Let’s explore the moments within the text where Hamlet actually used his smarts to trick the other conniving characters into thinking that he didn’t love Ophelia and was going insane instead. Throughout Act 3 and 4, the play leads readers to believe the Hamlet does not love Ophelia. He is constantly saying contradicting statements and in a way mistreating her. Hamlet says “I loved you once,” and then four lines later he says “I loved you not.” What’s going on with the mixed messages? Well Polonius, Ophelia’s father does not approve of their courtship and Hamlet know this.
Christian Coleman Ms. Zachik AP Lit February 6, 2012 (Dis)honest Iago In Shakespeare’s Othello, honesty (dishonesty) and trust are reoccurring themes that cause the downfall of many. Throughout the play, the word “honest” is used in ironic ways. Take Iago, for example. He represents dishonesty and deceit in society. During the play, he is often referred to as “honest Iago”: “…I play the villain, when this advice is free I give, and honest…” (Act II, Scene iii).
He tries to accomplish his goal by hiding his sin but is distressed because of his pursuit of what he believes to- be happiness. Towards the end of the play his struggles eventually end in his downfall. His courage to stand strong in his beliefs leads him to death at the gallows. His personal struggle with Elizabeth is resolved as he makes his decision to refuse to confess to witchcraft. Elizabeth sees his inner goodness shine when he refuses to lie about being involved in witchcraft, and she realizes how unfair she has been.
Instinctively she knows something we did not know that enabled her to sympathize with her husband’s actions. Pity Othello for being a fool who lacks any cynicism towards Iago’s claims and who in end in was manipulated into killing both his wife and himself. Othello, portrayed as a heroic man of nobility is clearly struggling within a white society trying to maintain his honor, dignity and respect. He is a victim of stereotyping suggesting he is to be pitied. We then admire his achievements in overcoming the notion
A tragic hero will effectively gain our fear and pity if he is a good mixture of good and evil. Ophelia can be viewed as a tragic hero in this play. We first meet Ophelia in Act 1, Scene 3 where she is warned by her brother Laertes that Hamlet is playing with her and that she should not keep her "chaste treasure open" suggesting that his sister has no 'worth of her own except in her sex'. Ophelia hears her brother but sticks up for herself and defends her relationship with Hamlet. She even turns Laertes' lesson around to focus on him and how he is doing exactly what he is telling Ophelia not to do.
We are then shown that Hamlet's insanity frightens Ophelia away. In Act II, scene 1, Ophelia reports to her father about the recent encounter she has had with Hamlet. She says he looked as though he had been "loosed out of hell to speak of horrors" and that she "truly did fear it”. We are later shown demonstrations of her feelings In Act III, scene 1 as she returns remembrances of his, for "their perfume [has been] lost". This could mean that the importance of his letters to her have perished and that she longer has any desire to hold onto them.
who hides and what is hidden? how does deceit function in the world of the play, and how does it help the play comment on life in general? a central motif in the play is trickery or deceit, whether for good or evil purposes. counterfeiting, or concealing one's true feelings, is part of this motif. everyone seems to lie; good characters as well as evil ones engage in deceit as they attempt to conceal their feelings: beatrice and benedick mask their feelings for one another with bitter insults; don john spies on claudio and hero; don pedro and his 'crew' deceive benedick and beatrice.
The friar’s lack of communication, Romeo and Juliet’s emotions, and pressure from their families are responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare shows us that true love is more important than anything else, even family loyalties. He also shows us that love is blind and dangerous. Romeo and Juliet are born into very different families, but fall in love anyway. The actions they take to solve this problem
The question to his insanity lies in the reasons for his insanity. Everyone he loves and holds dear constantly betrays him throughout the play, which ultimately leads to his very real insanity. Hamlet’s “adoption of the pretense of madness may well have been due in part due to fear of the reality; to an instinct of self-preservation, a fore-feeling that the pretence would enable him to give some utterance to the load that pressed on his heart and brain, and a fear that he would be unable altogether to repress such utterance.” (Foster, pg 242) In this quote, it is explained that Hamlet’s act of self-preservation is ultimately, what leads to his downfall. “He begins by feigning madness, as a result (he says) of his profound melancholy, but his melancholy seems to transmute into genuine madness; certainly, he becomes psychologicaly unhinged.” (McGinn, 40) Hamlet is so overcome with his grief and his task of feigning madness that he himself becomes truly mad. One of Hamlet’s first signs of madness is when he begins to follow the Ghost.
Unreflected love shows it’s presence via the relationship between Helena and Demetrius. Helena loves Demetrius, however, Demetrius does not love her back because he is blinded by his love for Hermia. This unrequited love shows the cruel nature of love. “The more you beat me, I will fawn on you” (30) Demetrius attempts to ignore Helena in order to push her away from him, however this plan backfires as it only makes her love him more. The more she loves him, the more he hates her.