Name :- Khamal Krishna R
Coures:- M.A. English
Topic:- Characteristic of Shakesperean Tragedy in'' Hamlet''
Roll No:- 22
Inrollment No:- 2069108420180014
Email Id:- krishnakhamal01@gmail.com
Sumitted To:-Department of English MKBU.
Batch :- 2016-18
TO Evaluate my Assignment
Characteristic of Shakespearean Tragedy in 'Hamlet'
preface:
We know very well that every nation has its history as same the country of England also has its own history. We can find number of ages in the history of England.For example,the age of Chaucer,the age of Elizabeth, the age of Milton, the of Pope, etc, but the Elizabethan age is grater one and that is why it known as “Golden Era”.
There were number of Writers became so popular like , Marlowe, Thomas K yd, Thomas Lodge ,John Lyly. Shakespeare was born on the 23 April ,1564, at Stratford on Avon. Shakespeare married with the Anne Hathaway, when he was 19 years old, he had three children. He left his native town to seek his fortune in London.At that time the drama was so popular through the work of the university wits.Shakespeare soon turned to the stage, an became first an actor and then playwright.
So lets know, Shakespeare as a Dramatist.
Shakespeare as a Dramatist:
He was a great writer of the age of Elizabeth.His works divided in to two parts, PROSE and VERSE.
In his verse he wrote 154 Sonnets. While in prose he wrote 37 plays.His plays divided into three types tragedy ,Comedy ,Historical .He wrote four great tragedy. We can also find Greek tragedy before Shakespearean tragedy but he wrote different types of tragedy and thats why his tragedy known as Shakespearean Tragedy. So lets know different things between both the tragedy.
Greek Tragedy and Shakespearean Tragedy
Greek Tragedy performed as part of a religious so the stories were already known to the audience like a Church Christmas play.Shakespearean tragedy performed for the entertainment so the stories were usually new and element of suspense present.In Greek tragedy some parts were not performed on the stage. Like Horrors and violence,murder,fight, but they tell the audience that what happened. In Shakespearean tragedy all things performed on the stage like death,fight etc.
In Greek tragedy ,logic over rules emotions while in Shakespearean tragedy emotion over rules logic .In Greek tragedy chorus present on the stage as a commentator. While in Shakespearean tragedy chorus only introduce the scene or the play. In Greek Tragedy we can find simple plot and sometime subplot also like ''King Lear ''.
Shakespearean Tragedy
Shakespeare gave us a beautiful from of tragedy. He wrote tragedy with his own conception of tragedy. Tragedy means play which tells suffering of hero or heroine. We can see tragic end and also most powerful of death and suffering .Shakespearean tragedy is more popular because it touches human hearts,mind and soul. His tragedy in the struggle of good and evil.He gifted great tragedies to the English Literature such as ''Othello'' ,''Hamlet'' , ''King Lear'' ,Macbeth''.''Hamlet'' is a greatest work of Shakespeare.
Hamlet -A Revenge Tragedy
'Hamlet' is a play concerned with son's revenge for the murder of his father.It is story regarding murder,sudden violence. There are five act in the play, climax in third act. Prince Hamlet is a main character of this play, he is like puzzle.There are some major character like Claudius ,King Hamlet ,Polonius ,etc.There are two female character Gertrude and Ophelia.Themes of the play are the Impossibility of Certainty,The complexity of action. The mystery of death ,the nation as a diseased body.
In this play we can also find the culture of Elizabeth era . In several ways the play is puzzling ,and disquieting ,as is none of the others. Of all the play it is longest and is possibly throne on which Shakespeare spent most pain and yet he has left in superfluous and inconsistent Scene. Which even hasty revision should have noticed.
Characteristic of Shakespearean Tragedy in 'Hamlet':
<> The Conflict of Good and Ev ill :
As we know good and evill are always in contrast or centered upon individual.Goodness always originated from God and is connected to him ,While evill originates from the opposite being ,Satan. The road of goodness is connected to hell. Some people who do evill things often end up in jail and unhappy this is the general belief of people so we can also find it in the play of 'Hamlet'
WE can see that this thing apply in the play of 'Therese are many character in this play Claudius ,Gertrude ,Polonius , Leartes ,Ophelia ,Horatio, but all the character commit some wrong or evill thing and that's why he is not die at the end of the play.
<> Tragic Hero :
In Shakespearean tragedy the tragic heroes are all conspicuous who , stand in a high degree .They all are either king ,prince or great military generals indispensable for the state .In Shakespearean tragedy the main protagonist or hero either king or prince or great person yet he suffer a lot and fall down at the end of the play.
In 'Hamlet' the main protagonist is the student of philosophy.he know all the things ,but after murder of his father he try to kill his father who is the murderer of king Hamlet. From this idea his personality fall down the height of earthly greatness to the dust.
Thus ,tragic hero is a important characteristic of the tragedy .so let's know one other characteristic 'the tragic flaw'.
<> The Tragic Flaw:
The Tragic hero is not only a person of high degree,he has an exceptional nature .All heroes are driven in some one direction by some peculiar interest ,object,passion or habit of mind .The tragic hero falls from greatness owing to his fault or flaw in his character.His character issues in action or action issues out of his character .In Shakespearean tragedy the character is destiny in each of his tragedy the hero is presented in the grip of some total flaw in leads him to his total doom.
In 'Hamlet' we can see that the main character Hamlet can't take decision quickly.His poses vacillating nature ,When his uncle pray to God at that time he has chance to kill him and he think that his uncle go into the heaven if he kill him at that time.If Hamlet kill his uncle at that time so tragedy not possible ,but this is the main point that he meets tragedy because his weakness of delay and this is a tragic flaw in him.
<> True to Life
As we know that anyone born on earth so they must die,it is true to life .In Shakespearean tragedy we can see this characteristic true to life. We know very well that everything are incomplete regarding us. No one is perfect and perhaps that's why every one die, In his tragedy main character or protagonist who stand in hight and anytime he fall down ,so that is true to life.
In Hamlet we can see that when prince Hamlet try to kill his uncle but at that time he pray to God and at that moment Hamlet think that if he kill him at that time so he will go in the heaven. He think this type of thing because he is a student of philosophy so it is true to life . In the end of the play he died because he also committed some evils thing so it is true to life.
<> Character and Destiny:
Shakespearean Tragedy is concerned with the fate of person of ''high degree'' like king or princes. He dose not concentrate on the lives of ordinary person not does he recall the suffering of the layman.
In the medieval conception of the tragedy , fate played an important role he believed in the principle.''Character and Destiny''.
The Tragic Waste :
The tragic hero has particular flaw spells his doom but otherwise he is genius ,great warrior ,an exceptionally honest and virtuous person. Shakespearean tragedy leaves behind a very strong impression of waste. In tragedy the evill does not triumph closely, it is expelled but at the cost of much that good and wholly admirable.
In the play 'Hamlet' we can see that the fight of between Prince Hamlet and Claudius two other character died , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern .Not only these two character died but there are some other character who also died that is tragic waste
Three Complicating Factors :
some abnormal condition of mind :
Shakespeare represent this abnormal condition of mind in his all tragedy. He creates that type of situation in which character can't take an decision properly.
In the play we find abnormal condition of mind ,When he try to kill his uncle but at that time he pray to Go d and that time he can't decision in his mind
The Supernatural ,ghost and witches :
Shakespeare use supernatural agents such as ghost in his tragedies. And always he use supernatural agents which are placed in closest relation.
In the play 'Hamlet' ghost should the character of the hero to some extent and prepare him for his tragedy.
The Role of Chance :
We can find in role of chance in Shakespearean tragedies. Chance or accident plays it's own vital role. Several chance incidents happen in Shakespeare tragedies which instead of averting the tragedies.
<> The conflict and Struggle :
There is always a conflict and struggle in Shakespearean tragedy. The conflict take two forms. Firstly , there is the hero with the external circumstances ,and secondly , the conflict is within the soul of the hero or the heroine.
'' In tragic life ,God wot
No villains need be ,passions spine the plot ''
<> Catharsis :
Catharsis means purification , Our body and soul feel relaxes after it catharsis . In 'Hamlet' many time we feel catharsis .At the end of the play feel pity to Prince Hamlet and his friend.
<>No Poetic Justice
Poetic justice means ,at the end of the play evill people died and good people live that is poetic justice in our mind . Our Indian plays are always happy ending but in Shakespearean tragedies we can't find poetic justice at the end.
<> The Melodramatic Element:
Melodramatic element , it related with melodrama. We can find royal character , blood-shad ,or killing of people.but we can't find nobility in the characters that's why we can't pity for that characters
<> Serenity at the end
We can find Serenity it means every character die and that's why there is only peace or calm. In his tragedy , number of characters died with protagonist and they leave only serenity.
To Conclusion :-
So , these are characteristic of Shakespearean tragedies. It teach us good thing by tragedy.We can see all the character are present true to life. As we know that no one is perfect ,everything is imperfect.Everyone has their own minus and plus point so the characters of Shakespearean tragedy present it, and it is reality of life.
REFERENCES CITE:' History of English Literature ' {Edward Albert }Fifth edition.
' Dramatic Art and Literature ' {William Shakespeare}
Wikipedia- Charactristic of tragedy.
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