Nature and
Definition: Tragedy is a very difficult concept to define. Despite what modern
critics have labored on the subject, Aristotle’s definition of tragedy in his
Poetics, still remains the best and comprehensive with some minor difference in
the 21st century. Tragedy is a representation of an action which is serious,
complete in itself, and of a certain magnitude; it is expressed in speech made
beautiful in different ways in different parts of the play; it is acted, not
narrated and by exciting pity and fear
gives a healthy relief to such emotions.
However, A.C.
Bradley most perceptively comments the Shakespearean Tragedy: A tale of suffering
and calamity conducing to death. Although this remark captures what is common
to Shakespearean Tragedies. It must be noted that ever Shakespearean Tragedy in
unique in its way. There are very few observations which one may make about one
of them which are applicable to others.
The Tragic Hero: Shakespeare’s
tragedies are built of a single man who towers above the other characters. So
Shakespeare’s major tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth
are all tragedies of character. The central character, for the most part, may
be regarded as a double entity.
Shakespeare’s tragic heroes have many qualities in common. One of the
qualities are their intense concern for someone, some thing or some aspect of life.
In the case of Othello, we find the character to be deeply concerned about
Desdemona. It is doubtful whether Shakespeare knew Poetics; all his heroes
except the possible exception of Macbeth are good. His tragic heroes are of an
extremely sensitive and poetic nature. Hamlet being the most intellectual and
Othello being the most poetic and romantic of them. They also belong to the
higher order of society. The lowest in rank is Othello who is at least general
whose progeny may be traced to kings. Still he is no common man. In every one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, the
hero is either faced with making a moral choice of grave consequences or
initiating some action which has far-reaching consequences.
The Tragic Flaw: Shakespeare’s
tragedy is above all a tragedy of character, though environment, coincidences
and chance play their parts. However, it is some flaw in the tragic hero which
causes his tragedy. The example being Othello whose tragic flaw is jealousy.
The tragic flaw is not always a shortcoming in itself. It is only in the
particular situation in which the hero is placed that the particular quality of
the hero becomes damaging to him. For example, Hamlet’s habit of carefully
weighing the pros and cons of everything before taking action would have proved
an asset to Othello, while precipitateness of action would have cut-short
Hamlet’s agonies.
The Role of Chance
and Fate: Chance and fate,
the latter sometimes in the form of supernatural, also play their part in
Shakespearean tragedies. However, they are never the starting point of
tragedies, but are led into when the story has taken a definite course. The
incident of handkerchief in Othello is an example of pure chance which is
exploited by the villain, but this chance crops up when the seeds of jealousy
in Othello’s mind have become strong trees
Theme and Action: Shakespearean
tragedies have well-defined themes which are also capable of being expressed in
moral terms. For example, the theme of King Lear is regeneration while that of
Othello is one of making a choice. His stories involve themes such as murder,
madness, duels etc. Shakespeare doesn’t conform to the classical view of
tragedy which insisted on the purity of genres and the unities of time and
space. For Shakespeare, the prime unity is the tragic effect created by a
strong sense of inevitability.
Characterization: Shakespearean tragic hero is the only and the
one in the play; however, there is at least one character near him which is
also highlighted. In his tragedies, male characters have a dominant role and
female characters, although unforgettable, usually play little action.
Shakespeare also uses double plots and comic scenes for comic relief.
Tragic Effect: Even without
knowing the Poetics, Shakespeare is able to arouse strong pity and fear in the
minds of his readers and theatre viewers. In Shakespearean tragedies, only
these emotions are not aroused; but according to A.C. Bradley, the
characteristic emotion aroused by Shakespeare’s tragedies is a profound sense
of waste. This is derived from the idea of human worth and dignity which the
plays express and the missed opportunities or wrong choices which lead to man’s
defeat without affecting his essential dignity. Shakespearean tragedies embody
a sense of profound suffering and sadness and some of them end in a number of
deaths which enhance Shakespeare’s intended tragic effect. For example, Hamlet
and King Lear end in so many deaths that the stage is littered with dead bodies
in the last scene.
Passion versus
Reason: The predominantly tragic conflict in the minds of Shakespearean heroes is
between passion and conflict. The opposition between reason and passion, first
isolated – through Othello and Iago - in a dramatic conflict of personalities
and then projected in Macbeth and Lear, beyond the original hero to the state
and universe which surround him in an eternal fight between good and evil.
Shakespeare’s
Personal Views: Many books have been written on subjects such as ‘Shakespeare’s
Religion’, but there’s nothing definitely coming from his own plays. On the
whole, Shakespeare is the most impersonal writer. That’s perhaps what makes him
the greatest writer in the world. Shakespeare was greatly religious and
compassionate; but we don’t know his brand of Christianity. It is, however,
very difficult to get insight into Shakespeare.
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