Therefore, Shakespeare attempts to intermix archetypes long before Carl Jung discovered and noted these aspects as well as enrich them with more layered struggles, as in the case with Goneril and Regan. The pair not only exhibits the behavior of typical temptresses, but also blends a sibling rivalry as they compete for Edmund’s adoration. Shakespeare also twists the Fool’s original archetype(the comic relief) and turns him into Lear 's loyal friend. Shakespeare turned an old tale with a happy resolution into a solemn tragedy that explores complex human themes that defy perceptions of moral upcomings. Ian McKellen said in an interview on the PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered that “King Lear is neither good nor bad, he is simply a man”(10:24).…
King Lear is played by his own two daughters who plot against him secretly. Gloucester A loyal man to King Lear also has several injustices done to him by his son Edmund. Edmund has a plan to ruin his fathers reputation inheriting his land and power. The driving force of this play is injustice. This leads to the development of the tragic tone of the play and identity of the characters.…
What is Iago’s true personality? In Othello, by William Shakespeare, Iago is hateful, logical and insecure. He is also manipulative, deceptive, and two-faced. These traits are exemplified in the text, especially, in his soliloquies. Soliloquies are the character’s inner thoughts and they reveal the truth because the character has no need to deceive himself.…
A villain does not need powers to appear cruel and vicious. A villain who knows how to manipulate people with the power of words is a true villain. In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, a man named Iago is fueled with revenge toward a soldier named Othello for not assigning him the position of lieutenant. In order for Iago to obtain this position, he carefully chooses his words to let others be part of his plan without their knowledge of it. Iago lies, shades the truth, and raises doubt to deceive Roderigo and Cassio that ultimately leads to the downfall of Othello.…
Shakespeare romanticizes revenge in the play Hamlet. However, he makes it clear that revenge is the most destructive to the person pursuing it, turning the victim into the villain and causing the loss of their identity. We see this Hamlet’s journey to avenge his…
Imagine an arrogant king of England who plays the game “Who loves me the most?” with his three daughters. This unconventional contest will decide which daughter will receive the largest portion of land from his kingdom. Two of the daughters exaggerate their love for him, but one chooses to remain silent. Little did the king know that he would lose his power due to this competition.…
Revenge in Shakespeare’s Hamlet William Shakespeare 's, Hamlet, is one of the greatest tragedies ever written. Applying Aristotle 's view of a tragedy, Shakespeare creates an ideal tragic hero through his main character, Hamlet. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must be of a high stature, possess a tragic flaw, and this flaw must ultimately lead to their own downfall. These characteristics of an Aristotelian tragic hero are all present within the protagonist, Hamlet. Hamlet is a prince, thus having a high position within society.…
Revenge consumes individuals from the inside out; it causes them to make rash decisions, and causes them to rely more on emotions than thought. This essentially leads people to act recklessly. A foil is a character whose personality and attitude is opposite of the personality and attitude of another character. In the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, young Fortinbras as well as Laertes are the foils of Hamlet; Hamlet’s actions, personality and attitude are very different and very opposing to those of Young Fortinbras and Laertes. While Hamlet plans out his revenge but never acts upon it, both Fortinbras and Laertes act upon revenge at any opportune moment.…
The play Hamlet, one of the finest revenge tragedies of its time was written in 1601 by William Shakespeare. The play became and remains a sensation in literature to this day. A large part of what sparked all the interest was the depth and complexities within Shakespeare’s characters, particularly the villains. It called into question however whether the villains were even truly villains at all or rather just the result of an unfortunate play of events leading them into their villainous act. Is a villain merely the illusion of a one-sided point of view?…
Cordelia who was not known to express her feelings because she hated extend in the words, despite the deep love that the Secretary has hidden to her father and her country. It was Cordelia ridiculous reply, stupid awareness, such as Ophelia in Hamlet, although knowledge of corruption, subtle and lied sisters, they did not provide the challenge and resistance, for its part, and the duty of pious to confront the forces of corruption and thwart his plans and revealed his lies. Colderidge has committed on beheviour of Cordelia ' There is something of disgust at the ruthless hypocrisy of her sisters, and some little fault of pride and sullenness in her'.(MecDonald,2004:28). As well as, the true love crushed by two Machiavellian sisters of Cordelia.…
Claire Sullivan Mrs. Visteen English IV September 12th, 2015 Villains According to Miriam Webster's dictionary, a villain is a person who does bad things. In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, Iago is considered a villain. Iago is a terrible person because he never tells the truth. Throughout the play, Iago creates a web of treachery that eventually shatters in the end.…
Shakespeare illustrates a variety of themes, ideas, and concepts throughout all his works. These ideas are human tendencies and emotions that can be understood by anyone around the world. Revenge is one idea portrayed in many plays as a conscious feeling no character can overcome. There are different types of revenge and Shakespeare makes sure not to leave any unseen in his works. An act of revenge can be carried out in a way Hamlet 's reaction in the wake of learning of his dad 's murder are of a prompt, savage retribution upon Claudius.…
While every Shakespeare play claims to be the one with Shakespeare's greatest villain, scholars contend that the choice is between Iago of Othello and Lady Macbeth of Macbeth. While neither can difinitively claim the prestigious title, both are clever, manipulative, greedy villains who will do anything to further their ends and destroy their story’s protagonist. Iago’s idea of revenge is destroying Othello and causing him the very grief which Iago himself feels. Lady Macbeth’s power hungry scheme to make herself queen ends up killing everyone she loves, especially herself. Both characters fill the archetype of the Shakespearean villain, characters with enormous capabilities to do heinous crimes, know not only for their evil natures but also…
To Kill or Not to Kill One of the best things and key components in a play are the characters, a good antagonist can make a great or almost perfect piece of literature. William Shakespeare is a master at crafting all kinds of characters especially in his tragic play Hamlet. A young prince has his life turned around by the actions of his selfish murderous uncle. The uncle goes to great unimaginable lengths to get what he desires the most. The worst “bad guy” in the play Hamlet is King Cladius, the uncle of Hamlet.…
He is a Jew surrounded by Christians who chastise him for being who he is. This is probably why he is so villainous; he is hurt inside and getting revenge is his way of healing his pain. It is possible that Shakespeare is trying to teach his readers that hatred simply leads to more hatred and so, the world would be a better place without…