Hamlet
Introductory Notes
There are three major forms of
Shakespearian drama:
1. Tragedy: this form of drama involves a
serious moral struggle by the protagonist
(“tragic hero”) who is doomed by
Fate
overwhelming circumstances; the
actions of others
A personal flaw (“tragic flaw”)
Tragedy…
• Aristotle’s precept :
• the protagonist must be an admirable but flawed
• the audience able to understand and sympathize
with the character.
• capable of both good and evil.
• Shakespeare always insists on the operation of
the doctrine of free will; the (anti)hero is always
able to back out, to redeem himself-- but, they
move unheedingly to their doom.
3 forms of drama cont…
• 2. Comedy: from Real to Ideal
in its Elizabethan usage, had a very different
meaning from modern comedy. A
Shakespearean comedy is one that has a
happy ending, usually involving marriages
between the unmarried characters, and a tone
and style that is more light-hearted than
Shakespeare's other plays.
The Histories (Politics)
• Shakespeare wrote about the lives of English
kings in this collection. Some include:
• King John
• Richard III
• The “Henry’s”
Drama Term:
foil
• A foil is a character who sets off another
character by contrast.
• Shakespeare used this drama technique to
heighten the contrasts between characters.
• Ex: Lady Capulet and the Nurse
• Young Hamlet and Young Fortinbras
Drama Term:
protagonist
• The protagonist of a drama (or in literature) is
the primary or main character.
• In a Shakespearean tragedy, the protagonist is
called the “tragic hero”
• Tragic heroes are neither all good, nor all bad.
They have both traits—like all of us.
Drama Term:
antagonist
• The antagonist in a drama (or work of
literature) is the counterpart to the main
character and the source of a story’s main
conflict. The person may not be “bad” or
“evil” but he/she opposes the protagonist in a
significant way.
The Play’s the Thing!
• Most Shakespearean plays typically follow a traditional plot
line and development and contain 5 Acts.
• Act I: Exposition--introduces background information; sets
up the conflict
• Act II: Conflict and rising action; subplots are also
introduced as are more characters.
• Act III: Climax—the turning point in the story at which the
end result becomes inevitable, usually where something
suddenly goes terribly wrong; the dramatic high point.
• Act IV: Falling Action– here the subplots being to
be resolved
• Act V: Resolution—this final act brings together
all of the plot strands and characters. Any
mysteries are solved or revealed. In a tragedy, it
usually ends with lots of people dying. In a
comedy, there is usually a wedding! Shakespeare
likes to have servants or minor characters reveal
all at the end.
Starting/Ending
Discord to Harmony
• Shakespeare usually starts his play out with a
fight scene or chaos of some sort (remember the
opening scene, Act I of Romeo and Juliet?)
• He almost always ends things, though, with
harmony being achieved. The characters learn
their lessons, as do the audience members.
Mysteries are resolved. The kingdom will go on
with a rightful (or at least, good, ruler). All that
was wrong will be set right and made good again
for those who remain.
The Divine Right of Kings
• This concept was popular in the time of
Shakespeare (also called the “Elizabethan Era”
or the “Renaissance”). Commoners believed
that it was God who ordained the king or
queen. If the proper monarch was on the
throne, all was well. If the wrong monarch is
in charge, all kinds of things go badly in the
kingdom! (“Something's rotten in the State of
Denmark…”)
Love that Latin!
“cide”
• The Latin root “cide” means “to kill”
Define the following terms based on their Latin roots:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
homicide (homo=“human being” or “person” from homo sapien)
suicide (sui=_____________________)
regicide (regent= _________________)
genocide (genus= _________________)
fratricide (fraternity= ______________)
sororicide (sorority= _______________)
matricide (mater=_________________)
patricide (pater=__________________)
filicide (fili=______________________)
Insecticide, pesticide, herbicide, what others can you think of?
Claudius
• Claudius is the evil uncle in Hamlet. Like Scar
in Disney’s The Lion King, he kills his brother
(Hamlet Sr.—the rightful King of Denmark) to
take his throne and marry his wife.
• What three “cide’s” would Claudius be guilty
of committing?