In Shakespeare’s play, ‘King Lear’, we are shown an array of characters that are multi-dimensional and extremely complex. Shakespeare has the ability to reveal a human character with an exceptional use of language. The three characters that I believe have large roles and functions within the play are, understandably, King Lear himself, The Fool, and Kent. The Fool acts as Lear's conscience and trusted guide, yet he is also a critic of Lear, a truth teller. In effect this makes a true friend, however some believe it was the Fool's constant remarks that drove Lear to madness.
This, to the audience, will seem ridiculous and unnecessary creating a subtle sense of humour. Nearing the end of Act 2 we learn about Viola’s plans for her disguise in order to appear less vulnerable. She then goes on to say ‘thou shalt present me as an Eunuch to him’ which will yet again appear an overdramatic act to the audience. In act 3, Sir Toby Belch is introduced into the play. Shakespeare’s wit and word play used even for simply just the names of the characters can build up laughter.
Feste’s purpose in ‘Twelfth Night’ is simply one to make us laugh. Discuss. A fool is generally depicted as a wise and intelligent peasent who uses their wit to outdo people of higher social class and in this sense, is very similar to the real jesters throughout history. Feste’s intelligence is often questioned and as a character in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; Feste plays a very important role throughout the play. Feste frequently causes amusement and makes the audience laugh; he also draws a realistic sense of Elizabethan society into the play.
In Richard III, Shakespeare gives an account of Richard's character that was popular opinion of him as an evil deformed schemer, until late in the 20th century. Historians now view this account as a dramatic plot device, necessary for the “villain role” that Shakespeare had given him. It is not consistent with what is now known of Richard III, who in many ways showed himself to be an enlightened and forward-thinking King. With the opening words of Richard III, "Now is the winter of our discontent," Shakespeare lays the groundwork for the portrayal of Richard III as a man who is unhappy in a world that hates him. Later, he describes himself as "Deformed, unfinished, sent before his time into this breathing world, scarce half made up."
Shakespeare uses incessant word play, and constant mockery between key characters to portray the comedic effect. An example of constant mockery could be the ‘merry war’ between Beatrice and Benedick which continues throughout the entire play. Early on in the play Claudio and Hero fall in love at first sight. This leads Don Pedro to act like Claudio offering to woo Hero evidently fooling her at the masked ball. This is dramatic irony because the audience know who the masked characters are but the actual characters don’t.
More than these, I think Lear is motivated by his idea that he is a good man. One thing that supports is when Kent says “I’ll tell thee thou dost evil,” (Act I, Scene I, Line 175) and Shakespeare writes the king as reacting in a frenzy, going so far as to say “This moment is thy death,” (Act I, Scene I, Line 190). By portraying the king in this way, Shakespeare causes us to judge him as unstable and mental. While his actions thus far have been rash, him reacting in this way, and him banishing his daughter saying, “Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood,” (Act I, Scene I, Lines 117-118). From these thing, it is made clear that Lear is not only rash and insecure but also thoughtless and stupid.
When Hamlet explains,“ this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul…”, the “why” adds a tone of confusion, hinting that not even Hamlet can explain as to why he feels this way about the air. The sentences that follow continue the pattern of being an antithesis, with Hamlet describing man with great admiration, but then contradicts what he just said with, “Man delights not me”. Hamlet’s usage of antithesis reflects how he repeatedly contradicts his own thoughts throughout the play. Because of his father’s recent death, Hamlet’s mentality is confused, uncertain, and pessimistic. His disinterest in the world he knows is beautiful confirms the depressed state he is in.
12th Night Feste: Foolish or Wise “Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools, and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man.” (1.5.30-31) In the ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare, the role of the entertainer was fulfilled by the character named, ‘Feste’. Feste’s purpose was to entertain the nobles through songs and witty jokes at the expense of others; however, his role was far more important than a simple ‘jester’ or ‘fool’. When Feste says; “Those wits that think they have thee do very oft prove fools, and I that am sure I lack thee may pass for a wise man” (1.5.30-31), he is stating a version of the old saying, “know thyself.” These lines point out that Feste is not simply a jester; but rather a fool with much intelligence. Shakespeare meant to create Feste’s character to help teach the other characters more about themselves through experiences displaying their foolishness and short-comings. Feste used various strategic approaches and insightful remarks to reach that goal.
Polonius’ instructions to Reynaldo are so comically complex and so circuitously related that he himself loses track of them at one point. And his attempt to relate his great discovery of Hamlet’s broken heart to Claudius and Gertrude in the second scene does not go any better. “Brevity is the soul of wit,” he says (another instance of Polonius getting one of Shakespeare’s most famous and most often decontextualized lines); and he then proceeds to be anything but brief, anything but witty. Rather, he is dull, pedantic, self-important, pompous, flowery – and, more to the point, dead wrong. As in Act One, Polonius obviously fancies himself a great political mind.
Iago, who is known as the Machiavellian villain perpetuates the tragedy by bringing forward a hamartia or a fatal flaw from Othello. As soon as the play begins, Shakespeare used dramatic irony to illustrate Othello’s view of Iago as an honest and trustworthy man through his repeated description of “honest Iago” and “a man of exceeding honesty” to the audience. Of course that is not the case, the audience views Iago to be “Janus-faced” and deceptive through his constant declaration of “I am not what I am” and how he “hates the moor”. This juxtaposition is created so that the audience can empathise with Othello. I know I can definitely empathise with him.