By presenting Claudius as the unfaithful serpent, it gives readers the connotation that he is evil, betraying and loathsome, correlating to the ghost’s and Hamlet’s feelings. Moreover, the serpent pattern of imagery is weaved in the ghost’s description of the poison- “swift as quicksilver it courses
The veil that was supposed to make Mr. Hooper an idea turns him into a symbol of evil causing him to further treasure sin. Because of his own arrogance, the veil corrupts him and projects him as a source of evil. While unsure of what specific lesson Hawthorne was trying to teach in writing his parable, many ideas can be gained from this story. The most important that sticks out is that one is enlightened to the fact that we all are guilty of sins and should be able to admit to them. We are taught that one consequence of guilt, hypocrisy and arrogance is displacement from
Shakespeare uses the dramatic device of the Machiavel to portray Iago who manipulates Othello in order to prompt jealousy within him. Iago reveals his plot to make the Moor jealous by marring Desdemona’s virtue in the eyes of Othello. As Iago’s plot unveils, Othello begins to descend into a kind of madness and seems to be in two states of mind about Desdemona’s fidelity and is tormented by the information Iago has manipulated. Othello highlights his change in attitudes towards Desdemona explaining that “Her name that was as fresh as Dian’s visage is now begrimed and black as mine own face.” This darkness/light imagery highlights how Othello feel separated to Desdemona by his ‘black’ face. This rapid change in language, portraying Desdemona as his ‘sweet’ Desdemona at the start of the play then later going on to call her an ‘excellent wretch’.
Examine Shakespeare’s presentation of the themes of corruption and disorder in Hamlet. Show how far your appreciation and understanding of this aspect of Hamlet have been informed by your study of The Revenger’s Tragedy. Corruption is a key theme throughout Hamlet and is portrayed in many scenes through different aspects of the play. Greed and the thirst for power become the invitation for this corruption. Corruption in Hamlet is represented as a chain of events starting with greed; spreading by manipulation through unquestioning loyalty thus corruption manifests itself as tragic revenge.
While Shakespeare does use Iago’s soliloquy to encourage the audience to admire him, the soliloquy also highlights his incredible aptitude for malice. The continued metaphor of Iago’s jealousy being an ailment to him, “doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards” and expressed further on where he vows to give Othello “a jealousy so strong/that judgment cannot cure”, brings a sense of paranoia and mania to him. This paranoid side to Iago is further emphasized when he alleges Othello of having “leaped into my [his] seat”, his
(Act 1, Scene 1, line 65). At the end of the last scene in Act 1, Roderigo exits, and Iago delivers an impressive soliloquy to the audience devising his plan – to use Roderigo and Cassio’s naivety and weaknesses to achieve his evil. (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 383-405). Again using Iago as a confidante, Shakespeare uses another soliloquy to the audience of his intent to use Desdemona’s napkin as a device to instill her deceit in Othello’s mind. (Act 2 Scene 3 lines 321-329) Iago speaks again to the audience: “I will in Cassio’s lodgings lose this napkin And let him find it….
Flaws and Weaknesses Presented in Macbeth In the play Macbeth Shakespeare presents the overspreading influence of evil over the sinister and ambitious minds which lead them to committing the most villainy and valour act; this act does not only lead to victory but it affects man, the state also the state and Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship. Shakespeare also provides the essential morality which encourages their development in order to bring things back to normal. It shows that Shakespeare has illustrated the change of a good person to a ghastly figure. The effect of evil I Lady Macbeth is also closely examined. In Macbeth, Shakespeare transfers the evil from the villains to the hero and the heroine.
Observing the juxtaposition in these two scenes with Polanski’s Macbeth with the influence of the witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth’s role of ambition and his weaknesses. In Shakespeare, Macbeth is interpreted as being intrusive with evil as he and Lady Macbeth both make deliberate choices to do evil deeds. As a victim of fate Macbeth is deemed to some extent not accountable for his actions, but as a victim of his own actions, Shakespeare makes him subjective to the consequences by his own behaviour. Firstly, In Shakespeare’s version of Macbeth is delineated as a victim of his own actions, with his overpowering ambition and tendency to self-doubt. This is identified in Act Two, Scene Two where Macbeth converses with Lady Macbeth about the death of Duncan.
Shakespeare's Presentation of Othello as Responsible for his Own Downfall Shakespeare’s Othello consists of the themes betrayal, love and dishonesty. At the centre of this play is the tragic downfall of Othello at the hands of his so called friend Iago. In this essay I will be discussing the reasons for and against Othello being responsible for his downfall through looking at critical interpretations of his character and actions. In some ways you could say that Othello was highly responsible for his own downfall as he was easily manipulated by Iago showing him to be gullible and naïve. Iago manipulates Othello by making him suspicious through inference, “Ha I like not that”.
Deception is an essential element of Shakespearean drama, whether it be tragedy, history, or comedy. The deception can be destructive or benign; it can be practiced on others or, just as likely, self-inflicted. On occasion deception becomes the very foundation of a play, as is the case with Twelfth Night, Othello, and, most notably, Hamlet. The following introduction to the many instances of deception in Hamlet will help you plan your own essay on the broader topic of how this important theme relates to the play on the whole. Hamlet 1) Hamlet's madness is an act of deception, concocted to draw attention away from his suspicious activities as he tries to gather evidence against Claudius.