Claudius purposefully set out to murder his own flesh and blood, which proves his selfishness, similar to the biblical reference of the serpent. The ghost goes on to say, “With witchcraft of his wits, with traitorous gifts… So to seduce! -- won to his shameful lust.” This further emphasizes the reference to Adam and Eve because Claudius acted as the serpent that tempted Eve with the poisonous fruits in the Garden of Eden, the “orchard,” to “win his shameful lust.” By expressing diction to metaphorically relate Claudius to the serpent, it helps align the reader with Hamlet and the Ghost in their contempt for Claudius and the Queen and heightens the reader’s sense of vengeance. Furthermore, in the passage, Shakespeare applies imagery to show Hamlet and the ghost's abhorrence towards Claudius and the Queen's corrupt nature. 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.
Another reason would be to show how Penelope is loyal to Odysseus while he’s away for so long, it shows how the women were loyal to their men if they loved him. It makes the audience/reader wonder whether Odysseus will be loyal while he is away. She could’ve be mischievous but she isn’t because this was expected of her to her be loyal, however Agamemnon’s wife was not faithful when he was away and killed Agamemnon, this story is shown to show the reader Penelope is a good character and Odysseus must be special and the love of her life if she’s been so loyal. You can see how Odysseus is the head of the house (Kyrios) and should control Xenia but because he is not in the home, the suitors take control. Another reason would be to show display crime and punishment.
Hamlet – a 'noble' man? ACT 1 • GOOD Inspires devotion in his friends and subjects – Horatio & Marcellus follow Hamlet & are determined to protect him. BAD “I have that within which passes show, these but the trappings & the suits of woe” • Loyalty to his father's memory • Disgust at his mother & uncle's immorality “a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer” /// “oh most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets” • Remains respectful to Gertrude “I shall in all my best obey you madam” /// “It is not nor it cannot come to good, but break my heart for I must hold my tongue” [1st soliloquy – scene 2] • Certain that evil does not go unpunished on this earth “Foul deeds will rise, though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes” “My lord he hath importuned me with love in honourable fashion” [Ophelia to Polonius] • Love for Ophelia is pure “It is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance” • Disapproves of excessive drinking • Brave: willing to risk God's wrath to speak to his father one more time “I'll speak to it though hell itself should gape and bid me hold my peace” Is this evidence that Hamlet is good? Already we see that it is possible to corrupt Hamlet – he will risk doing the 'wrong' thing if it means easing his grief & psychological suffering. His actions in speaking to the ghost show extreme bravery (it could be the devil in disguise) but also a disregard for his own safety because he is already experiencing suicidal despair “I do not set my life at a pin's fee” and does not care if he lives or dies.
Fire imagery embodies Romeo’s rash anger after the death of his friend Mercutio, “And fiery-eyed fury by my conduct now! Now Tybalt, take the ‘villain’ back again ” (3.1.124-125). Romeo’s fury and thirst for revenge clouds his reason, he breaks the peace set by the Prince by killing Tybalt. The consequence for his blind rage will be banishment, and to Romeo this fate is worse than death. Later in the play, Friar Lawrence says to Romeo, “Like powder in a skilless soldier's flask, Is set afire by thine own ignorance, And thou dismembered with thine own defence” (3.3.132).
“The man that goes around with you seems hateful to me through and through: in all my life there’s not a thing that gave my heart as sharp a sting as his repulsive eyes” (Goethe 753). Since it is believed that the eyes are the windows to the soul, Gretchen, whom is good natured, is able to see the evil soul of Mephistopheles. After being seduced by Faust with the help of Mephistopheles, Gretchen accidentally kills her mother, gets pregnant, witnesses her brother’s death at the hands of Faust and Mephistopheles and drowns her newborn baby. She is then imprisoned and sentenced to the death penalty. These digressions lead her away from the righteous path of God.
We find out that it was Claudius who killed King Hamlet and stole his crown and his wife. He killed the King by pouring the poisonous “juice of cursed hebona” into his ear. The poison would have invaded his body as “swift as a quicksilver it courses through the natural gates and alleys of the body”. In a sense, the poison used by Claudius to kill the King can be interpreted in a way that it spreads throughout the entire country of Denmark, therefore causing it to “rot”. The image of rotting along with the sense of released odour permeating far and wide symbolises the infectious mass of sin.
While contemplating his plan, he says, “That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it; / That she loves him, ‘tis apt and of great credit: / The Moor, howbeit that I endure him not, / Is of a constant, loving, noble nature; / And I dare think he’ll prove to Desdemona/ A most dear husband. Now, I do love her too…“ (II.i.294-299). “Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me…” (II.i.316). These lines show that Iago’s plan is based on unresolved feelings about love that even he is not aware of fully. Iago’s desires for other men have never been admitted into existence as Iago himself worked hard not to as seen in this quote from Act I scene 3 “Virtue?
Othello Literary Essay William Shakespeare’s play Othello, showcases one of the most evil villains in literature: the manipulative and dishonest Iago. I will show how Iago is trusted and loved by many because he displays an outward show of loyalty and honestly yet in reality he has an ulterior motive of evil and destruction. Through his devilish ways, he gains control over Brabantio, Roderigo and Othello. Iago is the epitome of a narcissist and he brilliantly manoeuvres his victims in order to take control over all those around him. They become victims as they mindlessly follow him.
Both the Capulets and Montagues love their family and also revere the family name, feeling great pride and honour towards the family tradition. Tybalt, a bravado and one of the Capulets, loves his family and hates the Montagues so much that he is willing to stop at nothing to get his way. Tybalt states, “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues and thee.” Shakespeare uses exaggeration and a paradox, as peace and hate are not in any way associated. This quotation shows how blinded by hate Tybalt is, and yet at the same time it is love which blinds him and causes him to do impulsive acts, such as killing Mercutio.
Cordelia takes on this role by unconditionally loving her father and furthermore forgiving Lear for banishing her, which is seen when she says “No cause, no cause.” (4.7). Edgar takes on a similar role by forgiving his father for going against him when he was tricked by Edmund and taking care of Gloucester in his blindness at the end of the play. The other characters, however, give into temptation and sin more frequently. Pride, for example, is a prominent sin that affects many characters, Lear being a prime example. Lear's pride keeps him from listening to the advice of Kent, the king's most loyal follower, after he banishes Cordelia and admitting he may have been wrong.