Born around 1564. William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest writer in the English language and is sometimes Known as England's national poet. He produced 37 plays. 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and possibly several other works during his lifetime. He also invented more than 1,700 common words and more than 160 phrases, idioms and axioms still in common use today, His influence has — Spanned generations from his own contemporaries to the modern day. 

Shakespeare had possibly arrived in London by 1585 and worked as an actor and playwright. Several of his plays were on the stage by 1592, the same year he also began getting noticed as an actor. The earliest is Suspected to be The Two Gentlemen of Verona, written around 1590 However, the theaters would be closed the same year Shakespeare got his first glimpse of success due to the plague. The following year 1593, Shakespeare began writing his famous sonnets and saw the publication of his first narrative poem, Venus and Adonis, 

By 1894, Shakespeare was attached to the Lord Chamberlain's Men along with famed actors of the day Richard Burbage and Will Kemp. The Lord Chamberlain's men were patronised by Henry Carey who was who was Anne Boleyn's nephew and Elizabeth I's first cousin. Some also speculate he was Elizabeth's half-brother since his mother and the king were having an affair around the time he was born. After Carey's death, his son would take over the troupe and under his patronage, the Globe Theatre would open. 

When Queen Elizabeth I died in "1603, Shakespeare received continued patronage under the new king, James I . Luckily for Shakespeare, James | was also a lover of the arts and Shakespeare's troupe became among his favourites after renaming themselves The King's Men in his honour. Shakespeare would earn a commendation from the king in 1605 and some believe Macbeth was written to honour the new king's Scottish ancestry. The last of his plays is generally believed to be The Two Noble Kinsman, which was written sometime between 1613-4. He would die two years later. 

However, it wouldn't be until the death of his wife in 1623 that actors John Hemminges and Henry Condell would work together to publish a collection of 36 of Shakespeare's 37 plays in what became known as the First Folio. Before this event, Shakespeare's plays were only seen and performed, but after the publication, anyone who could afford a copy could read these works in their entirety. Soon, Shakespeare's vocabulary, style of blank verse and poetry as well as many of the theatrical elements. he employed were being copied by playwrights and writers in England and beyond. 

The age of Shakespeare in English literature

Green Land | March 06, 2024 | 0 comments

Born around 1564. William Shakespeare is often considered the greatest writer in the English language and is sometimes Known as England's national poet. He produced 37 plays. 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and possibly several other works during his lifetime. He also invented more than 1,700 common words and more than 160 phrases, idioms and axioms still in common use today, His influence has — Spanned generations from his own contemporaries to the modern day. 

Shakespeare had possibly arrived in London by 1585 and worked as an actor and playwright. Several of his plays were on the stage by 1592, the same year he also began getting noticed as an actor. The earliest is Suspected to be The Two Gentlemen of Verona, written around 1590 However, the theaters would be closed the same year Shakespeare got his first glimpse of success due to the plague. The following year 1593, Shakespeare began writing his famous sonnets and saw the publication of his first narrative poem, Venus and Adonis, 

By 1894, Shakespeare was attached to the Lord Chamberlain's Men along with famed actors of the day Richard Burbage and Will Kemp. The Lord Chamberlain's men were patronised by Henry Carey who was who was Anne Boleyn's nephew and Elizabeth I's first cousin. Some also speculate he was Elizabeth's half-brother since his mother and the king were having an affair around the time he was born. After Carey's death, his son would take over the troupe and under his patronage, the Globe Theatre would open. 

When Queen Elizabeth I died in "1603, Shakespeare received continued patronage under the new king, James I . Luckily for Shakespeare, James | was also a lover of the arts and Shakespeare's troupe became among his favourites after renaming themselves The King's Men in his honour. Shakespeare would earn a commendation from the king in 1605 and some believe Macbeth was written to honour the new king's Scottish ancestry. The last of his plays is generally believed to be The Two Noble Kinsman, which was written sometime between 1613-4. He would die two years later. 

However, it wouldn't be until the death of his wife in 1623 that actors John Hemminges and Henry Condell would work together to publish a collection of 36 of Shakespeare's 37 plays in what became known as the First Folio. Before this event, Shakespeare's plays were only seen and performed, but after the publication, anyone who could afford a copy could read these works in their entirety. Soon, Shakespeare's vocabulary, style of blank verse and poetry as well as many of the theatrical elements. he employed were being copied by playwrights and writers in England and beyond. 

William Shakespeare

Comedy refers to a literary work which deals with humorous,  familiar events and the behaviour of ordinary people speaking the language of ordinary  people, less exalted and less serious than a  tragedy, commonly having a happy ending. According to Aristotle, a “Comedy ... is an imitation of worse persons; yet so much are bad with respect to general depravity, but in that particular species of turpitude which is calculated to incite a ridicule. This is either  produced by mistakes of judgment, that are not attended with , ' dangers, or fatal consequences or by deformity of body, provided it is  not occasioned by pain.” The comedy of Shakespeare’s time was very different from our modern comedy. Common features of a Shakespeare comedy are: 

(i) Shakespeare communicated his comedy through language.  

(ii) The theme of love is prevalent in every Shakespeare comedy.  

(iii) Shakespearean comedy always involves multiple plot lines, ; cleverly intertwined to keep the audience guessing. 

(iv) The plot is often driven by mistaken identity. , 

(v) Young lovers struggling to overcome obstacles. 

(vi) Shakespeare quite often had characters masquerading as the  opposite sex, leading to many misunderstandings and ’ comical situations. 

(vii) Shakespeare was a master of wordplay, and his comedies are filled with puns and witty language games. , 

(viii) Shakespeare relied heavily on stock characters for his plays. These stock characters were instantly recognizable stereotypes to Elizabethan audiences. 

(ix) Family tensions that are usually resolved in the end. 

(x) All Shakespearean comedies end happily involving marriagé ‘ or pending marriage.

Shakespeare wrote many plays during his lifetime. Some of his plays have similar comedic characteristics and then other plays are the exact opposite of comedy. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, romance, history, comedy, and problem plays all with great success. During the performance of these plays there was no scenery so great time was taken when developing the characters and the plot so the plays would be entertaining. A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado about Nothing are just two of the cornedies Shakespeare wrote. These two plays have many things in common whereas Measure for Measure is a problem play with a totally different tone. Comparing and contrasting these three plays will help us to understand what Shakespeare thought comedy was in the 1600's and to see if our views on comedy are the same today. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a festive comedy. The play takes place in June and this is a bewitched time. In the spring the custom is to celebrate the return of fertility to the earth. During this time the young people spend the night in the woods to celebrate. Shakespeare uses the greenworld pattern in this play. The play begins in the city, moves out to the country and then back to the city. Being in the country makes things better because there is tranquility, freedom and people can become uncivilised versus when they are in the city and have to follow customs and laws and behave rationally. 

Comedies contain blocking figures and in this play it is Egeus. If he was not in the way, Hermia could marry Lysander. Since he is causing problems in his daughter's life by trying to make her marry Demetrius, this begins the journey into the woods. Egeus threatened Hermia with death if she were to marry Lysander so she thinks the only way they can be together is to run away. 

One strange element is why Egeus was so set on Hermia marrying Demetrius. Lysander came from as good a family as Demetrius. Both were well possessed with property and money so Egeus's power is made to seem senseless. 

The play moves into the woods which is haunted by fairies who are there to bless the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. The quarreling between Oberon and Titania over the changeling boy leads to the king wanting to embarrass Titania with the love juice by making her fall in love with a monster. The first person she sees is Bottom and she falls violently in love with him. 

Oberon is making a spectacle of Titania and Bottom. It is ridiculous that she is in love with him because he is from such a lower class than her, he is human and she is a fairy, and he has the head of an ass. She is also a queen and he is an uneducated working man and a match like this would never happen. Bottom has such a problem‘ with language. He speaks in malapropisms. He tries to say one word but always comes up with the wrong one. He is a working man who tries to act more educated that he really is. Through Bottom and Titania we see that love is blind. Also, while Titania is under the influence of the love juice she releases the changeling boy to Oberon so he did accomplish his goal. 

The confusion between Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius because of the love juice is full of funny occurrences. When Lysander wakes up and thinks he is in love with Helena, Hermia is ignored and treated badly by Lysander. Then not only was Lysander saying he loved Helena, Demetrius was also treating Hermia badly. This left poor Hermia so upset but we aS the audience know this is a prank and soon the spell will be lifted. The main characters in the play are all developed to a point where the audience can identify with them. We learn things about them individually so we can feel happy or sad when things happen in their life. I felt sad for Hermia when she was jolted by Lysander because their love for each other had seemed so strong and she was so confused by his behavior. Even though the audience knows the truth it is easy to feel sad for her. As the play nears the end, Oberon lifts the spell and everyone seems to believe they have had a rare vision and then their lives go on just as if none of this had happened. 

The play brings closure to the reader by having the traditional ending of a comedy. They usually end in weddings and a feast which is exactly what happens in 4 Midsummer Night's Dream. Lysander and Hermia, Helena and Demetrius, and Theseus and Hippolyta all get married which signifies a new beginning. The working men end the play with a Bergomask dance and the fairies join in the dance and bless the marriages. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream contains many elements of a comedy. The most important ones to me are shat the play ends happily, it is funny and it made me laugh. Shakespeare wrote much Ado about Nothing which is also a comedy, but it is a different type of comedy than 4 Midsummer Night's Dream. although these two plays share some common elements, they also have differences. 

Much Ado about nothing is a comedy of intrigue. It involves suspense, question and has a detective story element. Within the comedy of intrigue, there is social comedy involving Beatrice and Benedick. Through this couple and Claudio and Hero, the play explores the way people interact with each other. Shakespeare shows that love can be very logical but also very passionate. Claudio and Hero have a love that is soft, delicate and logical. Beatrice and Benedick on the other hand, are very passionately in love with each other and show this by quarreling constantly. 

Claudio's obsession with Hero is from a distance. He worships her and is astonished with her beauty. His love for her is very shallow because he does not know her as a person. Claudio is being logical about marriage by inquiring about Hero's financial state and social standing. After finding out she is an only child, he agrees to let Don Pedro woo Hero in his favor so she would be his wife. 

When Claudio and Don Pedro put their plan into action at the masked ball, Don John appears. He acts as a blocking figure in this play and causes many problems. He tells Claudio that Don Pedro wants Hero for himself, which is a lie, but Claudio acts like 'easy tome easy go'. He is not very upset that he just lost his soon to be bride. When the truth comes out, the wedding day is set and the planning begins. Don John is once again planning to ruin things. He is a jealous, sour and unhappy person. The green world is also used in this play but not for festive activities. It is used for plotting bad things that will hurt people. After Claudio is led to believe Hero was cheating on him, he becomes malicious and wants revenge. Claudio disgraces Hero at the wedding. He refuses to marry her in front of all the guests and accuses her of already having sex with someone else. 

This serious act of revenge causes the audience to feel sorry for not only Hero, but her family as well because we know that was not her kissing Borachio. The audience may have felt worse for Hero if her character had been more fully developed but she hardly ever spoke even when agreeing to marry Claudio. We can feel sorry for her but not really identify with her because we do not know her very well. Hero is made a spectacle of for no truthful reason and disgraces her family. 

After Hero faints at the wedding, Beatrice is furious. She wants revenge against Claudio. Finally she ard Benedick declare their love for each other which was made possible by being under tension and emotional stress and she was finally able to let down her guard. She feels out of control because she needs a man to kill Claudio. She is usually able to take care of things herself but not this time. Thankfully Benedick will not kill Claudio and the truth comes out because of Dogberry and Verges. 

When the night watchmen overhear Borachio talking about the scheme Dogberry and Verges bring him and his comrade to their superior. It is funny this watchmen could catch anyone doing anything wrong. The watchmen are like Bottom and are comical. They have the same problem as Bottom and have great difficulty communicating. 

After the truth is out that Claudio was fooled into thinking that Hero was cheating on him, he is full of grief because he believes Hero is dead. He agrees to marry Leonato's niece, who is supposed to look just like Hero, to make up his terrible mistake to the family. After he marries the masked bride, he is happy to see it is Hero. This certainly is a marriage of convenience. He did not know Hero anyway so it would not have mattered if he knew the bride to be. In a sense, Hero was resurrected from the dead and Claudio ends up being a very lucky guy. 

Most of the characters are fully developed, except Hero, so we can identify with their grief and then their joy. As the play comes to an end everything is wrapped in a neat package. Don John is captured and brought back to be punished, Claudio and Hero, and Beatrice and Benedick are married and the dance and the feast begin. 

Measure for Measure is a play that is very different from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The comedy in this play is very raw, The atmosphere of the two plays is different but they both deal with the same issue of sexuality. After the Duke has left the city in Angelo's hands, he wants to show his power by condemning Claudio to death because he got Juliet pregnant. Angelo is not being reasonable because he has let the power go to his head. Angelo has also had sex out of wedlock; he just did not get Mariana pregnant. In this play sex is portrayed as much more dangerous as it has been in the other two plays. 

After Claudio is jailed, he makes a plea to his sister, Isabella, to help him obtain a pardon for his offense. Isabella had not yet taken her vows to become a nun so she agrees to help him. Isabella and Angelo are. parallel] characters. Both live with great restraint. After Isabella pleads with Angelo to pardon her brother, he comes up with the idea of an exchange for Claudio's freedom. He wants Isabella to sleep with him so he could have her virginity and then he would pardon Claudio. 

Angelo is a very cold person with no feelings and has restrained himself tremendously throughout his life. He has a problem with women and he is tempted more by a virtuous woman than a frivolous one. In a soliloquy, he talks to himself and tries to understand his lust for Isabella. He has a violent image of sex with her because he wants to destroy her virtue. Angelo is very cruel. He is going to torture and kill Claudio and he is getting pleasure by controlling Isabella. this play is dealing with power and who has the most. 

After the Duke, disguised as the Friar, over hears Isabella telling Claudio she will not sleep with Angelo, he comes up with a plan. Isabella would agree to meet Angelo at midnight and they would send Mariana instead because the two of them were supposed to have been married before but her dowry was lost at sea and Angelo had backed out on the marriage. 

The plan works but Angelo goes back on his word and orders Claudio's head delivered to him at once. The Friar helps keep Claudio in hiding so everyone would think he was dead. The Friar then returns as the Duke and Angelo's world begins to unravel. He is publicly exposed so everyone will know what king of a person he is. He has been tricked into marriage and is now a very miserable person. Although he had the ultimate power for a brief time, he abused it and now has to suffer the consequences for a lifetime. 

After Claudio is produces and allowed to marry Juliet, the Duke asks for Isabella's hand in marriage. The satire in this.play looks at the two extremes and the audience tries to believe something in the middle. The language used in this play is crude when they are discussing sex. The men in the city talk about sex in a nasty ways discussing how many diseases they have gotten from the hoars. Sex is portrayed as a vile and nasty thing. Measure for Measure is visually unlike other plays. There is insistence on laws that are very extreme. People are being measured in judgment. It shows that you should be reasonable and weigh things out before actions are taken, 

These three plays all have different messages which are told in various ways. As a writer, Shakespeare was so talented he could write different types of stories with such grace, These three plays are just a few examples of the different extremes he was capable of. Writing and defining comedy can be very difficult. Many elements of comedy are in his plays and this makes they very enjoyable reading. Comedy helps me to identify with stories since I like happy endings much better than tragic endings. After finishing a book, I like to have a feeling of closure and in these comedies my need is fulfilled. 

Shakespearean Comedy

Green Land | August 14, 2023 | 0 comments

Comedy refers to a literary work which deals with humorous,  familiar events and the behaviour of ordinary people speaking the language of ordinary  people, less exalted and less serious than a  tragedy, commonly having a happy ending. According to Aristotle, a “Comedy ... is an imitation of worse persons; yet so much are bad with respect to general depravity, but in that particular species of turpitude which is calculated to incite a ridicule. This is either  produced by mistakes of judgment, that are not attended with , ' dangers, or fatal consequences or by deformity of body, provided it is  not occasioned by pain.” The comedy of Shakespeare’s time was very different from our modern comedy. Common features of a Shakespeare comedy are: 

(i) Shakespeare communicated his comedy through language.  

(ii) The theme of love is prevalent in every Shakespeare comedy.  

(iii) Shakespearean comedy always involves multiple plot lines, ; cleverly intertwined to keep the audience guessing. 

(iv) The plot is often driven by mistaken identity. , 

(v) Young lovers struggling to overcome obstacles. 

(vi) Shakespeare quite often had characters masquerading as the  opposite sex, leading to many misunderstandings and ’ comical situations. 

(vii) Shakespeare was a master of wordplay, and his comedies are filled with puns and witty language games. , 

(viii) Shakespeare relied heavily on stock characters for his plays. These stock characters were instantly recognizable stereotypes to Elizabethan audiences. 

(ix) Family tensions that are usually resolved in the end. 

(x) All Shakespearean comedies end happily involving marriagé ‘ or pending marriage.

Shakespeare wrote many plays during his lifetime. Some of his plays have similar comedic characteristics and then other plays are the exact opposite of comedy. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, romance, history, comedy, and problem plays all with great success. During the performance of these plays there was no scenery so great time was taken when developing the characters and the plot so the plays would be entertaining. A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado about Nothing are just two of the cornedies Shakespeare wrote. These two plays have many things in common whereas Measure for Measure is a problem play with a totally different tone. Comparing and contrasting these three plays will help us to understand what Shakespeare thought comedy was in the 1600's and to see if our views on comedy are the same today. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a festive comedy. The play takes place in June and this is a bewitched time. In the spring the custom is to celebrate the return of fertility to the earth. During this time the young people spend the night in the woods to celebrate. Shakespeare uses the greenworld pattern in this play. The play begins in the city, moves out to the country and then back to the city. Being in the country makes things better because there is tranquility, freedom and people can become uncivilised versus when they are in the city and have to follow customs and laws and behave rationally. 

Comedies contain blocking figures and in this play it is Egeus. If he was not in the way, Hermia could marry Lysander. Since he is causing problems in his daughter's life by trying to make her marry Demetrius, this begins the journey into the woods. Egeus threatened Hermia with death if she were to marry Lysander so she thinks the only way they can be together is to run away. 

One strange element is why Egeus was so set on Hermia marrying Demetrius. Lysander came from as good a family as Demetrius. Both were well possessed with property and money so Egeus's power is made to seem senseless. 

The play moves into the woods which is haunted by fairies who are there to bless the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. The quarreling between Oberon and Titania over the changeling boy leads to the king wanting to embarrass Titania with the love juice by making her fall in love with a monster. The first person she sees is Bottom and she falls violently in love with him. 

Oberon is making a spectacle of Titania and Bottom. It is ridiculous that she is in love with him because he is from such a lower class than her, he is human and she is a fairy, and he has the head of an ass. She is also a queen and he is an uneducated working man and a match like this would never happen. Bottom has such a problem‘ with language. He speaks in malapropisms. He tries to say one word but always comes up with the wrong one. He is a working man who tries to act more educated that he really is. Through Bottom and Titania we see that love is blind. Also, while Titania is under the influence of the love juice she releases the changeling boy to Oberon so he did accomplish his goal. 

The confusion between Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius because of the love juice is full of funny occurrences. When Lysander wakes up and thinks he is in love with Helena, Hermia is ignored and treated badly by Lysander. Then not only was Lysander saying he loved Helena, Demetrius was also treating Hermia badly. This left poor Hermia so upset but we aS the audience know this is a prank and soon the spell will be lifted. The main characters in the play are all developed to a point where the audience can identify with them. We learn things about them individually so we can feel happy or sad when things happen in their life. I felt sad for Hermia when she was jolted by Lysander because their love for each other had seemed so strong and she was so confused by his behavior. Even though the audience knows the truth it is easy to feel sad for her. As the play nears the end, Oberon lifts the spell and everyone seems to believe they have had a rare vision and then their lives go on just as if none of this had happened. 

The play brings closure to the reader by having the traditional ending of a comedy. They usually end in weddings and a feast which is exactly what happens in 4 Midsummer Night's Dream. Lysander and Hermia, Helena and Demetrius, and Theseus and Hippolyta all get married which signifies a new beginning. The working men end the play with a Bergomask dance and the fairies join in the dance and bless the marriages. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream contains many elements of a comedy. The most important ones to me are shat the play ends happily, it is funny and it made me laugh. Shakespeare wrote much Ado about Nothing which is also a comedy, but it is a different type of comedy than 4 Midsummer Night's Dream. although these two plays share some common elements, they also have differences. 

Much Ado about nothing is a comedy of intrigue. It involves suspense, question and has a detective story element. Within the comedy of intrigue, there is social comedy involving Beatrice and Benedick. Through this couple and Claudio and Hero, the play explores the way people interact with each other. Shakespeare shows that love can be very logical but also very passionate. Claudio and Hero have a love that is soft, delicate and logical. Beatrice and Benedick on the other hand, are very passionately in love with each other and show this by quarreling constantly. 

Claudio's obsession with Hero is from a distance. He worships her and is astonished with her beauty. His love for her is very shallow because he does not know her as a person. Claudio is being logical about marriage by inquiring about Hero's financial state and social standing. After finding out she is an only child, he agrees to let Don Pedro woo Hero in his favor so she would be his wife. 

When Claudio and Don Pedro put their plan into action at the masked ball, Don John appears. He acts as a blocking figure in this play and causes many problems. He tells Claudio that Don Pedro wants Hero for himself, which is a lie, but Claudio acts like 'easy tome easy go'. He is not very upset that he just lost his soon to be bride. When the truth comes out, the wedding day is set and the planning begins. Don John is once again planning to ruin things. He is a jealous, sour and unhappy person. The green world is also used in this play but not for festive activities. It is used for plotting bad things that will hurt people. After Claudio is led to believe Hero was cheating on him, he becomes malicious and wants revenge. Claudio disgraces Hero at the wedding. He refuses to marry her in front of all the guests and accuses her of already having sex with someone else. 

This serious act of revenge causes the audience to feel sorry for not only Hero, but her family as well because we know that was not her kissing Borachio. The audience may have felt worse for Hero if her character had been more fully developed but she hardly ever spoke even when agreeing to marry Claudio. We can feel sorry for her but not really identify with her because we do not know her very well. Hero is made a spectacle of for no truthful reason and disgraces her family. 

After Hero faints at the wedding, Beatrice is furious. She wants revenge against Claudio. Finally she ard Benedick declare their love for each other which was made possible by being under tension and emotional stress and she was finally able to let down her guard. She feels out of control because she needs a man to kill Claudio. She is usually able to take care of things herself but not this time. Thankfully Benedick will not kill Claudio and the truth comes out because of Dogberry and Verges. 

When the night watchmen overhear Borachio talking about the scheme Dogberry and Verges bring him and his comrade to their superior. It is funny this watchmen could catch anyone doing anything wrong. The watchmen are like Bottom and are comical. They have the same problem as Bottom and have great difficulty communicating. 

After the truth is out that Claudio was fooled into thinking that Hero was cheating on him, he is full of grief because he believes Hero is dead. He agrees to marry Leonato's niece, who is supposed to look just like Hero, to make up his terrible mistake to the family. After he marries the masked bride, he is happy to see it is Hero. This certainly is a marriage of convenience. He did not know Hero anyway so it would not have mattered if he knew the bride to be. In a sense, Hero was resurrected from the dead and Claudio ends up being a very lucky guy. 

Most of the characters are fully developed, except Hero, so we can identify with their grief and then their joy. As the play comes to an end everything is wrapped in a neat package. Don John is captured and brought back to be punished, Claudio and Hero, and Beatrice and Benedick are married and the dance and the feast begin. 

Measure for Measure is a play that is very different from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The comedy in this play is very raw, The atmosphere of the two plays is different but they both deal with the same issue of sexuality. After the Duke has left the city in Angelo's hands, he wants to show his power by condemning Claudio to death because he got Juliet pregnant. Angelo is not being reasonable because he has let the power go to his head. Angelo has also had sex out of wedlock; he just did not get Mariana pregnant. In this play sex is portrayed as much more dangerous as it has been in the other two plays. 

After Claudio is jailed, he makes a plea to his sister, Isabella, to help him obtain a pardon for his offense. Isabella had not yet taken her vows to become a nun so she agrees to help him. Isabella and Angelo are. parallel] characters. Both live with great restraint. After Isabella pleads with Angelo to pardon her brother, he comes up with the idea of an exchange for Claudio's freedom. He wants Isabella to sleep with him so he could have her virginity and then he would pardon Claudio. 

Angelo is a very cold person with no feelings and has restrained himself tremendously throughout his life. He has a problem with women and he is tempted more by a virtuous woman than a frivolous one. In a soliloquy, he talks to himself and tries to understand his lust for Isabella. He has a violent image of sex with her because he wants to destroy her virtue. Angelo is very cruel. He is going to torture and kill Claudio and he is getting pleasure by controlling Isabella. this play is dealing with power and who has the most. 

After the Duke, disguised as the Friar, over hears Isabella telling Claudio she will not sleep with Angelo, he comes up with a plan. Isabella would agree to meet Angelo at midnight and they would send Mariana instead because the two of them were supposed to have been married before but her dowry was lost at sea and Angelo had backed out on the marriage. 

The plan works but Angelo goes back on his word and orders Claudio's head delivered to him at once. The Friar helps keep Claudio in hiding so everyone would think he was dead. The Friar then returns as the Duke and Angelo's world begins to unravel. He is publicly exposed so everyone will know what king of a person he is. He has been tricked into marriage and is now a very miserable person. Although he had the ultimate power for a brief time, he abused it and now has to suffer the consequences for a lifetime. 

After Claudio is produces and allowed to marry Juliet, the Duke asks for Isabella's hand in marriage. The satire in this.play looks at the two extremes and the audience tries to believe something in the middle. The language used in this play is crude when they are discussing sex. The men in the city talk about sex in a nasty ways discussing how many diseases they have gotten from the hoars. Sex is portrayed as a vile and nasty thing. Measure for Measure is visually unlike other plays. There is insistence on laws that are very extreme. People are being measured in judgment. It shows that you should be reasonable and weigh things out before actions are taken, 

These three plays all have different messages which are told in various ways. As a writer, Shakespeare was so talented he could write different types of stories with such grace, These three plays are just a few examples of the different extremes he was capable of. Writing and defining comedy can be very difficult. Many elements of comedy are in his plays and this makes they very enjoyable reading. Comedy helps me to identify with stories since I like happy endings much better than tragic endings. After finishing a book, I like to have a feeling of closure and in these comedies my need is fulfilled. 

William Shakespeare

Malcolm is the eldest son of King Duncan. The distinguishing feature of his character is caution. As soon as his father’s murder is discovered in the early hours of the next morning, he seems immediately to suspect that the fate of his father may befall him as well. So he wisely decides to flee from the spot. He reveals himself as a shrewd politician in his decision to go to England to enlist the help of the English King for regaining his kingdom. Macbeth makes several efforts to entice him back to his country, but Malcolm has enough prudence to suspect Macbeth’s evil designs and such refuses to fall into the trap. In this respect of caution, Malcolm forms a contrast to his father, the unsuspecting and trustful Duncan. 

Later in the play, in leading the English forces against Macbeth, Malcolm shows himself to be an able commander. It is he who suggests that old Siward should take charge of one battalion while he and Macduff would do the rest. It is he, again, who orders his soldiers to cut down branches of trees in Birnam Wood and cover themselves with those branches as they advance towards Dunsinane; and at the right moment, he gives his soldiers the order to throw away the branches with which they were screening themselves and to appear in their true colours. For his proper leading he became successful to regain his kingdom. 

Who is the real Malcolm in Macbeth?

Green Land | August 08, 2023 | 0 comments

Malcolm is the eldest son of King Duncan. The distinguishing feature of his character is caution. As soon as his father’s murder is discovered in the early hours of the next morning, he seems immediately to suspect that the fate of his father may befall him as well. So he wisely decides to flee from the spot. He reveals himself as a shrewd politician in his decision to go to England to enlist the help of the English King for regaining his kingdom. Macbeth makes several efforts to entice him back to his country, but Malcolm has enough prudence to suspect Macbeth’s evil designs and such refuses to fall into the trap. In this respect of caution, Malcolm forms a contrast to his father, the unsuspecting and trustful Duncan. 

Later in the play, in leading the English forces against Macbeth, Malcolm shows himself to be an able commander. It is he who suggests that old Siward should take charge of one battalion while he and Macduff would do the rest. It is he, again, who orders his soldiers to cut down branches of trees in Birnam Wood and cover themselves with those branches as they advance towards Dunsinane; and at the right moment, he gives his soldiers the order to throw away the branches with which they were screening themselves and to appear in their true colours. For his proper leading he became successful to regain his kingdom. 

Macbeth , William Shakespeare

We have a large number of asides and soliloquies in Macbeth. Although both an aside and a soliloquy are speeches made by a character to himself there is a technical difference between the two. An aside is made by a character privately to himself when others  are present; while a soliloquy is made by a character to himself when he is all alone. These asides and soliloquies are very significant in regard to plot development and character revelation. 

Mcbeth’s asides after hearing the prophecies are in fact soliloquies that amply reveal the secret thoughts of his mind. It was prophesied that Macbeth will be the Thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland. When he was conferred with the title of the Thane of Cawdor he says to himself in an aside that “The greatest is behind.” Only a moment later, he utters another aside in which he says that the prophecies made by the Witches cannot be evil and cannot be good.

Macbeth speaks another aside just after Duncan nominates his son, Malcolm as the heir to the throne. The naming of the heir to the throne has become a hurdle in the way of his becoming the king of Scotland. To overcome this hurdle the thought of murder comes in his mind which helps the plot move forwards.  

One of the most important of Macbeth’s soliloquies is made when king Duncan has arrived at Macbeth’s castle to stay there as a guest. This soliloquy shows his reflections on the consequences of the murder. Macbeth closes this soliloquy by saying that there is no spur to his intention of murdering Duncan except a soaring ambition, Here we find him hesitating at the last moment, to commit the crime. 

Macbeth makes his another soliloquy when he is about to murder sleeping Duncan. Here he sees a bloody dagger which is actually a hallucination, an expression of his guilty mind. In his next soliloquy, after committing the murder of Duncan, he is completely overwhelmed by the sense of guilt. Looking at his hands covered with blood, he has a feeling that all the water of the great ocean cannot wash the blood from them; on the contrary, the blood on his hands can redden the whole ocean.

There are two brief soliloquies which Macbeth makes on the battlefield before he is killed. In one he compares himself to a trapped  animal a bear tied to a stake and baited by dogs. But he expresses the ( confidence that he fears no man born of a woman. In the other soliloquy he expresses the determination to go ahead and fight and not kill himself. But in the ensuing duel with Macduff, he is killed. 

To conclude we may say that the soliloquy is used by  Shakespeare as a means of character revelation, as a means of advancing the plot, as a means of providing information, as a means  of deepening an emotional effect, and so on.

Write on the soliloquies in Macbeth

Green Land | August 08, 2023 | 0 comments

We have a large number of asides and soliloquies in Macbeth. Although both an aside and a soliloquy are speeches made by a character to himself there is a technical difference between the two. An aside is made by a character privately to himself when others  are present; while a soliloquy is made by a character to himself when he is all alone. These asides and soliloquies are very significant in regard to plot development and character revelation. 

Mcbeth’s asides after hearing the prophecies are in fact soliloquies that amply reveal the secret thoughts of his mind. It was prophesied that Macbeth will be the Thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland. When he was conferred with the title of the Thane of Cawdor he says to himself in an aside that “The greatest is behind.” Only a moment later, he utters another aside in which he says that the prophecies made by the Witches cannot be evil and cannot be good.

Macbeth speaks another aside just after Duncan nominates his son, Malcolm as the heir to the throne. The naming of the heir to the throne has become a hurdle in the way of his becoming the king of Scotland. To overcome this hurdle the thought of murder comes in his mind which helps the plot move forwards.  

One of the most important of Macbeth’s soliloquies is made when king Duncan has arrived at Macbeth’s castle to stay there as a guest. This soliloquy shows his reflections on the consequences of the murder. Macbeth closes this soliloquy by saying that there is no spur to his intention of murdering Duncan except a soaring ambition, Here we find him hesitating at the last moment, to commit the crime. 

Macbeth makes his another soliloquy when he is about to murder sleeping Duncan. Here he sees a bloody dagger which is actually a hallucination, an expression of his guilty mind. In his next soliloquy, after committing the murder of Duncan, he is completely overwhelmed by the sense of guilt. Looking at his hands covered with blood, he has a feeling that all the water of the great ocean cannot wash the blood from them; on the contrary, the blood on his hands can redden the whole ocean.

There are two brief soliloquies which Macbeth makes on the battlefield before he is killed. In one he compares himself to a trapped  animal a bear tied to a stake and baited by dogs. But he expresses the ( confidence that he fears no man born of a woman. In the other soliloquy he expresses the determination to go ahead and fight and not kill himself. But in the ensuing duel with Macduff, he is killed. 

To conclude we may say that the soliloquy is used by  Shakespeare as a means of character revelation, as a means of advancing the plot, as a means of providing information, as a means  of deepening an emotional effect, and so on.

Macbeth , William Shakespeare

Lady Macbeth character traits and Analysis

Character analysis

Possibly Shakespeare's most well-known and vivid female character is Lady Macbeth. Everybody, whether they have perused or seen the Macbeth play, has a perspective on her. She is frequently depicted as the epitome of evil in popular culture, and images of her appear on numerous occasions. She is typically depicted in photographs as a Disney character, a cross between Cruella DeVille and Snow White's wicked stepmother.

She is not quite Cruella De Ville or the wicked stepmother, despite having some of Shakespeare's bloodiest lines. The reaction she gets from the male characters recommends that she is a youthful, visually captivating lady and, for sure, in her work to impact Macbeth, she utilizes each strategy available to her, including the work of her sexual charms.

She is generally portrayed as serious areas of strength for a, lady and, in her drive to prompt Macbeth to kill Ruler Duncan, she has all the earmarks of being that, in any case, having succeeded, it doesn't take long for her to disintegrate and separate, obliterated by culpability, and she winds up ending it all.

There are no evil characters in Shakespeare. He has ordinary people, like you and me, put in situations that test and challenge them. Some of them, like Iago in Othello, have personality flaws; however, this is uncommon in Shakespeare, and Lady Macbeth is not one of them.

Different people respond differently to the challenges that Shakespeare presents to his characters. Woman Macbeth's test is that she finds that her better half has been enticed by an experience with three witches to take care of their expectation that he will become ruler. She is aware that the king would need to die in order for that to occur. She believes that they would have to kill King Duncan and that this is their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when she receives a message that he plans to spend the night with them at Glassy Castle. That is what is going on into which she has been pushed.

She is as ambitious as Macbeth, but she is aware that despite his bravery in battle, soldierly qualities, and diplomatic skills, he is fundamentally far too soft to seize the opportunity—"too full of the milk of human kindness." She decides to force him to do it.

She is correct about his lack of resolve; after they discuss it, he tells her that he simply cannot accomplish it. She accelerates and practically holds his hand throughout. Perseverance is one of her best qualities, and she demonstrates it here. Macbeth falters, evades, and hesitates, but she persists. She makes her case, she makes fun of him, making him question his manhood, she makes him feel like he is loyal to her, she puts him to bed, and she wins in the end.

When Macbeth kills Duncan while he is sleeping, their marriage starts to break down. They each fall into their own guilt-tripping cycle and rarely communicate. Lady Macbeth stays in bed, unable to sleep, and suffers from nightmares when she does manage to fall asleep, while Macbeth, fearing his political foes, leads a reign of terror as king. She falls into a moral, physical, and spiritual coma while walking and talking in her sleep about what they have done. At the point when Macbeth is hanging on by a thread, with the dissidents shutting in, he receives the message that she's dead. He says he doesn't have time to think about it at that point. He asserts, "She should have died later." Their marriage has been destroyed as a result of their partnership in this heinous scheme.

The commitment of solidarity that we find in her toward the start of the play is a deception. How the situation is playing out is stripped desire and an eagerness to follow up on it without having the assets to manage the results. We see how guilt can destroy you and eat away at your soul. Both in her journey and in Macbeth's, we see how empty ambition is.

★Macbeth's Dissimulation and cunning :

Lady Macbeth is well aware when she tells her husband to "leave all the rest to me" that she can plan and carry out the murder of Duncan with dissimulation and cunning so that neither Macbeth nor herself will be held in suspicion. At the point when she invites Duncan to her home, her direct shows that she is ideal in the craft of camouflaging:

All our service was poor and single business to compete Against those honors deep and broad with which Your majesty loads our house in every point twice done and then done double.

★Macbeth's presence of mind:

She only forgets herself and loses control of her emotions on one occasion. She betrays her excitement at the opportunity and exclaims when she learns that Duncan plans to stay at her castle:

"It seems crazy to say it." I. v. 29.

At the point when her significant other returns shaking and terrified from the homicide, she never loses her sound judgment, yet stays cool and even attempts to alleviate his apprehensions. She begs Macbeth to return and carry out the unfinished details of the plot when she discovers that he has taken the daggers from the dread chamber and has forgotten to smear the grooms with blood. He has no intention of going. At this she shouts:

"Confirm your goal!

I need the knives: The dead and the sleeping are just pictures: It is the child's eye that is afraid of a painted devil," II. i. 116-119.

what's more, does the unfortunate mission herself. She once again demonstrates her self-control upon her return. She convinces Macbeth to retire to his chamber while there is knocking at the cattle gate.

Lady Macbeth character traits and Analysis

Green Land | June 03, 2023 | 0 comments

Character analysis

Possibly Shakespeare's most well-known and vivid female character is Lady Macbeth. Everybody, whether they have perused or seen the Macbeth play, has a perspective on her. She is frequently depicted as the epitome of evil in popular culture, and images of her appear on numerous occasions. She is typically depicted in photographs as a Disney character, a cross between Cruella DeVille and Snow White's wicked stepmother.

She is not quite Cruella De Ville or the wicked stepmother, despite having some of Shakespeare's bloodiest lines. The reaction she gets from the male characters recommends that she is a youthful, visually captivating lady and, for sure, in her work to impact Macbeth, she utilizes each strategy available to her, including the work of her sexual charms.

She is generally portrayed as serious areas of strength for a, lady and, in her drive to prompt Macbeth to kill Ruler Duncan, she has all the earmarks of being that, in any case, having succeeded, it doesn't take long for her to disintegrate and separate, obliterated by culpability, and she winds up ending it all.

There are no evil characters in Shakespeare. He has ordinary people, like you and me, put in situations that test and challenge them. Some of them, like Iago in Othello, have personality flaws; however, this is uncommon in Shakespeare, and Lady Macbeth is not one of them.

Different people respond differently to the challenges that Shakespeare presents to his characters. Woman Macbeth's test is that she finds that her better half has been enticed by an experience with three witches to take care of their expectation that he will become ruler. She is aware that the king would need to die in order for that to occur. She believes that they would have to kill King Duncan and that this is their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when she receives a message that he plans to spend the night with them at Glassy Castle. That is what is going on into which she has been pushed.

She is as ambitious as Macbeth, but she is aware that despite his bravery in battle, soldierly qualities, and diplomatic skills, he is fundamentally far too soft to seize the opportunity—"too full of the milk of human kindness." She decides to force him to do it.

She is correct about his lack of resolve; after they discuss it, he tells her that he simply cannot accomplish it. She accelerates and practically holds his hand throughout. Perseverance is one of her best qualities, and she demonstrates it here. Macbeth falters, evades, and hesitates, but she persists. She makes her case, she makes fun of him, making him question his manhood, she makes him feel like he is loyal to her, she puts him to bed, and she wins in the end.

When Macbeth kills Duncan while he is sleeping, their marriage starts to break down. They each fall into their own guilt-tripping cycle and rarely communicate. Lady Macbeth stays in bed, unable to sleep, and suffers from nightmares when she does manage to fall asleep, while Macbeth, fearing his political foes, leads a reign of terror as king. She falls into a moral, physical, and spiritual coma while walking and talking in her sleep about what they have done. At the point when Macbeth is hanging on by a thread, with the dissidents shutting in, he receives the message that she's dead. He says he doesn't have time to think about it at that point. He asserts, "She should have died later." Their marriage has been destroyed as a result of their partnership in this heinous scheme.

The commitment of solidarity that we find in her toward the start of the play is a deception. How the situation is playing out is stripped desire and an eagerness to follow up on it without having the assets to manage the results. We see how guilt can destroy you and eat away at your soul. Both in her journey and in Macbeth's, we see how empty ambition is.

★Macbeth's Dissimulation and cunning :

Lady Macbeth is well aware when she tells her husband to "leave all the rest to me" that she can plan and carry out the murder of Duncan with dissimulation and cunning so that neither Macbeth nor herself will be held in suspicion. At the point when she invites Duncan to her home, her direct shows that she is ideal in the craft of camouflaging:

All our service was poor and single business to compete Against those honors deep and broad with which Your majesty loads our house in every point twice done and then done double.

★Macbeth's presence of mind:

She only forgets herself and loses control of her emotions on one occasion. She betrays her excitement at the opportunity and exclaims when she learns that Duncan plans to stay at her castle:

"It seems crazy to say it." I. v. 29.

At the point when her significant other returns shaking and terrified from the homicide, she never loses her sound judgment, yet stays cool and even attempts to alleviate his apprehensions. She begs Macbeth to return and carry out the unfinished details of the plot when she discovers that he has taken the daggers from the dread chamber and has forgotten to smear the grooms with blood. He has no intention of going. At this she shouts:

"Confirm your goal!

I need the knives: The dead and the sleeping are just pictures: It is the child's eye that is afraid of a painted devil," II. i. 116-119.

what's more, does the unfortunate mission herself. She once again demonstrates her self-control upon her return. She convinces Macbeth to retire to his chamber while there is knocking at the cattle gate.

Macbeth , William Shakespeare

"Fair is foul and foul is fair" are the famous words Shakespeare said about the three witches in the opening scene of "Macbeth". Darkness, thunder and lightning, a desert location, and her three witches tell us in a few short lines in a strange, otherworldly rhythm what awaits us in this play. . And the bad ones are fair); The fog they produce obscures visibility and polluted air replaces the freshness and brightness of Scottish air.

At the end of the opening scene, the witch's creed confession is shown.

"Just is evil, and evil is just." Its application applies to both the physical and moral worlds. They turn everything upside down and indulge in all manner of mischief, from killing pigs to capturing and corrupting human souls. Macbeth is the victim of this calamity as his soul is eventually trapped and destroyed.

When Duncan arrives at Glamis Castle to stay the night with Macbeth he is entering a place made to resemble hell with Lady Macbeth's invocation of evil:

“…Come thick night;/ And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,/That my keen knife sees not the wound it makes,/Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark …” As Duncan arrives at the castle gates he says:

“This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air/Nibly and sweetly recommends itself/Unto our gentle senses.” A member of his party says:

“… heaven's breath smells wooingly here.”

They are entering the gates of Hell, though, and that pleasant air is about to change to fog and filthy air. Murder awaits Duncan as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plan their regicide. Later, after the murder, when Macduff comes to take Duncan hunting, the porter at the gate has a small comic scene in which he pretends to be the keeper of the gates of Hell before opening them to Macduff, who discovers a scene of evil and confusion.

A study of the main character in the play reveals him to be one of the most interesting and remarkably drawn of all Shakespeare's characters. Macbeth is slowly transformed from a thoroughly good man into pure evil, described by Macduff as a hell kite, and referred to as “bloody,” “butcher,” “tyrant,” etc. When we first meet him he is a huge celebrity, very popular all over the country and trusted by the king after proving his loyalty by putting down rebellions and killing rebels. Seduced by a witch, he conceives the idea of ​​becoming king, but Lady Macbeth assures him that it cannot be realized without killing the king. From that moment on we see a descent into pure evil as he presides over a reign of terror, seeing one of his killers actually brutally kill a child on stage. In contrast to the darkness, filthy air, and foggy imagery surrounding Macbeth, it just keeps falling until that image is overcome by the forces associated in the play with angels, heaven, and light. Be lazy, lazy people were once beautiful. After Macbeth's defeat at the hands of the decapitated Macduff, the order is restored and the witches' hold over the country diminishes. A foul is now fair.

There are many quotes throughout the play that contrasts good and evil, and this ties in with the "fair are foul" and "foul is fair" motifs. Some are included:

Let not light see my black and deep desires. (act 1, scene 4)

Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it. (act 1, scene 5)

I go and it is done: the bell invites me.

Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven or to hell (act 2, scene 1)

There are daggers in men’s smiles. (act 2, scene 3)

"Fair is foul and foul is fair" are the famous words Shakespeare- explain !

Green Land | January 20, 2023 | 0 comments

"Fair is foul and foul is fair" are the famous words Shakespeare said about the three witches in the opening scene of "Macbeth". Darkness, thunder and lightning, a desert location, and her three witches tell us in a few short lines in a strange, otherworldly rhythm what awaits us in this play. . And the bad ones are fair); The fog they produce obscures visibility and polluted air replaces the freshness and brightness of Scottish air.

At the end of the opening scene, the witch's creed confession is shown.

"Just is evil, and evil is just." Its application applies to both the physical and moral worlds. They turn everything upside down and indulge in all manner of mischief, from killing pigs to capturing and corrupting human souls. Macbeth is the victim of this calamity as his soul is eventually trapped and destroyed.

When Duncan arrives at Glamis Castle to stay the night with Macbeth he is entering a place made to resemble hell with Lady Macbeth's invocation of evil:

“…Come thick night;/ And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,/That my keen knife sees not the wound it makes,/Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark …” As Duncan arrives at the castle gates he says:

“This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air/Nibly and sweetly recommends itself/Unto our gentle senses.” A member of his party says:

“… heaven's breath smells wooingly here.”

They are entering the gates of Hell, though, and that pleasant air is about to change to fog and filthy air. Murder awaits Duncan as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plan their regicide. Later, after the murder, when Macduff comes to take Duncan hunting, the porter at the gate has a small comic scene in which he pretends to be the keeper of the gates of Hell before opening them to Macduff, who discovers a scene of evil and confusion.

A study of the main character in the play reveals him to be one of the most interesting and remarkably drawn of all Shakespeare's characters. Macbeth is slowly transformed from a thoroughly good man into pure evil, described by Macduff as a hell kite, and referred to as “bloody,” “butcher,” “tyrant,” etc. When we first meet him he is a huge celebrity, very popular all over the country and trusted by the king after proving his loyalty by putting down rebellions and killing rebels. Seduced by a witch, he conceives the idea of ​​becoming king, but Lady Macbeth assures him that it cannot be realized without killing the king. From that moment on we see a descent into pure evil as he presides over a reign of terror, seeing one of his killers actually brutally kill a child on stage. In contrast to the darkness, filthy air, and foggy imagery surrounding Macbeth, it just keeps falling until that image is overcome by the forces associated in the play with angels, heaven, and light. Be lazy, lazy people were once beautiful. After Macbeth's defeat at the hands of the decapitated Macduff, the order is restored and the witches' hold over the country diminishes. A foul is now fair.

There are many quotes throughout the play that contrasts good and evil, and this ties in with the "fair are foul" and "foul is fair" motifs. Some are included:

Let not light see my black and deep desires. (act 1, scene 4)

Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it. (act 1, scene 5)

I go and it is done: the bell invites me.

Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell

That summons thee to heaven or to hell (act 2, scene 1)

There are daggers in men’s smiles. (act 2, scene 3)

Macbeth , William Shakespeare

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them,  his second is not less significant than his previous ones.

Hamlet's fourth soliloquy,  his most famous and most celebrated, is the most philosophical of all. Here we have a mental debate,  with the speaker on the horns of a dilemma: '' To be,  or not to: that is the question ''. Hamlet asks himself whether it is nobler to suffer the cruelties of fate silently or to put up a fight against the misfortunes of life. It would be better perhaps to commit suicide if death were to mean a total extinction of consciousness. But the fear of what may happen to us after death makes us endure the ills and injustices of life. This soliloquy,  more than any other,  reveals the speculative temperament of Hamlet and his incapacity for any premeditated action of a momentous nature. His catalog of the misfortunes of life once again shows his generalizing habit of thought. This soliloquy partly explains Hamlet's delay in carrying out his purpose and shows at the same time the mental torture that he has been undergoing because of that delay. We here see a sensitive,  reflective person compelled to face a situation with which he is unable to cope.

As a matter of fact,  this soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar,  a philosopher, and a poet. 

Explain the fourth soliloquy of Hamlet

Green Land | January 04, 2023 | 0 comments

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them,  his second is not less significant than his previous ones.

Hamlet's fourth soliloquy,  his most famous and most celebrated, is the most philosophical of all. Here we have a mental debate,  with the speaker on the horns of a dilemma: '' To be,  or not to: that is the question ''. Hamlet asks himself whether it is nobler to suffer the cruelties of fate silently or to put up a fight against the misfortunes of life. It would be better perhaps to commit suicide if death were to mean a total extinction of consciousness. But the fear of what may happen to us after death makes us endure the ills and injustices of life. This soliloquy,  more than any other,  reveals the speculative temperament of Hamlet and his incapacity for any premeditated action of a momentous nature. His catalog of the misfortunes of life once again shows his generalizing habit of thought. This soliloquy partly explains Hamlet's delay in carrying out his purpose and shows at the same time the mental torture that he has been undergoing because of that delay. We here see a sensitive,  reflective person compelled to face a situation with which he is unable to cope.

As a matter of fact,  this soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar,  a philosopher, and a poet. 

Hamlet , William Shakespeare

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them, his second soliloquy is not less significant than his first one.

Hamlet's second soliloquy comes just after the Ghost leaves him,  after charging him with the duty of taking revenge upon the murderer of his father. Hamlet resolves to wipe out everything else from his memory and to remember only the Ghost's command. The manner in which Hamlet here speaks of never forgetting the Ghost's words makes us think that Hamlet will soon plunge into action and carry the behest of the Ghost. The Ghost's revelation has stunned him,  and he refers to his mother as ''a most pernicious woman'' and to his uncle as a ''smiling damned villain ''. We again note his generalizing tendency when he says that ''one may smile,  and smile,  and be a villain''.

Indeed, this soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar,  a philosopher,  and a poet.

Discuss the second soliloquy of Hamlet

Green Land | January 02, 2023 | 0 comments

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them, his second soliloquy is not less significant than his first one.

Hamlet's second soliloquy comes just after the Ghost leaves him,  after charging him with the duty of taking revenge upon the murderer of his father. Hamlet resolves to wipe out everything else from his memory and to remember only the Ghost's command. The manner in which Hamlet here speaks of never forgetting the Ghost's words makes us think that Hamlet will soon plunge into action and carry the behest of the Ghost. The Ghost's revelation has stunned him,  and he refers to his mother as ''a most pernicious woman'' and to his uncle as a ''smiling damned villain ''. We again note his generalizing tendency when he says that ''one may smile,  and smile,  and be a villain''.

Indeed, this soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar,  a philosopher,  and a poet.

Hamlet , William Shakespeare

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them, his first soliloquy is a very significant one.

The first soliloquy occurs before he has seen the Ghost. In this soliloquy,  Hamlet reveals the grief that has been annoying in his mind. He wishes that religion did not forbid suicide so that he could kill himself and be rid of this grief. He feels disillusioned with the world -

''How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,

Seem to me all the uses of this world ''

He deplores the fact that his mother should have remarried barely two months after the death of her first husband. The soliloquy shows Hamlet's meditative nature. We also note his generalizing tendency when he says ''Frailty, thy name is woman! ’’

Actually, this soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar,  a philosopher,  and a poet.

Discuss the first soliloquy of Hamlet

Green Land | January 02, 2023 | 0 comments

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them, his first soliloquy is a very significant one.

The first soliloquy occurs before he has seen the Ghost. In this soliloquy,  Hamlet reveals the grief that has been annoying in his mind. He wishes that religion did not forbid suicide so that he could kill himself and be rid of this grief. He feels disillusioned with the world -

''How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,

Seem to me all the uses of this world ''

He deplores the fact that his mother should have remarried barely two months after the death of her first husband. The soliloquy shows Hamlet's meditative nature. We also note his generalizing tendency when he says ''Frailty, thy name is woman! ’’

Actually, this soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar,  a philosopher,  and a poet.

Hamlet , William Shakespeare

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them, his second soliloquy is not less significant than his first and second ones.

In this third soliloquy, Hamlet bitterly scolds himself for having failed to execute his revenge so far. He calls himself ''a dull and muddy-mettled rascal '' for his failure, accusing himself of being 'pigeon-livered '', an ass who,  'like a whore '' can only ''unpack '' his heart with words and ''fall a cursing like a very drab''. He refers to his uncle as ''a bloody,  a bawdy villain; remorseless, treacherous,  lecherous, kindles villain ''. Then he dwells upon his plan to stage a play by saying -

''The play's the thing 

Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.''

In other words, Hamlet now seeks confirmation of the Ghost's charge against Claudius. This is rather strange; because it has taken him long to doubt the authenticity of the Ghost's version. It is obvious that Hamlet is more of a philosopher and less of a man of action. 

This soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar, a philosopher, and a poet.

Discuss the third soliloquy of Hamlet

Green Land | January 01, 2023 | 0 comments

We meet a series of soliloquies in the world-famous tragedy,  Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet makes several of them. Among them, his second soliloquy is not less significant than his first and second ones.

In this third soliloquy, Hamlet bitterly scolds himself for having failed to execute his revenge so far. He calls himself ''a dull and muddy-mettled rascal '' for his failure, accusing himself of being 'pigeon-livered '', an ass who,  'like a whore '' can only ''unpack '' his heart with words and ''fall a cursing like a very drab''. He refers to his uncle as ''a bloody,  a bawdy villain; remorseless, treacherous,  lecherous, kindles villain ''. Then he dwells upon his plan to stage a play by saying -

''The play's the thing 

Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.''

In other words, Hamlet now seeks confirmation of the Ghost's charge against Claudius. This is rather strange; because it has taken him long to doubt the authenticity of the Ghost's version. It is obvious that Hamlet is more of a philosopher and less of a man of action. 

This soliloquy of Hamlet undoubtedly throws a flood of light on his character and personality. This shows Hamlet to be a scholar, a philosopher, and a poet.

Hamlet , William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare has occupied a lofty position for his extraordinary characterization. His characters are unforgettable. Calpurnia is such a character in the play,  Julius Caesar. She is the wife of Caesar. She is actually a minor character. 

Calpurnia appears in one single scene in this play. She is a level-headed woman. She is very brilliant. During the night she had seen a dream in which she had cried out for help because she had seen Caesar being murdered in the dream. In fact,  she had cried out three times during the night because of the dreadful dream that she had seen. In the morning when she finds Caesar getting ready for the Senate meeting,  she tells him that he must not stir out of his house on this day because the watchmen had witnessed some horrid sights in the course of the night. Calpurnia loves her husband as sincerely and deeply as Portia loves hers. She feels terrified by the omens and by her own dream. She feels terrified not for herself but for her husband's sake. She says that omens have been sent to foretell the death of Caesar. That is why she entreats him not to invite disaster by going to the Senate-house.

In short, Calpurnia is an admirable wife of Caesar. She is a weak person devoid of firmness. She dreams a very horrible dream. Her nightmare proves to be true at the eleventh hour. Caesar falls into serious danger and ultimately dies.

Sketch the character of Calpurnia

Green Land | December 20, 2022 | 0 comments

William Shakespeare has occupied a lofty position for his extraordinary characterization. His characters are unforgettable. Calpurnia is such a character in the play,  Julius Caesar. She is the wife of Caesar. She is actually a minor character. 

Calpurnia appears in one single scene in this play. She is a level-headed woman. She is very brilliant. During the night she had seen a dream in which she had cried out for help because she had seen Caesar being murdered in the dream. In fact,  she had cried out three times during the night because of the dreadful dream that she had seen. In the morning when she finds Caesar getting ready for the Senate meeting,  she tells him that he must not stir out of his house on this day because the watchmen had witnessed some horrid sights in the course of the night. Calpurnia loves her husband as sincerely and deeply as Portia loves hers. She feels terrified by the omens and by her own dream. She feels terrified not for herself but for her husband's sake. She says that omens have been sent to foretell the death of Caesar. That is why she entreats him not to invite disaster by going to the Senate-house.

In short, Calpurnia is an admirable wife of Caesar. She is a weak person devoid of firmness. She dreams a very horrible dream. Her nightmare proves to be true at the eleventh hour. Caesar falls into serious danger and ultimately dies.

Julius Caesar , William Shakespeare

Sebastian is one of the comic characters in the play,  The Tempest. His role and function in this play are very important. He is the brother of Alonso,  the King of Naples. We meet him at the very beginning of the play. 

Sebastian does not show any nervousness in the face of dander on the ship. He has a sort of understanding with Antonio. He is categorical in his way of speaking. He has an imperious nature. He helps to kill King Alonso and his faithful councilor, Gonzalo. Sebastian and Antonio resemble each other in most respects. Both are by nature and temperament mockers. Both dislike Gonzalo who is a good man. Finally, we can say that Antonio has some traits in his character. These are treachery,  cruelty,  lack of conscience, ambition, and so on.

Anyway, Sebastian is a villain no doubt. He supplies plenty of comedy in this play.

Sketch the character of Sebastian

Green Land | December 20, 2022 | 0 comments

Sebastian is one of the comic characters in the play,  The Tempest. His role and function in this play are very important. He is the brother of Alonso,  the King of Naples. We meet him at the very beginning of the play. 

Sebastian does not show any nervousness in the face of dander on the ship. He has a sort of understanding with Antonio. He is categorical in his way of speaking. He has an imperious nature. He helps to kill King Alonso and his faithful councilor, Gonzalo. Sebastian and Antonio resemble each other in most respects. Both are by nature and temperament mockers. Both dislike Gonzalo who is a good man. Finally, we can say that Antonio has some traits in his character. These are treachery,  cruelty,  lack of conscience, ambition, and so on.

Anyway, Sebastian is a villain no doubt. He supplies plenty of comedy in this play.

The Tempest , William Shakespeare

A domestic tragedy is a kind of tragedy that deals with the private life of ordinary people. Othello is a fine domestic tragedy by William Shakespeare. It deals with the personal life of Othello and Desdemona. 

Othello deals with the domestic life of Othello and Desdemona. It shows how it fell into ruin by the plot of a villain,  Iago. Othello suffers hellish torture and is inspired by Iago. He ultimately destroys first Desdemona and then himself. This is the plot of the tragedy.  So it has a similarity to the plot of a domestic tragedy and critics have called the play a domestic drama.  But the similarity is superficial. It must be remembered that Othello is not a private individual. He is descended from the royal family. He is a soldier and military general of great ability and renown. In no way he can be regarded as a private individual -like the hero of a domestic tragedy. Othello is not a common individual. He is a man of exceptional nature. His qualities of head and heart raise his head and shoulders above the common run of mankind. He is noble and daring. When such as exceptional individual falls,  his fall produces the pity and fear proper to the true tragedy. In a domestic tragedy,  the action of the drama moves on a common everyday level. The characters are near to us and so is the action. All this cannot be said of Othello. Its action does not take place in familiar England. But we are transported to romantic Venice and remote Cyprus.

However, Othello is not the type of domestic drama that appeals only to our sense of pathos and satire but it arouses in us the true emotions of pity and fear. It is not the private life of married people that affects the fate and fortune of true lovers turned tragic by the forces of evil embodied in Iago. 

A domestic tragedy

Green Land | December 17, 2022 | 0 comments

A domestic tragedy is a kind of tragedy that deals with the private life of ordinary people. Othello is a fine domestic tragedy by William Shakespeare. It deals with the personal life of Othello and Desdemona. 

Othello deals with the domestic life of Othello and Desdemona. It shows how it fell into ruin by the plot of a villain,  Iago. Othello suffers hellish torture and is inspired by Iago. He ultimately destroys first Desdemona and then himself. This is the plot of the tragedy.  So it has a similarity to the plot of a domestic tragedy and critics have called the play a domestic drama.  But the similarity is superficial. It must be remembered that Othello is not a private individual. He is descended from the royal family. He is a soldier and military general of great ability and renown. In no way he can be regarded as a private individual -like the hero of a domestic tragedy. Othello is not a common individual. He is a man of exceptional nature. His qualities of head and heart raise his head and shoulders above the common run of mankind. He is noble and daring. When such as exceptional individual falls,  his fall produces the pity and fear proper to the true tragedy. In a domestic tragedy,  the action of the drama moves on a common everyday level. The characters are near to us and so is the action. All this cannot be said of Othello. Its action does not take place in familiar England. But we are transported to romantic Venice and remote Cyprus.

However, Othello is not the type of domestic drama that appeals only to our sense of pathos and satire but it arouses in us the true emotions of pity and fear. It is not the private life of married people that affects the fate and fortune of true lovers turned tragic by the forces of evil embodied in Iago. 

Othello , William Shakespeare

Roderigo and Iago are two significant characters in the tragedy,  Othello.  They are in sharp contact with each other. Roderigo is dull. His brainlessness is in marked contrast to the supper-subtlety and extraordinary intellectual force of Iago.

Roderigo is a gulled gentleman while Iago gulls others. He is foolish and weak-willed. So Iago makes him a tool in his plot against Cassio and Othello. Roderigo is so obtuse and credulous that he fails to understand the real motives and aims of Iago. He allows himself to be convinced by himself. Iago satisfies him by advancing plausible reasons for his actions. Roderigo is moneyed and Iago needs his wealth and thrives at this expense. He takes gold and jewels from Roderigo as presents for Desdemona,  but in reality, they go into his own pockets. He makes the fool his purse.

It is,  no doubt,  immoral on the part of Roderigo to love a married woman and try to seduce her. But he is not such a tough villain as Iago. 

Briefly contrast Roderigo and Iago

Green Land | December 16, 2022 | 0 comments

Roderigo and Iago are two significant characters in the tragedy,  Othello.  They are in sharp contact with each other. Roderigo is dull. His brainlessness is in marked contrast to the supper-subtlety and extraordinary intellectual force of Iago.

Roderigo is a gulled gentleman while Iago gulls others. He is foolish and weak-willed. So Iago makes him a tool in his plot against Cassio and Othello. Roderigo is so obtuse and credulous that he fails to understand the real motives and aims of Iago. He allows himself to be convinced by himself. Iago satisfies him by advancing plausible reasons for his actions. Roderigo is moneyed and Iago needs his wealth and thrives at this expense. He takes gold and jewels from Roderigo as presents for Desdemona,  but in reality, they go into his own pockets. He makes the fool his purse.

It is,  no doubt,  immoral on the part of Roderigo to love a married woman and try to seduce her. But he is not such a tough villain as Iago. 

Othello , William Shakespeare

Othello is the hero in the tragedy,  Othello by William Shakespeare. He has spent his tife-time in the army camp. But he is a man of passionate love.

In the tragedy,  Othello appears As an over passionate man. His love for Desdemona is blind love. So he has eloped with Desdemona and finally married her. He loved Desdemona intensely and passionately but he fails to understand her true nature. He himself informs us that he is not wise in his love. He also knows that he is an aged lover and husband relation to the age and softness of Desdemona. This becomes more evident when lago begins to poison Othello's mind.  So he cannot bear anything against their love -

''But I do love thee! And when I love their not

Chaos is come again, "

As a matter of fact,  Othello is a passionate man.  Being so emotional,  he kills his beloved wife only on the basis of false proof by Iago. His passion brings about his tragic doom.

Othello as a passionate man

Green Land | December 16, 2022 | 0 comments

Othello is the hero in the tragedy,  Othello by William Shakespeare. He has spent his tife-time in the army camp. But he is a man of passionate love.

In the tragedy,  Othello appears As an over passionate man. His love for Desdemona is blind love. So he has eloped with Desdemona and finally married her. He loved Desdemona intensely and passionately but he fails to understand her true nature. He himself informs us that he is not wise in his love. He also knows that he is an aged lover and husband relation to the age and softness of Desdemona. This becomes more evident when lago begins to poison Othello's mind.  So he cannot bear anything against their love -

''But I do love thee! And when I love their not

Chaos is come again, "

As a matter of fact,  Othello is a passionate man.  Being so emotional,  he kills his beloved wife only on the basis of false proof by Iago. His passion brings about his tragic doom.

Othello , William Shakespeare

Tragic events begin with the Greeks. Greek tragedies had a spiritual undertone. The dominant factor was fate. Because of their hubris or extreme pride, the characters in Greek tragedies end up in ruin by disobeying the Gods or the established moral order. Tragedies like those in Shakespeare are a byproduct of the Renaissance. At least in some ways, the conception and execution of Shakespeare's tragedies are essentially Greek. Shakespearean tragedy "may be called a story of an unusual misfortune," writes Bradley.

The oracles or fate foretell the demise of Greek heroes, whereas the impulse or passion of Shakespearean heroes determines their demise. Destiny is a character in Greek tragedies, where our main interest is in how characters' fates are fulfilled. However, "Character is destiny" in Shakespeare's plays, where the characters prove their inherent worth before meeting their end. Despite having been endowed with great qualities, Macbeth experiences dramatic damnation in the play Macbeth because of his excessive ambition.

The tragic heroes in a Shakespearean play are typically persons of distinction and character. Romeo is a member of the aristocracy; Richard II and Richard III are kings; a General; Brutus is well-placed; Antony is more than a king — an emperor; Othello is a mighty General; Hamlet is a prince; King Lear is every inch a king; and Macbeth is first a General and then a king. While they are not the epitome of virtue and goodness.

Shakespeare's heroes have a fatal imperfection known as hamartia that Aristotle called an innate weakness. The hero's imperfection is what truly makes him or her human. Shakespearean heroes, in contrast to the heroes of Greek tragedies, are accountable for their "fall." Hamlet, for his "to be or not to be" indecision, King Lear, for his erroneous judgment, and Macbeth, in a similar vein, for his unfettered ambition all suffer catastrophic damnation as a result of their highly suspicious or quickly believing what they are told personalities.

Aristotle believed that a play could not have a villain as its protagonist, therefore Macbeth is not a villain. His tragedy is that he turns into an evil character. The claim that Shakespeare has strayed from Aristotle's definition of tragedy is untrue. However, Shakespeare actually turned a villain into a hero, which is evidence of his genius. Macbeth experiences chronic guilt-based oppression. He is not a bad guy like Iago or Edmund.

According to Muir, "Macbeth is a hero who turns into a villain." Even after Macbeth commits his first murder, Shakespeare still makes us feel sorry for him. The motivation for the initial crime was ambition. The motive behind his other murders was fear. Macbeth is aware of the retaliation inside of him. He feels sick to his stomach and has a mind full of scorpions. He is aware that he murdered "sleep," and as a result, he will lead an anxious, frightening, and unstable life. He degenerates, and his tragedy is this degradation.

The courageous, honorable Macbeth deteriorates into an insane lunatic, a hypocrite, a liar, and a murderer. This is the tragic collapse of a man who was so honorable and talented. He resembles Faustus in this regard, who transforms from a learned man into a trickster and entertainer. Shakespeare creates the complexity of the dramatic effect in Macbeth's final depiction, "To-morrow and to-morrow and tomorrow," in which he laments the waste of his life. His grief is beautifully captured in poetry:

the way I live

is falling into the golden leaf, which is sear."

Shakespearean tragedies feature heroes who are internally conflicted. The central conflict of a Shakespearean tragedy can be found both internally and externally. Bernard Shaw famously said, "No conflict, no drama." In Macbeth, the hero and Macduff are in a battle on the outside, but the hero is torn internally between his lofty desire and his conscience.

Even though Evil may temporarily triumph in Shakespeare's tragedies, Good will ultimately triumph. Though poetic justice may not exist, the moral order is obviously present. The punishment must be paid by the wicked. Macbeth must pay the price for his moral transgression through both internal pain and exterior opposition.

In a Shakespearean tragedy, both the hero and the heroine pass away. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pass away. Deaths include those of Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Desdemona, Lear and Cordelia, Hamlet and Ophelia, Antony and Cleopatra, Brutus, and Portia.

In comparison to Othello or Julius Caesar, Macbeth is unquestionably not an ideal tragedy from an Aristotelian perspective. Because diphtheria, or moral rot, is the only hamartia in Macbeth. However, to call it "the least successful of all tragedies" is a distortion of the facts. Because Macbeth must commit several crimes against his better nature and conscience. Even if a part of him shudders at the bloody acts, the wicked genius is driving him on.

Nemesis follows Macbeth's wrongdoings, which provides us with a hint of a fresh reading of Macbeth as a classical tragedy. The action of Macbeth is cohesive, just like in Greek tragedies. The tragic ironies highlight Macbeth's similarities to Greek plays. Bradley, however, disagrees with the notion that Macbeth is comparable to a Greek tragedy. Shakespeare didn't plan to compose a traditional tragedy, he clarifies. With its blood and thunder, murder and madness, ghost and supernaturalism, Macbeth as a tragedy comes very close to the Senecan paradigm.

Macbeth as a tragedy

Green Land | August 20, 2022 | 0 comments

Tragic events begin with the Greeks. Greek tragedies had a spiritual undertone. The dominant factor was fate. Because of their hubris or extreme pride, the characters in Greek tragedies end up in ruin by disobeying the Gods or the established moral order. Tragedies like those in Shakespeare are a byproduct of the Renaissance. At least in some ways, the conception and execution of Shakespeare's tragedies are essentially Greek. Shakespearean tragedy "may be called a story of an unusual misfortune," writes Bradley.

The oracles or fate foretell the demise of Greek heroes, whereas the impulse or passion of Shakespearean heroes determines their demise. Destiny is a character in Greek tragedies, where our main interest is in how characters' fates are fulfilled. However, "Character is destiny" in Shakespeare's plays, where the characters prove their inherent worth before meeting their end. Despite having been endowed with great qualities, Macbeth experiences dramatic damnation in the play Macbeth because of his excessive ambition.

The tragic heroes in a Shakespearean play are typically persons of distinction and character. Romeo is a member of the aristocracy; Richard II and Richard III are kings; a General; Brutus is well-placed; Antony is more than a king — an emperor; Othello is a mighty General; Hamlet is a prince; King Lear is every inch a king; and Macbeth is first a General and then a king. While they are not the epitome of virtue and goodness.

Shakespeare's heroes have a fatal imperfection known as hamartia that Aristotle called an innate weakness. The hero's imperfection is what truly makes him or her human. Shakespearean heroes, in contrast to the heroes of Greek tragedies, are accountable for their "fall." Hamlet, for his "to be or not to be" indecision, King Lear, for his erroneous judgment, and Macbeth, in a similar vein, for his unfettered ambition all suffer catastrophic damnation as a result of their highly suspicious or quickly believing what they are told personalities.

Aristotle believed that a play could not have a villain as its protagonist, therefore Macbeth is not a villain. His tragedy is that he turns into an evil character. The claim that Shakespeare has strayed from Aristotle's definition of tragedy is untrue. However, Shakespeare actually turned a villain into a hero, which is evidence of his genius. Macbeth experiences chronic guilt-based oppression. He is not a bad guy like Iago or Edmund.

According to Muir, "Macbeth is a hero who turns into a villain." Even after Macbeth commits his first murder, Shakespeare still makes us feel sorry for him. The motivation for the initial crime was ambition. The motive behind his other murders was fear. Macbeth is aware of the retaliation inside of him. He feels sick to his stomach and has a mind full of scorpions. He is aware that he murdered "sleep," and as a result, he will lead an anxious, frightening, and unstable life. He degenerates, and his tragedy is this degradation.

The courageous, honorable Macbeth deteriorates into an insane lunatic, a hypocrite, a liar, and a murderer. This is the tragic collapse of a man who was so honorable and talented. He resembles Faustus in this regard, who transforms from a learned man into a trickster and entertainer. Shakespeare creates the complexity of the dramatic effect in Macbeth's final depiction, "To-morrow and to-morrow and tomorrow," in which he laments the waste of his life. His grief is beautifully captured in poetry:

the way I live

is falling into the golden leaf, which is sear."

Shakespearean tragedies feature heroes who are internally conflicted. The central conflict of a Shakespearean tragedy can be found both internally and externally. Bernard Shaw famously said, "No conflict, no drama." In Macbeth, the hero and Macduff are in a battle on the outside, but the hero is torn internally between his lofty desire and his conscience.

Even though Evil may temporarily triumph in Shakespeare's tragedies, Good will ultimately triumph. Though poetic justice may not exist, the moral order is obviously present. The punishment must be paid by the wicked. Macbeth must pay the price for his moral transgression through both internal pain and exterior opposition.

In a Shakespearean tragedy, both the hero and the heroine pass away. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pass away. Deaths include those of Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Desdemona, Lear and Cordelia, Hamlet and Ophelia, Antony and Cleopatra, Brutus, and Portia.

In comparison to Othello or Julius Caesar, Macbeth is unquestionably not an ideal tragedy from an Aristotelian perspective. Because diphtheria, or moral rot, is the only hamartia in Macbeth. However, to call it "the least successful of all tragedies" is a distortion of the facts. Because Macbeth must commit several crimes against his better nature and conscience. Even if a part of him shudders at the bloody acts, the wicked genius is driving him on.

Nemesis follows Macbeth's wrongdoings, which provides us with a hint of a fresh reading of Macbeth as a classical tragedy. The action of Macbeth is cohesive, just like in Greek tragedies. The tragic ironies highlight Macbeth's similarities to Greek plays. Bradley, however, disagrees with the notion that Macbeth is comparable to a Greek tragedy. Shakespeare didn't plan to compose a traditional tragedy, he clarifies. With its blood and thunder, murder and madness, ghost and supernaturalism, Macbeth as a tragedy comes very close to the Senecan paradigm.

Macbeth , William Shakespeare

Dramatic irony is the soul of a tragedy. It is a form of situational irony that involves the audience's awareness of a character's real situation before the character.  In other words,  it is a dialogue or situation which conveys one meaning to the character or characters on stage and a different meaning to the audience. It is used both in tragedy and in Comedy to heighten respective effects. 

The is an abundant use of dramatic irony in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. In the very beginning in reply to Caesar's remark that men like Cassius are dangerous. Antony replies -

'' Fear him not,  Caesar,  he's not dangerous. ''

Cassius suggests that Antony should also be killed along with Caesar,  In reply to him, Brutus says that killing Antony along with Caesar would mean cutting the head off and then cutting the limbs. Dramatic irony is employed in Portia's assertions of her course and strength. Then is dramatic irony in Caesar's own remarks. There is a dramatic irony in his dismissing the soothsayer who has warned him to beware of the ides of March. Subsequently, the soothsayer's prediction will prove to be perfectly true. Caesar rebukes his Calpurnia in the following ways-

' How foolish do your fears seem now'!

Actually, her fears prove afterward to have been fully justified.  Caesar is brutally killed. 

Thus dramatic irony plays a very powerful role in Julius Caesar. Shakespeare has employed it in this play in profusion. His dexterity in this respect is unquestionable.

Discuss the dramatic irony in Julius Caesar

Green Land | June 12, 2022 | 0 comments

Dramatic irony is the soul of a tragedy. It is a form of situational irony that involves the audience's awareness of a character's real situation before the character.  In other words,  it is a dialogue or situation which conveys one meaning to the character or characters on stage and a different meaning to the audience. It is used both in tragedy and in Comedy to heighten respective effects. 

The is an abundant use of dramatic irony in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. In the very beginning in reply to Caesar's remark that men like Cassius are dangerous. Antony replies -

'' Fear him not,  Caesar,  he's not dangerous. ''

Cassius suggests that Antony should also be killed along with Caesar,  In reply to him, Brutus says that killing Antony along with Caesar would mean cutting the head off and then cutting the limbs. Dramatic irony is employed in Portia's assertions of her course and strength. Then is dramatic irony in Caesar's own remarks. There is a dramatic irony in his dismissing the soothsayer who has warned him to beware of the ides of March. Subsequently, the soothsayer's prediction will prove to be perfectly true. Caesar rebukes his Calpurnia in the following ways-

' How foolish do your fears seem now'!

Actually, her fears prove afterward to have been fully justified.  Caesar is brutally killed. 

Thus dramatic irony plays a very powerful role in Julius Caesar. Shakespeare has employed it in this play in profusion. His dexterity in this respect is unquestionable.

Julius Caesar , William Shakespeare

Shakespeare' the Merchant of Venice is one of his most famous dramas. However, while most of them are often classified as either tragedy or comedy easily, this one doesn't slot into one category. the rationale is that while there are comic events and elements within the drama, there are tragic ones too that sometimes reach the extent of absolutely horrifying. At the core of the drama are three things. the primary is the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, the second is the romance between Bassanio and Portia, and therefore the third but the foremost important is the bond between Antonio and Shylock. Shylock may be a greedy moneylender and a sophisticated villain. He shows mixed character traits and that is why at some points while he appears a nasty villain, at others he's plainly a businessman who amuses by his talk and quotes. Still, if the drama gets so dark and tragic at points then it's due to his cunning and villainous attitude.

The romance between Bassanio and Portiaians is an arisharisec part of the drama and therefore the bond between Antonio and Shylock is this e tragic part. Bassanio may be a poor no nobleman who loves Portia and wishes money to ascertain her. However, he doesn't have enough money and Antonio's ships are out at the ocean .thanks to this reason Antonio is forced to hunt financial assistance from Shylock who lends the condition that if Antonio fails he will need to forsake a pound of flesh from anywhere Shylock wills. The deadly bond is struck and provides rise to a series of tragic events. While Bassanio is gone to ascertain Portia, Antonio's ships get caught during a storm and don't return.

He is unable to pay the cruel Jew back and thus is forced to fulfill the bond as cruel Shylock wants. Antonio writes to Bassanio and if he has forgotten his friend. He writes that he had not to paid the Jew and can lose one pound of flesh as per the contract. Why Shylock is bent on filling Antonio because he has offended the Jew in with past calling him a miser and greedy person. The Jews weren't treated with respect in Venice which made Shylock strike this plan of revenge. Antonio who wont to be a proud businessman forced to bend before Shylock's will. things are allergic not only for Antonio and Bassanio except for Portia too. Antonio has not been ready to pay his loan and can need to let the Jew have his rightful share per the contract. Bassanio is unhappy because he believes he's the explanation for all this. Portia is gloomy because she cannot see Bassanio unhappy.

However, tragedy rises to some extent then comic things happen within the drama. Portia may be a witty girl who finds out w to defeat Shylock. The contract mentions that he can have a pound of flesh but not a pint of blood from Antonio's body. Shylock loses his case in court and he's punished for plotting against an innocent Christian. He loses all his wealth and property to his daughter and Antonio. Even his daughter leaves him to marry a Christian. eventually, everyone except Shylock is left feeling happy. Shylock is left in a poor situation due to his evil plot to urge revenge on Antonio. His evil plan leads to nothing but insult and misery for the Jew.

Shakespeare has balanced comedy with tragedy within the drama. He has used both the weather in it to form it interesting and have a long-lasting flavor. The cunning heart of the Jew, the innocence of Antonio, and the love and romance of Portia all make the drama engaging and interesting. So, to classify it as either a tragedy or a comedy would be wrong. Shakespeare's art has, however, created an excellent balance between the 2 which has seen tons of appreciation since the time it had been written. Even within the character of Shylock, one can find both of the weather and while his contract ad attitude towards the poor Christian businessman are horrible, at several points he's quite hilarious together with his amusing style and talk.

The Merchant of Venice: Tragedy or Comedy

Green Land | April 17, 2020 | 3comments

Shakespeare' the Merchant of Venice is one of his most famous dramas. However, while most of them are often classified as either tragedy or comedy easily, this one doesn't slot into one category. the rationale is that while there are comic events and elements within the drama, there are tragic ones too that sometimes reach the extent of absolutely horrifying. At the core of the drama are three things. the primary is the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, the second is the romance between Bassanio and Portia, and therefore the third but the foremost important is the bond between Antonio and Shylock. Shylock may be a greedy moneylender and a sophisticated villain. He shows mixed character traits and that is why at some points while he appears a nasty villain, at others he's plainly a businessman who amuses by his talk and quotes. Still, if the drama gets so dark and tragic at points then it's due to his cunning and villainous attitude.

The romance between Bassanio and Portiaians is an arisharisec part of the drama and therefore the bond between Antonio and Shylock is this e tragic part. Bassanio may be a poor no nobleman who loves Portia and wishes money to ascertain her. However, he doesn't have enough money and Antonio's ships are out at the ocean .thanks to this reason Antonio is forced to hunt financial assistance from Shylock who lends the condition that if Antonio fails he will need to forsake a pound of flesh from anywhere Shylock wills. The deadly bond is struck and provides rise to a series of tragic events. While Bassanio is gone to ascertain Portia, Antonio's ships get caught during a storm and don't return.

He is unable to pay the cruel Jew back and thus is forced to fulfill the bond as cruel Shylock wants. Antonio writes to Bassanio and if he has forgotten his friend. He writes that he had not to paid the Jew and can lose one pound of flesh as per the contract. Why Shylock is bent on filling Antonio because he has offended the Jew in with past calling him a miser and greedy person. The Jews weren't treated with respect in Venice which made Shylock strike this plan of revenge. Antonio who wont to be a proud businessman forced to bend before Shylock's will. things are allergic not only for Antonio and Bassanio except for Portia too. Antonio has not been ready to pay his loan and can need to let the Jew have his rightful share per the contract. Bassanio is unhappy because he believes he's the explanation for all this. Portia is gloomy because she cannot see Bassanio unhappy.

However, tragedy rises to some extent then comic things happen within the drama. Portia may be a witty girl who finds out w to defeat Shylock. The contract mentions that he can have a pound of flesh but not a pint of blood from Antonio's body. Shylock loses his case in court and he's punished for plotting against an innocent Christian. He loses all his wealth and property to his daughter and Antonio. Even his daughter leaves him to marry a Christian. eventually, everyone except Shylock is left feeling happy. Shylock is left in a poor situation due to his evil plot to urge revenge on Antonio. His evil plan leads to nothing but insult and misery for the Jew.

Shakespeare has balanced comedy with tragedy within the drama. He has used both the weather in it to form it interesting and have a long-lasting flavor. The cunning heart of the Jew, the innocence of Antonio, and the love and romance of Portia all make the drama engaging and interesting. So, to classify it as either a tragedy or a comedy would be wrong. Shakespeare's art has, however, created an excellent balance between the 2 which has seen tons of appreciation since the time it had been written. Even within the character of Shylock, one can find both of the weather and while his contract ad attitude towards the poor Christian businessman are horrible, at several points he's quite hilarious together with his amusing style and talk.

The Merchant of Venice , William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare has occupied a lofty position for his extraordinary characterization. His characters are unforgettable. Caius Cassius is such a character in the play, Julius Caesar. He plays a very important role in the development of the play. He is my friend of Brutus.

Cassius is a selfish man. He is one of the conspirators against Julius Caesar. He initiates die conspiracy because of his personal motives. He conceives a plan to assassinate Caesar because he has been feeling jealous of Caesar's growing power. He is not very close to Caesar. He does but feel any affection for Caesar. He conspires to murder Caesar. Cassius himself bears testimony to this contrast between Brutus and himself. In a soliloquy early in the play, Cassius says that, if he had been Brutus and if Brutus had been Cassius, he would not have joined the conspiracy. Cassius is a man of action and he is a man who possesses an exceptional practical sense. Cassius lives in the world of realities and the world of hard facts. Cassius shows himself to be most competent to start the conspiracy.

However, Cassius is a complex character. As the play advances, he becomes a more sympathetic character. At the end of the play, we his tragic death. Brutus is morally far superior but Cassius is far the conspirator to a victory over Caesarism.

Sketch the character of Caius Cassio

Green Land | April 08, 2020 | 0 comments

William Shakespeare has occupied a lofty position for his extraordinary characterization. His characters are unforgettable. Caius Cassius is such a character in the play, Julius Caesar. He plays a very important role in the development of the play. He is my friend of Brutus.

Cassius is a selfish man. He is one of the conspirators against Julius Caesar. He initiates die conspiracy because of his personal motives. He conceives a plan to assassinate Caesar because he has been feeling jealous of Caesar's growing power. He is not very close to Caesar. He does but feel any affection for Caesar. He conspires to murder Caesar. Cassius himself bears testimony to this contrast between Brutus and himself. In a soliloquy early in the play, Cassius says that, if he had been Brutus and if Brutus had been Cassius, he would not have joined the conspiracy. Cassius is a man of action and he is a man who possesses an exceptional practical sense. Cassius lives in the world of realities and the world of hard facts. Cassius shows himself to be most competent to start the conspiracy.

However, Cassius is a complex character. As the play advances, he becomes a more sympathetic character. At the end of the play, we his tragic death. Brutus is morally far superior but Cassius is far the conspirator to a victory over Caesarism.

Julius Caesar , William Shakespeare

There is a sharp contrast between the funeral speeches of Brutus and Antony in Julius Caesar. Antony's funeral oration differs from Brutus's in many ways. Brutus's speech to the crowd of people is the speech of a philosopher while Antony's speech is emotional and is intended to stir the feelings and passions of the listeners. Brutus's speech is cold, logical, and intellectual; while Antony's speech is charged with feeling, and it is meant to excite the emotions of the listeners. Brutus's speech appeals to the intelligence of the listeners, and it fails because the listeners in this case are not intelligent enough.

Brutus's speech is really an excellent specimen of reasoning. The logic behind the arguments in this speech is perfectly clear. But logic is something with common people do not understand. This does not mean that Brutus is speaking to utterly ignorant people. The point is that the people understand Brutus's reasoning only to a limited extent. As for the logic in his speech, here is an example: "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more". This sentence is simple enough and yet not so simple. There is certainly an element of complexity in this sentence. Brutus tries to appeal to people's love of freedom. He tries to stir their hatred of tyranny. But they do not realize that the people are not very enlightened and that they do not really understand this talk about freedom and slavery. In the starting scene, this mob has already been depicted as admirers of Caesar, the conqueror. A love of freedom is far from their thoughts. And yet they accept Brutus's reasoning. But the crowd's ignorance comes out in their declaration that Brutus should be given the title of Caesar. The crowd does not understand the principles for the sake of which Brutus murdered a dear friend. 

On the other hand, Antony knows the psychology of the mob. He appeals directly to this psychology. He does not talk about the principle of freedom. He does not talk of the evil tyranny and slavery. He speaks about the wounds which had been inflicted upon Caesar's body. He speaks about the ingratitude of Brutus who was loved as a dear friend by Caesar. He speaks about Caesar's will by the terms by which Caesar had left much of his property to the people in general. Antony makes use of several rhetorical devices in the course of his speech. He makes use of irony when he says again and again that Brutus is an honorable man.

However, we find another important difference in this respect. Brutus speaks to the mob in prose, while Antony speaks in verse. Poetry is always more effective than prose. It is also always more emotional than prose. Antony's speech makes use not only of rhetorical devices but also of poetic devices. Antony's speech is an excellent combination of art, cunning, and sincerity. Besides, Brutus speaks about abstract notions while Antony speaks in concrete terms. Brutus speaks of freedom and slavery, while Antony speaks of his listener's feelings and passions.

Bring out the contrast between the funeral speeches of Brutus and Antony

Green Land | April 08, 2020 | 0 comments

There is a sharp contrast between the funeral speeches of Brutus and Antony in Julius Caesar. Antony's funeral oration differs from Brutus's in many ways. Brutus's speech to the crowd of people is the speech of a philosopher while Antony's speech is emotional and is intended to stir the feelings and passions of the listeners. Brutus's speech is cold, logical, and intellectual; while Antony's speech is charged with feeling, and it is meant to excite the emotions of the listeners. Brutus's speech appeals to the intelligence of the listeners, and it fails because the listeners in this case are not intelligent enough.

Brutus's speech is really an excellent specimen of reasoning. The logic behind the arguments in this speech is perfectly clear. But logic is something with common people do not understand. This does not mean that Brutus is speaking to utterly ignorant people. The point is that the people understand Brutus's reasoning only to a limited extent. As for the logic in his speech, here is an example: "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more". This sentence is simple enough and yet not so simple. There is certainly an element of complexity in this sentence. Brutus tries to appeal to people's love of freedom. He tries to stir their hatred of tyranny. But they do not realize that the people are not very enlightened and that they do not really understand this talk about freedom and slavery. In the starting scene, this mob has already been depicted as admirers of Caesar, the conqueror. A love of freedom is far from their thoughts. And yet they accept Brutus's reasoning. But the crowd's ignorance comes out in their declaration that Brutus should be given the title of Caesar. The crowd does not understand the principles for the sake of which Brutus murdered a dear friend. 

On the other hand, Antony knows the psychology of the mob. He appeals directly to this psychology. He does not talk about the principle of freedom. He does not talk of the evil tyranny and slavery. He speaks about the wounds which had been inflicted upon Caesar's body. He speaks about the ingratitude of Brutus who was loved as a dear friend by Caesar. He speaks about Caesar's will by the terms by which Caesar had left much of his property to the people in general. Antony makes use of several rhetorical devices in the course of his speech. He makes use of irony when he says again and again that Brutus is an honorable man.

However, we find another important difference in this respect. Brutus speaks to the mob in prose, while Antony speaks in verse. Poetry is always more effective than prose. It is also always more emotional than prose. Antony's speech makes use not only of rhetorical devices but also of poetic devices. Antony's speech is an excellent combination of art, cunning, and sincerity. Besides, Brutus speaks about abstract notions while Antony speaks in concrete terms. Brutus speaks of freedom and slavery, while Antony speaks of his listener's feelings and passions.

Julius Caesar , William Shakespeare