An effective play takes the audience on an emotional and intellectual journey Shakespeare’s Othello is an effective play as it takes the audience on an emotional an intellectual journey. The effectiveness of Othello is seen through the journey from reason to emotion in Othello as it causes a reaction from the audience, which is the aim of an effective play. The play focuses mainly on the emotional journey Othello takes, which the audience follows along with. Othello is a tragedy and the purpose of the play is to teach the audience a moral lesson and have the audience feel pathos and reach a cathartic response at the conclusion of the play. The two characters of Othello and Iago can be used in juxtaposition to imply how outside forces have great influences on the life of a person and how that in turn affects the individuals journey and how it can finish somewhere different that what was initially expected.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are many contributing aspects to the appreciation of the play’s major concerns. Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act II, Scene ii is very effective in the audience gaining a clear understanding of the play’s themes and issues through Shakespeare’s use of language and dramatic techniques. There are a variety of issues explored in this soliloquy, for example, illusion versus reality, the notion of the revenge tragedy and inaction, and each of these issues is supported by techniques and the language of Hamlet as the character and Hamlet the play. The soliloquy of Act II, Scene ii, occurs after Hamlet sees the player’s emotional telling of the story of Hecuba, and he comes to a realization of how he can truly make sure of Claudius’ guilt before he avenges his fathers death. The soliloquy can be broken down into three sections: Hamlet’s consideration of the player’s acting ability, his self-berating for being cowardly and doing nothing, and his resolve to stage a play to ‘catch the conscience of the King’.
The alternating, quick lines of verse exchanged between two characters had often been intended to preserve ambiguity in a play, an effect that Shakespeare commonly presents. For example, in the very beginning of the play, this dramatic feature is presented through the characters of Bernardo and Francisco, ‘Who’s there?’ ‘Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself.’ ‘Long live the King!’ ‘Bernardo?’ ‘He.’ ‘You come most carefully upon your hour.’ The fast pace of these lines add intensity to the mood of the scene as well as creating uncertainty between the characters. Shakespeare’s use of this feature was often to add greater effect upon setting and atmosphere. Although the darkness of night would have been portrayed in the theatre during Shakespearian time through a simple change of lighting, the use of stichomythic verses would annex the portentous and abnormal feeling to the scene.
The key similarity is drawn in through the presentation of the consequences caused by ambition and human desire. Ambition and conflict are the contemporary feelings evident within both texts. However, the way they are aroused mirrors the time periods the novel and play were written in such as; in Shakespeare`s time the idea of witchcraft and evil spirits were prominent and this is the way Shakespeare connects with his audience by using something that they will understand. The witches plant the seed of ambition within Macbeth as they prophesise `all hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter` and as an audience they will see Macbeth react physically as Banquo points out: `Good sir why do you start, and
The composer William Shakespeare, born on the 23rd of April, 1564 wrote plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict. Shakespeare’s text of Macbeth includes many important themes including ambition, order vs. disorder, and deception that involve important values that relate to the audience’s experiences. In Shakespeare’s play of Macbeth, the theme of ambition is highly present throughout the character’s will to prevail. Shakespeare presents to the audience the consequences of being overly ambitious through numerous characters and their decisions. Macbeth is presented at the beginning of the text as well respected by many in society.
The ghost informed Hamlet that he had been killed by Sir King Claudius and that Claudius was, in fact, Hamlet's uncle. From there, the ghost only asked for one thing and one thing only, and all the deceased king requested was revenge from his son. Taking in all this information, wanting to avenge his father's death, and wanting to do as his father asks causes Hamlet to do many crazy things, including pretending to have lost his sanity. This causes many deaths in the story during Hamlet's journey to revenge. One of which was Polonious, who was stabbed by Hamlet during Hamlets rant to his mother.
Hamlet is speaking to the mysterious ghost, whose message is if Hamlet ever loved his father he will “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.25). He ask Hamlet to “Haste me to know’t , that I, with wings as swift/As mediation or the thoughts of love,/may sweep to my revenge” (1.5.29-31). Hamlet is not certain if the ghost is honest and begins a plan to see if Claudius is indeed guilty. Hamlet emphasizes the he must seek revenge; “Now could I drink hot blood” (III.iii.397-399). Hamlet derives a plan to have actors re-enact the death of his father as told to him by the ghost.
By Shakespeare using these emotions to drive to plot of the play he shows us how fundamental these emotions are in human nature and how these forces drive our lives. The technique of the soliloquy is used to
Discuss how Shakespeare presents different kinds of madness in King Lear. Mitchell Wassink Madness is a common motif in Shakespeare’s King Lear, and makes itself known in various different ways throughout the play. Lear’s madness and the seeming madness of Edgar meld with the madness displayed by the evil acts of Edmund and the Fool’s controlled foolishness to create a rich, varied text. Shakespeare manipulates dramatic and literary elements to communicate the idea of madness effectively to his audience, and uses it to enhance and enrich the more important themes in the play. The books Aspects of King Lear by Kenneth Muir and Law and Love: The Trials of King Lear by Paul W. Kahn discuss Shakespeare’s implementation of madness in his work, as does Norman Maclean in his essay, The Madness of Lear, and Jessica Dunckel in hers, The Necessity of Reasonable Madness in King Lear.
“Shakespeare makes effective use of disturbing imagery in the play, Macbeth.” Discuss this statement, supporting your answer with suitable reference to the text. One of the most important tools in literature is imagery. If a picture tells a thousand words, than imagine the importance of an image upon a play such as Macbeth. In any literary work, it is extremely important that the author can effectively manipulate a reader's feelings towards a character. In Macbeth, that feat is accomplished magnificently by Shakespeare.