In the plays Equus by Peter Shaffer and Hamlet by the late William Shakespeare, insanity and its effects is explored in portraying two different representations of madness. Hamlet, placed collectively with Alan, effectively raises an understanding into both of their dilemmas, projecting two accounts in which to compare and contrast one with the other. The issue of mental illness is successfully highlighted in this paired text study, with the individual types of madness being made more visible and in addition making it easier to distinguish why they went mad. The individual incentives in regards to their insanity is also brought to the fore and the consequences are effectively displayed. The two texts ultimately depict the difficulties that are linked in the treatment of insanity, presenting sobering measures in which to cure the mind of madness.
Biblically, we all are sinners. We all “fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) But, the way Hawthorne uses the Puritan society seems to contradict that statement. The way the society acts strict and unforgiving towards the main character, Hester Prynne, who is the novel’s protagonist and the wearer of the scarlet letter “A”, which signifies that she is an “adulterer”, expresses the hypocrisy of the Puritans. This is clearly shown through the exclusion, the badge of infamy, and the resent of Hester’s only treasure-Pearl. ** Clearly, Hester’s sin was out in the open for everyone to see.
Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ reveals the consequences of change as a result of individual action within an Aristotelian concept and structure of tragedy. Lear’s violation of the natural order in the first scene “we have divided our kingdom in three” is a direct challenge to the Divine Right of Kings. This action reveals Lear’s hamartia of hubris which is reinforced throughout the drama. “Which of you shall doth love us most?” His abdication of the throne in order “to shake all cares and business from our age” and his treatment of Cordelia and Kent represent the most unnatural acts of injustice, unleashing strife and chaos on the world and unimaginable suffering .A traditional Aristotelian tragic hero, Lear undergoes dramatic transformation from a egotistical, autocratic ruler to “a very foolish old man”. The process of change can be challenging and can be achieved through a painful and erratic process to enlightenment and humility.
Hamlet’s soliloquy functions to attract the audience, and to reveal important information about the tragic hero: himself. Hamlet’s blatant thoughts of suicide are shocking, but with further analysis, they seem to be logical, when coming from his mental point of view. His propositions challenge human rectitude, and give insight into his current emotions. Though he behaves quite bewilderingly to the audience and to himself, this soliloquy allows onlookers to determine that his mental state is intact, though he is certainly on the brink of panic, for he is in a very stressful situation. This soliloquy perhaps raises more questions than answers, and the answers may be shaded grey, but it is in that respect that “To be, or not to be” is such a success as a work of art.
Vladimir carefully attacks Pozzo, calling him names and showing a general disdain for the posh life Pozzo seems to represent. This general disdain for people that are not him leads to an alienation of Estragon, in which Vladimir subtly belittles Estragon with a noticeable regularity. Vladimir is encouraged to change throughout the play as situations and individuals question his ideologies and idiosyncrasies. The first of these impetuses is a religious altercation in the beginning of the first act. Vladimir presents the question of faith, asking “Suppose we repented?” (Beckett 9) and then denounces the idea by questioning the credibility of the
The mood is very dark and gloomy. This is emphasised by Shakespeare’s use of striking words such as: fiend, marble-hearted, serpent (all associated with some form of evil or malevolence). These words set the tone in the reader’s minds and allow the progression of Lear’s curse to have a more devastating effect on both the reader and Goneril. Body Craftsmanship: Structure, Language, Imagery, Movement, Sound It’s is interesting to note the following writing structures as a metaphor for
A tragic flaw is defined as “a weakness or error in judgment that brings about a tragic hero's downfall” (Clugston 2010). Ambition was Macbeth’s tragic flaw. An idea was planted inside Macbeth’s mind by the three witches’ prophecy that he would be King. This was what drove Macbeth to madness, in a sense, stopping at nothing, not even murder, to achieve this goal. He is tempted to evil by the
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.
Hamlet’s first soliloquy gives the first true insight into Hamlet’s inner turmoil. By beginning the soliloquy with, “O, that this too too flesh solid flesh would melt/Thaw and resolve into a dew”, Hamlet wishes that his physical self might cease to exit, expressing the gravity of his innermost grief. Hamlet’s words, “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable/Seem to me all the uses of this world!” indicate his intense disgust with the world. He refers this world as “an unweeded garden”, in which “rank and gross” things grow in abundance. Hamlet’s grief over his father sudden death is intensified by his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle whom he considers inferior and venomous naturally.
It seems that I must bid the Muse go pack, Choose Plato and Plotinus for a friend Until imagination, ear and eye, Can be content with argument and deal In abstract things; or be derided by A sort of battered kettle at the heel. W.B Yeats Compare and contrast the poems above: Hardy Subject Matter: Problem of Old Age. Persona looking at his reflection and laments how people have grown cold towards him in his old age. Tone: Bleak and melancholic, seen by the diction=> “grieve”, “fragile frame”, “hearts grown cold”, “lonely” all connote the utter lack of hope. Explicit in sating his feelings Highly emotive with a lot of adjectives that make the persona’s current emotional status very apparent.