Hamlet And The Theories Of Tragedy

Hamlet And The Theories Of Tragedy Shakespeares Hamlet includes various theories and elements of tragedy, of which two will be discussed in this essay. Shakespeare addresses Aristotles theory of tragedy, but he challenges the theory in many aspects through setting, plot, and character. Shakespeare seems to heavily incorporate the wheel of fortune theory of tragedy, mostly through the character Hamlet. Aristotle, who is concerned with formal presentation of tragic plays, defines tragedy as: a representation of an action that is worth serious attention, complete in itself, and of some amplitude; in language enriched by a variety of artistic devices appropriate to the several parts of the play; presented in the form of action, not narration; by means of pity and fear bringing about the purgation of such emotion. (Aristotle 38 9) Shakespeare employs character and plot in order to create an atmosphere that is unsettling and dark, which instead of conjuring fear and pity instead sets up an atmosphere rank with revenge. In this way, Hamlet does not follow Aristotles definition of tragedy. Another of the ways Aristotle characterizes tragedy is through The noble actions and the doings of noble persons (Aristotle 35). According to Aristotle, Hamlet should be a noble person committing noble actions. This is best represented in the scene where Hamlet refuses to kill Claudius during prayer. T his becomes the turning point for Hamlet, where he truly becomes an ignoble person, saying he wants Claudius Soul may be damned and black/ As hell, whereto it goes. Hamlet truly wants Claudius to suffer in the worst possible manner, and in doing so Hamlet falls from nobility. Aristotle also believed heroes are First and foremost good (Aristotle 51). Hamlet does contemplate good and evil frequently, but ultimately Hamlet fall from the path of goodness. Fortinbras may have been the kind of hero Aristotle characterizes, but Fortinbras is not a tragic character. The plot events with which Aristotle disagrees give meaning to Hamlets theme. Shakespeare intentionally portrays many characters unheroic. For example, Hamlet does not treat Ophelia well, but at the same time Ophelias unwavering loyalty to her father causes her to treat Hamlet badly. Both characters invoke disgust from the reader from their ignoble actions. The only characters who act somewhat heroic are Horatio and Fortinbras. Interestingly, these are the only two characters who survive, so Shakespeare may be making some kind of commentary on Aristotles tragic hero. Another theory of tragedy has to do with the wheel of fortune. This kind of Tragedy was perceived as a reversal of fortune, a fall from a high position. This view of tragedy derives from the Medieval concept of fortune, which was personified as Dame Fortune, a blindfolded woman who turned a wheel at whim; men were stationed at various places on the wheelthe top of the wheel represented the best fortune, being under the wheel the worst fortune. However, the wheel could turn suddenly and the man on top could suddenly be under the wheel, without warning. (Landmarks of Literature) There are many instances where Shakespeare incorporates these elements of tragedy into Hamlet. At the beginning of the play, Horatio cries out to the Ghost, Speak to me: If thou art privy to thy countrys fate, / Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid, / O, speak! Horatios outburst suggests that fate isnt inevitable, but earlier Horatio indicates that the Ghost is a bad omen, just like in Rome before the mightiest Julius fell and the graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead/ Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets. Horatios conception of fate embodies the fate of the the entire country, not the individual. In response to a comment about how mens faults can ruin reputations, Hamlet responds by saying, Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect/ Being natures livery or fortunes star/ Their virtues else- be they pure as grace/ As infinite as man may undergo/ Shall in the general censure take corruption/ From that particular fault. Hamlet establishes his view of fate and bad character with this claim; he thinks you are either born with bad qualities or you acquire them through the environment (through no device of your own), but its not something that a person is in control of; rather it is something that simply happens to a person, and there is no way to avoid it. Later in this scene Hamlet exclaims, My fate cries out, / And makes each petty artery in this body / As hardy as the Nemean lions nerve. Hamlet believes it is his fate to follow the ghost, and because it is his fate he is given the strength and vigor with which to do it. Hamlet asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern how they are, and Guildenstern answers, Happy, in that we are not over-happy, on fortunes cap we are not the very button. This is a joke that implies that Guildenstern and Rosencrantz live in Fortunes privates; This joke implies that Fortune is a whore. Later in the same scene, the idea that Fortune is a whore comes up again in a more serious tone. During a play, Hamlet asks the First Player to recite the piece of the death of Priam. Afterwards, the player comments: Out, out, thou strumpet, Fortune! All you gods, In general synod take away her power; Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel, And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven, As low as to the fiends! (2.2.493-497) The player is asking the gods to break Fortunes wheel and roll her down to hell. The idea is that our destinies are merely random, when people try to climb on top of the wheel it may simply move and the person on top becomes the one being crushed by the wheel. The First Players speech calls for a fate ruled by something other than Fortune. Hamlets third soliloquy suggests that fortune is simply out to hurt you and questioning whether it is even worth it to challenge the wheel of fortune: To be, or not to be: that is the question: / Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them? Before the play The Murder of Gonzago, Hamlet stands alone with Horatio and commends him as A man that Fortunes buffets and rewards / Hast taen with equal thanks. Hamlet goes on to praise Horatio for not becoming a pipe for Fortunes finger to play; Hamlet appears envious of Horatio, praising him for a quality that Hamlet himself lacks. Hamlet sees himself as passions slave, a person who cannot maintain a stable identity or sense of self. In The Murder of Gonzago the Player King tells his wife that he hopes when he dies she will find a good man and remarry. The wife promises vehemently she will not find another husband after his death, to which the king responds: This world is not for aye, nor tis not strange / That even our loves should with our fortunes change. The king points out that a man who has been favored by fortune could just as easily lose his fortune, and with it his friends, money, wife, etc. The king doesnt address it as though it is something to be deplored, but simply the way of life and something that needs to be accepted, because Our wills and fates do so contrary run / That our devices still are overthrown; / Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own. In the end, the king is right, and the wife quickly remarries after the kings death. After Polonius has been stabbed, Hamlet says to the body, take thy fortune; / Thou findst to be too busy is some danger. Hamlet believes Polonius fortune was not simply bad luck; Hamlet believes Polonius brought his own bad luck upon himself and had earned his own death. Later in the same scene, Hamlet says, For this same lord, / I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so, / To punish me with this and this with me, / That I must be their scourge and minister. According to this view of things, Polonius death is not an accident at all, but part of a divine plan. In the last scene of the play, Hamlet writes to Horatio about how he found his own death warrant. Hamlet said he was sneaking around and told Horatio, let us know, / Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, / When our deep plots do pall: and that should teach us / Theres a divinity that shapes our ends, / Rough-hew them how we will. Hamlet suggests that even though something may look random it could be part of a plan that will turn out for the better. Then, later, Hamlet repeats the concept; Horatio asks how Hamlet could have possibly sealed a new warrant with the kings seal. Hamlet replies, Why, even in that was heaven ordinant and explains that Hamlet had his fathers signet by chance and used it to make the seal. Even later in the scene, right before the final fencing duel, Hamlet says that everything is ill in his heart. He doesnt hint that this feeling is prophetic of his own death in any way, but when Horatio offers to call off the fencing match, Hamlet speaks as though he kno ws hes about to die: Not a whit, we defy augury: theres a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he leaves, what ist to leave betimes? Let be. In another view of this revenge tragedy, Hamlet is the player of a Senecan tragedy. He is involved in a sensational murder scene, commanded by a Senecan ghost desiring revenge, and after hampered by court intrigue, resorts to feigned madness. Since apparitions are known to tell half-truths to deceive people, Hamlet is given instruction without a resolute plan. For majority of the play, he acts with passion and indecision and he proceeds with the ghosts wishes as his adversary allows. And, for the most part, only Claudius, Hamlet, and Horatio know the action of revenge. (Landmarks of Literature) Word Count: 1837

River Phoenix - My Favorite Famous Person :: essays research papers

Do you like to see the movies? Do you know the most handsome boy in Hollywood? Though the handsome boy that everyone thinks can be different , I think that River Phoenix is the movie star who is just the right man who sparkled in Hollywood even if he doesn’t exist in this world and there are a large number of actors and they appear in the future. Why he is famous is because of his too early death and because he played brilliant roles in many movies for his short life. When I saw his movie for the first time, I’ve got crush on him. I think that he had something special which appeal to us. At first, his background is interesting. He was born on August 23, 1970 in a small house in Oregon. He was firstborn child of five children. During his childhood, his parents joined a cult known as the children of God and traveled extensively until when they heard disturbing news about the leader. Since then, as they weren’t protected by the church any more and were in a desperate struggle to make ends meet, River, at age five, often sang and played music in the streets to earn the money. In the early morning of October 31, 1993, River took a lethal dose of a mix of drugs and died on the sidewalk outside. He was only 23 years old. Second, he achieved success in many movies and received many awards. At the age of 10, he started to play on TV shows and his first appearing in film is â€Å"Explorers† in 1985. The next movie which is most famous of his movies and led him to be a star is â€Å"Stand By Me†. The story is about four boys’ journey to find the body missing. He was cast as Chris Chambers. He got a lot of acclaim for his acting and the movie was the hit of the year. Through this movie, everyone knew that he would be one of the best actors of his generation. In closing, I believe that he is still one of the best actors and the most attractive actor because he left the fabulous movies and there are many fans who are fascinated with him.

Overcoming Personal Challenge Essay

When someone has a personal challenge, it makes it difficult at times to achieve success. It is not always easy for me to achieve success in life because I have a mild form of autism known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s Syndrome affects many areas of my life. First, it affects my ability to learn, making success in school a struggle. Next, Asperger’s interferes with the ability to understand social situations, making success at work difficult. In addition, this disability affects the ability to communicate with others in personal relationships. I feel I have overcome many of the difficulties associated with my disability and have already achieved success in many areas of my life. One area that Asperger’s Syndrome affects for me is learning. Although I have a photographic memory and superb mathematical skills, abstract ideas are difficult for me. I taught myself to read at three years old, but I did not always understand what I was reading. Writing was difficult for two reasons. First, the physical act of writing was difficult due to fine motor skill deficits that made handwriting and printing hard. Using a keyboard eliminates this problem. Second, Asperger’s Syndrome affects expressive language, so expressing ideas has been a struggle. I read a story and understand the facts, but the â€Å"big idea† often eludes me. Despite these learning disabilities, I graduated in the top fifteen percent of my high school class, a member of the National Honor Society, and received the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship for Advanced and Proficient MCAS scores. In addition to learning, work is not always easy for me, and I have to try harder than most employees. I am a part-time cashier at Stop-and-Shop where I interact with customers and colleagues. Asperger’s’ affects the ability to understand social cues and acquire social skills such as being able to read body language, and start or maintain conversations. I may appear to lack empathy, to misunderstand and confuse jokes, and to take sarcasm literally. This often makes work a struggle. Some people may not understand my social awkwardness, despite the fact that I’m trying my hardest to communicate with them. My social disability, however, has not  prevented me from succeeding at work for the past year and one half. In addition to a learning disability and difficulty in the working world, social relationships are not easy for me. Asperger’s interferes with the ability to take others’ perspective and have empathy. Without empathy and perspective taking skills, it’s very hard to carry on a conversation. Conversation is one of the main things that make relationships and emotional connections possible. Sometimes conversation seems like a meaningless, confusing ritual. I am still struggling with the ability to make and keep friendships. It will be a life-long effort to make and maintain more friendships. Achieving success when one has a personal challenge can be difficult. Asperger’s syndrome has presented me with significant educational, professional, and personal challenges. With determination and perseverance, I have managed to overcome many of my difficulties and achieved success at school, work, and socially. I live by the words of Liberace: â€Å"Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself.†

Math 533 Part B - 1210 Words

PROJECT PART B: Hypothesis Testing and Confidence Intervals Math-533 Applied Managerial Statistics Prof. Jeffrey Frakes December 8, 2014 Jared D Stock A.) The average (mean) annual income was greater than $45,000 Null Hypothesis: The average (mean) annual income is greater than or equal to $45,000. Ho: u $45,000 Alternative Hypothesis: The average (mean) annual income was less than $45,000 Ha: u $45,000 I will use a = .05 as the significance level, and observing the sample size of n 30 which tells me I need to use a Z-Test to find the mean of this test and the hypothesis. As the alternative hypothesis is Ha: u $45,000, the given test is a one-tailed Z-Test. The critical value for the†¦show more content†¦Ho: u 8 Alternate Hypothesis: The average (mean) number of years lived in the current home is greater than 8 years. Ha: u 8 I will utilize, ÃŽ ±=0.05. Because the sample size is less than 30, a Z-Test will be utilized to find the mean of the hypothesis. As the alternative hypothesis is Ha: u 8, the given test is a one-tailed Z-Test. The critical value for significance level, ÃŽ ±=0.05 for a lower-tailed z-test is given as 1.645. Decision Rule: Reject null hypothesis z 1.645 Test Statistic from Minitab: One-Sample Z: Years Test of mu = 8, 8 The proposed standard deviation = 4.4855 95% Upper Variable N Mean StDev SE Mean Bound Z P Years 50 12.380 4.4855 0.722 8.557 2.52 0.006 Summary Since the value of the test statistic is in the critical region, I am rejecting the null hypothesis. Therefore, I can conclude the data gives enough evidence to show the null hypothesis is false. I can say with 95% confidence or 5% significance the claim, the average (mean) number of years lived in the current home is greater than 8 years, is true. So the p-value for this test is 0.006. Which is smaller than the significance level 0.05, as a result I am rejecting the null hypothesis based on the p-value approach as well. 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