Hamlet Comic Relief

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Comic Relief Date: 25/07/2011 Course Code: ENG4U Shakespeare often adds some comedy to his plays. It is generally known as ‘comic relief’ because the tragedy is so overwhelming with murders, ghosts, suicides and anguish. It gives everyone some breathing room before the intensity of the next act. Comic relief is a humorous scene, or incident occurring in the middle of a serious or tragic selection and intentionally designed to relieve emotional stress. At the same time to increase, and emphasize the tragic plot. Shakespeare was the first to mix comedy and tragedy together, but borrowed the ideas of tragedy from Aristotle. The two words come from Middle English, also back from Middle French, and originally the Old French used ‘relever’, meaning ‘to relieve.’ Hamlet seems to be the only one of Shakespeare's tragic protagonists who possesses and demonstrates a sense of humour in this play. Like the amusing characters of comedies, he likes to play games with language, to disorient other characters' verbal styles, and he has a taste for puns. In this presentation, I am mainly going to talk about Hamlet taking on the role of a fool towards Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Osric, and the Gravedigger. -Lord Polonius acts as the King’s personal advisor and has talkative speeches. Hamlet scorns at him because of his age and that he sucks up to the king. Polonius also has a knack of losing track of what he is saying and changes his opinion quickly just too concur with Hamlet. Hamlet: “Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel?” Polonius: “By th'mass, and 'tis like a camel indeed.” Hamlet: “Methinks it is like a weasel.” Polonius: “It is backed like a weasel. Hamlet: “Or like a whale?” Polonius: “Very like a whale.” (3.2.339-44) Here, Hamlet is playing with
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