After the audience becomes aware of this, and Edmund’s duplicitous plotting, the audience loses all sympathy for the main antagonist of the subplot in King Lear. The loyal, earnest Edmund presented to Gloucester and Kent in Act 1 Scene 1 is a stark contrast to the scheming, bitter Edmund seen alone for the first time in the beginning of Act 1 Scene 2. His first soliloquy begins with Edmund asking why he should not take it upon himself to better his societal standing. The only things standing in his way are societal conventions and complicated laws. He has faith that, with masterful planning, he can overcome the barriers society has set up for him, and take what he believes to be rightfully his: land, money, and power.
The death of one’s father and a ghostly visitation thereafter are events that would challenge the sanity of anyone. The circumstances of King Hamlet’s death render it especially traumatic. The late King seemed to be an idol to his son; Hamlet looked up to him and aspired to have the same qualities. Hamlet doesn't like King Claudius and sees him as a swindling usurper who has stolen not only the dead King’s throne, but Hamlet’s as well(2.4). Hamlet shows Gertrude that she has lowered her standards by marrying Claudius, When he refers to old Hamlet as, “A combination and a form indeed / Where every god did seem to set his seal” (3.4.55-61).
Who do you consider is most responsible for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet? Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet all ends in a terrible tragedy, however there has to be someone to blame for this, but who? I strongly believe that Friar Lawrence is responsible for the tragedy. The main reasons why I think he is to blame is because he married Romeo and Juliet without anyone’s permission; he also helped them to have a secret night together; gave Juliet a dangerous potion; faked her funeral breaking the hearts of her family and he continued abusing the use of confession throughout the play. The most disgraceful thing is that he is a man of god and he committed all of these horrendous sins!
Anyone else would get their head cut off. <br> <br> The fool can also be compared to a Greek chorus. The fool acts as a commentator or a third party who states the obvious truth about the King that no one else dares say. The fool increases the sense of tragedy by restating the King’s conflict. For example, in Act I Scene IV he says “Why this fellow (indicating the King) has alienated his two daughters and done the third one a blessing without intending toâ€.
Creon states that he is not interested in being king as he is contented with his present position of wealth and power. The final example of verbal irony in Oedipus is when Oedipus ridicules Tiresias for his blindness but Oedipus is also a sightless, witless and senseless man to the truth of his own actions. The situational irony in Oedipus Rex is something a little harder to spot when first reading this play. The first example of situational irony is not in the play but it is an event that is talked about throughout; Oedipus killing his father, Laius without knowing that it is his father. Another example is the plague striking the city as punishment for incest.
Hamlet’s uses antic disposition as a tactic to uncover the truth behind his father’s death which leads the reader into believing that Hamlet is truly insane. However, the truth of it all is that it is an act of foolishness to distract others into believing that he is mentally ill. Through the use of character Hamlet proves himself as a strategic thinker by congregating solid evidence that is pointing towards Claudius being guilty of performing an act of violence. Hamlet begins to question the presence of the ghost as he states, “The spirit that I have seen/ May be the devil: and the devil hath power/ To assume a pleasing shape” (II, ii, 596-597). The act of logical thinking demonstrates that Hamlet did not act hastily and commit a sin after witnessing his father’s spirit.
Hamlet also knew that he could not tell anyone that Claudius has murdered his father or that he had seen the ghost of his father because no one would believe him. Throughout the play Hamlet expresses his “madness” an example would be when he meets Ophelia in the court. In the beginning of their conversation he tells her that he once loved her but then is also confused saying that he didn’t love her at all. This is due to the fact that he sees woman as deceivers because of his mother’s relationship with his uncle. When Hamlet discovers that Polonius and the King are hiding nearby he explodes in a fit of rage, violently attacking her verbally and physically almost like a mad person would.
He also seems to be more self-abusive in his expressions, "Why, what an ass am I!" (2:2:553). Hamlet's deep depression is expressed through his comparison of himself to the lowest and most worthless things he can think of. However, in the Act IV soliloquy, Hamlet uses logic to reason his delay in killing Claudius, "How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge!" (4:4:32).
For the first half of the play, the fool acts as Lear's window to knowledge. He displays blatant honesty, rightfully criticising Lear for his ill-advised deeds of giving away his land without proper consideration. “To give away thy land, come place him here by me. Do thou for him and stand, the sweet a bitter fool will presently appear. (1.4.125) He further criticises Lear by saying “all thy other title hath given away; that thou wast born with.” Despite being Lear’s servant, Lear listens to him; he recognises that he is one of the very few sources the king gains wisdom from.
Unlike Hamlet, Laertes is ablaze with motivation and action, and says that he will throw “conscience and grace to the profoundest pit” (4.5. 132). Laertes is very shallow and Hamlet is a genius in comparison. Yet, it is his intelligence and tendency to overthink and not act which is Hamlet’s problem. When Laertes learns of his father’s death he immediately assumes it was Claudius.