Macbeth
This great play explores lust for power, through the tempted ambitions of Macbeth, persuaded through his certain weaknesses in character by the manipulative and equally lustful Lady Macbeth. The husband-wife co-dependency and dynamic is one of enormous clarity.
It follows a typical pattern of a Shakespearean Tragedy. The natural order is upset by an action. A state on disorder and
Further more, themes of fate - through the double meaning of words, the poverty of human experience - through the futility of struggle and the darkness of human nature are examined. Within the thoughts of Macbeth, I see a man who understands the devastating consequences of his actions, even before he has acted, but like an gambler, is compelled to act by a fierce ambitions.
The three weird sisters merely act to augment the drives that are within him. I suspect he had thought of becoming king well before he met the sisters, and his initially shock and retraction from their suggestion is evidence of his thoughts.
The armed head, in the second witch encounter, warning Macbeth about McDuff, may in fact be his own severed head. This ghoulish proposition has merit.
"So foul and fair a day I have not seen" Macbeth I.3
We are introduced to Macbeth. His comment relates to so much - military victory on a day of bad weather, military victory at the cost of bloodshed. The ambiguity of the play is introduction - nothing is what is seems.
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow, Creeps into this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools, The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle, Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,that struts and frets his our upon the stage,And then is heard of no-more: It is a tale,Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing". - Macbeth V.5
The philosophical musings of Macbeth as the world caves in. Soon after this he abandons his deeper understanding as one last flare of power lust takes hold before he is ultimately slain, and order is returned to Scotland.
The Tragedy of Hamlet - Prince of Denmark
This play is interesting for the exploration of human experience through the thoughts, internal suffering and perpetual inaction of one man - Hamlet. Haunted by the ghost of his father, Hamlet plunges into depression as he struggles with the pain of rectifying the wrongs that have occurred.
"There are more things on heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy" - Hamlet, Act I Scene V
"I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself king of infinite space" - Hamlet Act II Scene II
"I have of late, - but wherefore I know not, - lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and, indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, - why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving, how express and admirable! in action, how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! And yet, to me, what is this quintessance of dust?" - Hamlet, Act II Scene II
Othello - The Moor of Venice
This play explores themes of jealosy, deception and betrayal through the twisted manipulations of Iago
"Good name in man and woman, dear lord, is immediate jewel of their souls; Who steals my purse steals trash; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed". - Iago, Act III Scene III
"O, beware, my lord, of Jealosy; It is the green eyed monster with doth mock the meat it feeds on: that cuckold lives in bliss who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; " - Iago, Act III Scene III
"Men's natures wrangle with inferior things, though great ones are their object. 'Tis even so; For let our finger ache, and it endues our other healthful members even to that sense of pain;" - Iago, Act III Scene IV
Romeo and Juliet
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
The Merchant of Venice
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
This play explores themes of absolute power through the autocrat Julius Caeser, Complex integrity and betrayal through Marcus Brutus and the power of oratory in political landscapes through Mark Antony. There are many further layers to this most satisfying read, in particular I note Brutus touching relationship with his wife, she empathising with his pain and he with hers.
"Men at some time are masters of their fate: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves". - Cassius, Act I Scene II
"Let me have men about me that are fat; Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights: Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: Such men are dangerous". - Caeser Act I Scene II - But then Caesar goes on to be complacent about other warning signs from the seer and his wife.
"So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; He is a great observer, and he looks quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays, As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music: Seldom he smiles; and smiles in such a sort, As if he mock'd himself and scorn'd his spirit, That could be moved to smile at any thing. Such men as he be never at heart's easeWhiles they behold a greater than themselves;And therefore are they very dangerous." Caeser I.2 . Provides a rich insight into the psychology of Cassius - a dangerous psychology according to Caeser.
Two Gentlemen of Verona
"Poor wounded name! my bosom as a bed Shall lodge thee till thy wound be thoroughly heal'd" I.2
No comments:
Post a Comment