The Tragedies Of Shakespeare :: essays research papers

The Tragedies Of Shakespeare"Your noble son is mad           Mad shoot the breeze I it, for to define true madness,          What ist tho to be nothing else but mad?"(Wells and Taylor, 665)     In Act two, scene two of William Shakespeares play settlement, Poloniususes these issueors line to inform Hamlets parents of their sons insanity. He thencontinues on, telling Gertrude and Claudius that the cause of this madness islovesickness all over his own daughter Ophelia (665). From the privilegedperspective of the audience, we know that Polonius is mistaken and that Hamletis far from insane, but rather, "playing mad" for a purpose of his own. imbecilityin Shakespearean plays, and in tragedies in particular, is rarely what it seemson the surface. Instead, both madness and the characters experiencing it arelayered with meaning like an onion, layer subsequently layer can be peeled off, evetually allowing a glimpse at the core concealed within.     Shakespeares treatment of the character Hamlet is typically multi-faceted and complexHamlet appears insane, ostensibly over Ophelia, however,his madness is shama cover for internal conflicts, rooted not in queeraffection, but rather in desire to avenge his fathers murder. Hamlet even goesso far as to say his apparent madness is an act when he says "I am but madnorth-north-west when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw"(667).     Shakespeare often use madness, either feigned or actual, as a teaching machine or vehicle to prelude his plot. Sometimes this madness was feigned, as show by Hamlet and Edgar (the legitimate son of Gloucester in The Tragedyof queer Lear), but other times it was genuine insanity. Ophelia and LadyMacBeth are self-evident examples of Shakespearean characters that have slipped intomadnessOphelia due to the loss of all those expert to her, and Lady MacBeth fromguilt over the part she played in male monarch Duncans murder. In Hamlet, Opheliasmadness ultimately leads to her demise, and this, in turn, plays a part inHamlets willingness to engage in what will be his final battle. In this sense,it helps advance the play towards its climax.     While Lady MacBeths madness also leads to death, its focus is much onteaching than propelling the story to conclusion. While Lady MacBeth is ab initio seen as a cold, conscienceless, calculating woman, intent onadvancing her economise politically (by any means necessary), her characterchanges as the play progresses. earlyish on in the play, she is amply of ambitionindeed, upon reading MacBeths letter, she complains about his personality andinaction          Yet do I fear thy nature,          It is too full o th milk of human kindness