwright John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (1728) has its forefront of irony vividly expressed between the dynamic of the central characters Macheath and Peachum. Even the names of the characters comically resemble their occupations within the play, Peachum’s being a play on the word “peach” which means to bring one to trial, while Macheath’s meaning “son of heath” and being a play on the heaths of London, which were prime places worked on by highwaymen (Tillotson, et al.). While both characters were used as a political satire towards Jonathan Wild and the then Prime Minister Robert Walpole (after all, The Beggar’s Opera was a political satire first and a potential literary
Keys to Interpretation of Hamlet & nbsp; William Shakespeare's Hamlet is, at heart, a play about suicide. Though it is surrounded by a fairly standard revenge plot, the play's core is an intense psychodrama about a prince gone mad from the pressures of his station and his unrequited love for Ophelia. He longs for the ultimate release of killing himself - but why? In this respect, Hamlet is equivocal - he gives several different motives depending on the situation. But we learn to trust his soliloquies - his thoughts - more than his actions.
In his dramatic monologue, Robert Browning uses irony, diction, and imagery to achieve a haunting effect.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragedy that revolves around three central themes. These themes are death, betrayal, and revenge. In order to both advance the plot and produce character motivations, Shakespeare uses a plethora of literary devices; including foreshadowing, imagery, symbolism, and indirect characterization. These devices have the additional effect of conveying a sense of suspense and danger, while also offering psychological insight into the characters’ minds.