‘Titus Andronicus is as much a political tragedy to do with the failed moral idealism of the hero’s idea of Rome as it is a domestic one about what happens to him and his family.’ Discuss. In his play, Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare portrays the situation around the downfall of Rome. He uses one family’s tragedy as a means of displaying the political turmoil and corruption of the Roman Empire. The play focuses on the family of Titus Andronicus, a famed Roman military leader. The conflict of the play begins during a struggle for the throne, which at its end only begets a period of corruption and betrayal.
Romulus became the prominent figure of the beginnings of Roman history when he killed the tyrant Amulius, and with the help of his brother, Remus, allowed his grandfather Numitor to seize the throne of the ancient kingdom of Alba once again. Both brothers decided to build cities in the areas in which they had been raised as kinds. Livy says, “But at this point…developed and ugly fight” (Livy 1.3-5, pg. 10) which means that their family curse lead to an “ugly fight” and this was considered as being immoral because of the use of the word “ugly”. With this phrase, Livy foreshadows the events that followed this “ugly fight” between Romulus and Remus.
As a political power, the sources depict to us that Tiberius had failed to please the people of the Roman Empire. The ancient sources establish Tiberius as a tyrannical and sadistic leader whom according to Suetonius “broke out in every sort of cruelty” whose “malevolence was completely concealed” (Tacitus). Reasons proposed as to why this was the case are accounted for in both ancient and modern sources.
The struggle to act upon his father’s murder is a key factor in Hamlet’s disillusionment with the world. The Elizabethan period was a time that demanded revenge and this is even true in our present time to some extent. An eye for an eye approach was considered socially correct which Hamlet initially suggests ‘May sweep to my revenge’. Since Claudius has become the new king, he is considered a false king and imposter to the throne by Hamlet and this leads to the collapse of the natural hierachy that was in place. He states ‘tis an unweeded garden’ alluding to the fact that a false king leads to corruption which finally leads to the collapse of the hierarchy.
Betrayal in Julius Caesar Breaking the trust or promise of someone who trusts you is considered betrayal. William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar tells of many betrayals between many of the characters, including the main character, Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar is eventually betrayed to the point where he is killed by his best friend In Julius Caesar betrayal is the main support for the book and what the book as a whole is written around. The first example of betrayal in Julius Caesar is in act 1 scene 2 when Brutus says the only way to restore Rome to its former glory is to kill Caesar. This is a perfect example of betrayal and probably one of the most important examples in the whole play.
A Doll's House, a Tragedy? A tragedy, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, is a play that has a melancholic ending that concerns the downfall of the main character. Aristotle defined it as “[A play] with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions... Every tragedy therefore must have... Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, [and] Melody.” Famous tragedies include Julius Caesar and Macbeth. A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, cannot be considered a tragedy because although it meets some of the requirements of Aristotle's definition, it does not fit the complete profile of this literary style.
Was Macbeth’s decline and death his own fault? In the play “Macbeth”, written by William Shakespeare, we notice that Macbeth’s decline and his death is the result of his own fault. Macbeth is one of the main characters in the play, he transforms from being a war-hero to becoming a vicious murder. The arguments that support this statement to be true are: Macbeth’s ambition, the killings of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family and finally Macduff’s revenge. Firstly, Macbeth’s decline and death is his own fault because of his ambition.
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.
When the law is taken into the hands of each individual the people live in a state of lawlessness. Lawlessness and cycles of revenge undermine the civilization. This is Aeschylus’s main theme in his play Agamemnon. Aeschylus shows his attitude against war many times throughout his play when he makes references to lawlessness and cycles of revenge that cause unnecessary bloodshed. In Agamemnon, Aeschylus uses his characters to express his political opinion on war.
The Tragic Demise of Hamlet A tragedy is an austere drama with an unpleasant outcome. Every Shakespearean tragedy results in the demise of the protagonist. In the tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet’s personality traits and decisions ultimately cause his own, tragic decease. Shakespeare illustrates that Hamlet’s actions of procrastination are the main cause of his death. The personality traits of insanity and intellectuality also contribute greatly to the death of Hamlet.