Hamlet was written in 1601, when the Elizabethan government was about to be relieved by the reign of James I. In 1602 was recorded in the Stationer's Register with the notation of being represented by the Chamberlain's Men. Hamlet was published in "room" in 1603 and 1604 successively. The version of the second quarter, considerably longer in length than the first, is that taken as a basis for printing in the "First Folio" of 1623.
The England of that era was characterized by a society that questioned herself, full of crises and conflicts. Despite the current economic expansion (London became a commercial and financial center very important) and the huge opening of new currents of thought, the contradictions were evident in all areas of English life. Importantly, the issue moral, philosophical and spiritual Shakespeare Theatre is deeply rooted in this reality everyday.
SOURCES. The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is based on an old Norse legend transmitted by chronic and sagas, who come to Shakespeare through probably from an ancient lost to Thomas Kyd, in turn inspired Tragiques Histoires, French Belleforest.
Although most of the literary sources are inspiring revenge tragedy Hamlet, Shakespeare renovated and became the archetypal elements of this kind, bringing a depth and richness that goes far beyond this simple cataloging.
STRUCTURE. Hamlet is a tragedy in five acts of different lengths, whose main activities are distributed as follows:
1. Denmark presents a corrupt and regicide. Spectrum appears and cries out for vengeance
2. Hamlet tries to discover the truth about the death of his father.
3. Hamlet exposes Claudius through the representation of the play.
4. Is Claudius, and Hamlet does not, who takes over the conflict.
5. Revenge is consumed and justice is restored. Die all involved and is only to tell the facts Horacio occurred.
Parliaments are in iambic pentameter of blank verse and prose dialogues. Pronounce seven soliloquies Hamlet considered by many as the most sublime verse of William Shakespeare.
In the work we can distinguish three strands of the plot: The main focus in the history of Hamlet, the side that deals with the history of Polonius and his children and external, of Fontinbrás, putting a political framework for the work and serves to structure it into three historical context, marked by Prince Fontinbrás three appearances in the play:
1. The Danish army commanded by King Hamlet take
Norway 2. The Norwegian army led by Denmark towards cross Fontinbras
Poland 3. Fontinbras, Prince of Norway, was appointed King of Denmark
DEVELOPMENT OF ACTION The following table details the outline contents of instruments that should be clear about the sequence of events. And it is worth remembering that the division into acts and scenes is not due to Shakespeare, but their editors. This division was made in mind that established certain precepts and agrees only partially with the development of the work.
Act I. corresponds closely to that approach:
• central aspect is the appearance of the Shadow of the father and the revelation of his murder.
• Other issues include the wedding of the mother and Claudius, question of Norway (Fortinbras), and the theme of love of Hamlet and Ophelia, what is spoken in a scene that divides the act into two.
Act II. is, to some, as a "bridge" between the I and III.
• The key element is the "madness" of Hamlet.
• With the emergence of comedians, is preparing a theatrical performance that will occupy a key position of Act III.
Act III. It is largely a climax.
• Its center is the theatrical performance: the reaction confirms
king's guilt.
• Another moment "strong" is the dialogue of Hamlet with his mother.
In this scene, Hamlet mata a Polonio, creyendo que era el rey.
• Antes ha habido otros momentos importantes: el famoso monólogo, el
diálogo entre Hamlet y Ofelia, la ocasión desaprovechada de realizar la
venganza…
Acto IV . También puede considerarse un acto "puente" entre el III y el V. Hay, en cierto sentido, una atenuación de la tensión (anticlímax).
• Asistimos, sobre todo, a las secuelas de la muerte de Polonio: destierro de Hamlet, etc.
• EI protagonista estará ausente de la escena en buena parte de este acto y pasará a primer término la locura y muerte de Ofelia (con sus consecuencias: furia de Laertes, con quien se confabula king). Act V
. Denouement or catastrophe.
• After the return of Hamlet and Ophelia's funeral, precipitated his final action. How will converge on the scene of mourning all the forces that had been unleashed.
Some observations:
outset, it must insist on the density of action (although, paradoxically, it is a paralyzing work on reflection): the time "things happen", the adventures take place, sets, plot twists (see especially Acts IV and V).
The detailed analysis shows the inexorable chain of actions (Example would be the linking up between death error by Polonius, Ophelia's madness, the fury of Laertes, the alliance between this and the king, etc.).
A reveals the unsurpassed master this construction or development of the action, will join the wonderful art of suspension. Shakespeare mastered all the resources capable of intrigue and to unsettle the viewer. TOPICS
intertwine in Hamlet variety of issues and raises many philosophical dichotomies between them can include: justice and revenge, the reason and insanity, the fate and the meaning of life, the appearance and reality , the honor and the vileness, the duty and determination, and so on. The work manifests the struggle between good and evil, delving into the feelings and human passions.
Hamlet's imagery is predominant in corruption, poison, decay, infection, the smell, decay and moral correspondences: impurity, injustice, dishonesty, indignity, immorality, debauchery, etc.
First of all, originality is not in stock, but in the characters. The drama is internalized: what matters most is what goes on inside Hamlet (not to stop things happen "outside"). Are your doubts, hesitations and anguish that is in the center of the tragedy and is its central theme that is woven into the following thematic components:
• ambition or thirst for power that drives Claudio to fratricide;
• infidelity of the mother or the inconsistency of human affections;
• love of Hamlet and Ophelia;
• filial love, along with the feeling of family honor. The latter concerns
equally Hamlet and Laertes. If the duty to honor father forces Hamlet to revenge his error triggered by killing Polonius Laertes the same duty.
In short, the work and intertwine unleash tremendous opposing forces: loyalty and disloyalty, loyalty and betrayal, love and hate. And all this, sometimes in the same character, resulting in heartbreaking contradictions.
TYPE OF HAMLET
Based on the figure of the avenger Shakespeare builds a character unsuspected complexity. We just said that his indecision is the center of the work. His delay in revenge is the foundation of the drama. It has always said that Hamlet is the tragedy of the paralyzing thought, opposition close between reflection and action. Hamlet's doubts are present almost from the beginning and become especially intense at times: at the end of Act II, in the celebrated soliloquy of Act III (To be or not to Be ...), in other scenes Acts III and IV.
The meditative mood of Hamlet explains, moreover, the dimensions that this gives to your problem. The discovery of premeditated murder leads him to feel in a "rotten": a world dominated by lies, treachery, ambition and baseness. Its mission involves more than expose the infamous: it is decomposed to restore order, which reached immense proportions, for example, in sentences ending with the act I: "The world is out of whack! Oh damn lucky! That I was born to put in order! "
All this triggered a deep crisis in Hamlet. Everything is collapsing: lost all faith in man loses the love of life, to say that love has no sense for him (see his dialogue and his conduct to Ophelia). The horizon is full of anxious questions that can not find the answer. And so falls into the deepest bitterness. Such sentiments find
runway in his feigned insanity. In principle it is a resource designed to facilitate their plans for revenge, but soon becomes much more: it is a key element of the dramatic construction, which not only allows certain actions but, above all, makes possible the bitter expression and aggressive in their thinking disappointed. It seems that his "madness" is the attitude that corresponds to your feeling of being in a meaningless world. In any case, we will not tire of admiring, in his words, the stunning mix of nonsense and deep thoughts. OTHER CHARACTERS
's mother, Gertrude, and new king, Claudius, are responsible for the crime and therefore the source or trigger of the tragedy. She represents the infidelity, but will charge a heartbreaking pathos (end of Act III). Claudio fully embodies the ambition and perfidy, it is capable of doing anything to remove obstacles or threats (up to kill Hamlet), they also tortured the concerns, but is incapable of repentance, though he wishes pathetically (act III, sc. 3 rd).
In a very different plane is Ofelia, with her delicacy, her sweetness, her lyricism. This is the top pure character (as opposed to so much degradation) is the embodiment of love (as opposed to hate). And be a victim mechanism triggered by anxiety, while its real crazy madness now, and his death will give a decisive impetus to the forces that lead to the catastrophe in which his brother play a role.
Laertes, meanwhile, is the loyal son and brother to whom destiny gives also the role of avenger (avenger avenger against). Fiery character and blinded by the pain and anger, it will be easily drawn into complicity with the king. But in the end, will end what it is noble, but too late.
In all these cases, they are living creatures, endowed with individualizing features, as it shows the strength of Shakespeare to animate his characters. The smallest
relief are other figures. Horacio be poles apart, the loyal friend, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern cunning. Though episodic, the two gravediggers are unforgettable. And Polonius, ridiculous as some other character, introduces the typical comic counterpoint. "
THE "PHILOSOPHY" OF HAMLET
Before we referred to the conception of the protagonist's life. It is worth stressing the burden of ideas that offers the Work.
There is a "philosophy or world view that is unraveling in sentences Throughout the work, which is indelible expressions in some passages.
Here are the main ideas. The world is a meaningless chaos, dominated by the passions and delusions. Men try in vain to be happy, they are "poor toys of Nature", dragged down by forces that overflow. Time destroys everything in its path: beauty, affection ... And so, life is marked by the expiration and inconsistency. Death-pervasive throughout the book, would be desirable, but beyond looks terribly uncertain.
warning that it is risky to attribute to Shakespeare this conception of life are the ideas of its protagonist, so it should not be considered as integral elements of the "atmosphere" dramatic work. The truth, however, is that we put before conception disabused of life corresponds very well with that time uncertain (and anticipates for us, what will be the design of certain Baroque writers.)
In any case, Hamlet is considered the prototype of the drama of ideas. But it should be stressed here that the ideas are perfectly embodied in the characters and action. And this is, indeed, a work of dense action.
THE BREAKING OF THE "UNITS." SPACE AND TIME
As we know, the Shakespearean drama arises outside the traditional rules. Just noted, with the main action, a secondary action, but subordinate to that. But overflow conventional units is evident in terms of space and time.
No unit of space. Alternate, say "outside" and "internal." And within the castle of Elsinore spent a few rooms to others with greater mobility, with the greatest freedom: all the service of what prompted the action. Even more striking
may result in disregard of the time for action. Your course is curiously vague. It seems that the author is interested in the chain of actions, but not its exact chronological development. It is also difficult to "fit" certain actions in time: while some "major" one another with apparent quickly, other characters make long trips (and even a war in Poland ...)
other features of the Shakespearean tragedy
Yes, in many ways, Shakespeare is out of the molds of the tragedy "classic" work in others responds to the purest roots of the tragedy. Let
traits of one or the other.
destiny or fate (the Ananke of the Greeks, the Romans fatum) has an overwhelming weight in the work. "Destiny is calling me loudly," says Hamlet in Act I. And we have already alluded to the inexorable chain of cause and effect that drag the protagonist. One manifestation of this theme is the role of dire predictions (from the beginning) and other omens of disaster, to the anxious forebodings of near the end Hamlet (act V, sc. 3 rd).
also find in the play the tragic pathos characteristic: the deep pathos and suffering that marks the human world of Hamlet and as we know, reached the protagonist agonizing proportions. On behalf of the pathos, Shakespeare did not recoil at what the neo-classical authors (not the Greeks) considered "excesses" (ie, the accumulation of deaths). But the Elizabethan drama was aimed at shaking the sensitivity of an audience accustomed to strong performances and even gruesome, violence and blood. Nor
avoided -On behalf of the "likelihood" - the presence of the supernatural (or "wonder"). You will not need to point out the role of the Shadow, or spectrum of the murdered king.
In direct opposition to the classical is mandatory, as is known, the presence of comic elements. It's called comic relief (literally, "break or comic relief), which is a unique counterpoint to the tragic action. Concerned that certain characters comic vein ridiculous (Polonius, pe); more alcanceadquiere with two gravediggers (two clowns), who face the most serious issues as opposing a distorting mirror, ironic.
But where charges a humorous vein size is just amazing in the madness of Hamlet. He says at one point plays the role of jester, so that the paper-and-aim it is raised to a higher altitude. And it is that humor gives way to bitter, disillusioned satire profiles, which is the ultimate expression of coexistence between the tragic and the comic. Apart
STYLE
as indicated on the art of dramatic construction and character design, we address the pure art of the word in the dialogue (and the
monologues).
In the dialogues, will appreciate the variety of records Shakespeare uses (overflowing once again, the classical ideal of "unity of style"). The most solemn language alternate with family and even with the crude outburst.
is remarkable variety of tones that can be observed in the expression of feelings, from the maximum intensity (in certain forms of hatred or bitterness) to the more delicate (think of Ophelia, for example).
Back to allude to the coexistence of the tragic comic tone. And never get enough attention, in the expressions of madness (the pretense of Hamlet and Ophelia's real), what might be called a poetics of the absurd, of an originality that is expected to irrationalism poetry of our century.
also highlighted the art of the monologue. The monologues displayed accurately located in the dramatic development. Not to mention the king's soliloquy (III, III), deserve all our attention the various monologues from Hamlet: the act III (To be or not ...) is one of the great moments of universal drama.
Overall, it noted two major vectors in the art of words that shines in the play: the depth of thought and beauty of expression. First - related to what was said about the "philosophy" Hamlet, is expressed in dies famous: they say that Hamlet is the work that has provided more quotes the English, it abounds, in fact, terse sentences, as maxims or aphorisms ..
This is inseparable from the beauty of expression. The lyricism is omnipresent: parliaments displayed continuously glazed with the most stunning images. It's inexhaustible creativity of this great poet is Shakespeare.
0 comments:
Post a Comment