DOCSLIB.ORG

Shakespeare's

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Shakespeare's Shakespeare’s HAMLET Cover Photo of Alan Mahon © Mark Douet 2016 Edition © Andrew Hilton 2016 The Text It is almost certain that Shakespeare was familiar with an earlier tragedy we refer to as the ‘Ur-Hamlet’. That text is now lost and the author unknown (many suggest Thomas Kyd, a few that it was by Shakespeare himself); but we know that it was in the repertoire of Shakespeare’s company, the Chamberlain’s Men, in the 1590s. Shakespeare may well have performed in it himself, together with Richard Burbage and Will Kemp, at the Newington Butts Theatre in June 1594. This would be six or seven years before the time when we believe the Shakespeare play that we know was written and produced. Mysteries abound: the text that was published in the first great Folio of 1623 is largely a heavily edited version of the one published in Quarto in 1604/5, the text we know as the ‘2nd Quarto’. But what of the ‘1st Quarto’? The text of this was lost until 1823, when Sir Henry Bunbury found a printed copy of it in his library in Suffolk. A second turned up in Dublin in 1856. Published (according to the title page) in 1603, it differs radically from Q2 and is popularly considered to be a poor ‘memorial reconstruction’ of the play as first performed, ‘pirated’ by a freelance actor who could remember the scenes he had played in himself far better than those in which he hadn’t. We can’t know if this theory is true (I can’t believe it’s the whole truth) and, although the order of publication is a known fact, we can only speculate as to which of Q1 and Q2 was actually composed first. One alternative to the ‘pirating’ theory is that Q1 was simply one stage in the long evolution of the play – either from the ‘Ur-Hamlet’ or from the Belleforest source (see below); another that it is a much shorter and smaller cast version devised by Shakespeare’s own company for some specific, but now irrecoverable, purpose. Wherever the truth lies, Q1 is little known and rarely read, but it is far from the ‘garbled rubbish’ it has sometimes been considered. For this production, I began my edit with the 1st Folio text. In one instance I borrowed from the structure of Q1 and preferred several of Q2’s line and word readings to the Folio’s, but I restored virtually nothing cut by the Folio editors, and made many more cuts of my own. The full Folio version, though more than 1,500 words shorter than Q2, is considerably longer than any other Shakespeare play. This is yet another mystery; we know that at the Globe Shakespeare’s company was allowed a three-hour window in which to perform and then clear the house (by 5.00 pm), so why a busy playwright should have composed such an impossibly long play provokes yet more speculation. The full Q1 text, in modernised spelling, is available to download from the stf website: www.stf-theatre.org.uk Sources Central elements of the story go back to the twelfth century, to the account (in Latin) by the Danish poet, Saxo Grammaticus, of the legendary Danish revenger, Amleth. Amleth’s uncle, Feng, killed Amleth’s father (after the father had defeated the King of Norway in single combat) and then married his mother. In contrast to Shakepeare’s telling, the murder is not a secret and to protect himself from his uncle, and to disguise his planned vengeance, young Amleth feigns idiocy. While talking to his mother in her chamber, he is spied on by one of Feng’s councillors. Amleth discovers him, kills him and dismembers the body. Feng sends him to England in the company of two courtiers, who carry a secret commission instructing the English king to execute him. But he discovers this document and substitutes the courtiers names for his own. They are executed, while he returns to Denmark to avenge his father’s death by killing his uncle and the whole of his court. In the sixteenth century Saxo’s story was retold in French by François de Belleforest in Les Histoires Tragiques. We don’t know if Shakespeare read Saxo, but he was certainly familiar with Belleforest, even though that was not published in English until 1608. Belleforest introduced a few changes to the story. In particular, he tells that Hamlet’s mother had been having an affair with her brother-in-law before the murder of her husband but that, later, she repented of her actions and conspired with Hamlet to kill his uncle and gain the Danish throne. Features of Shakespeare’s play such as Fortinbras, the Ghost and the play-within-a-play – the last two being popular elements of Renaissance revenge tragedy - are unknown in both Saxo and Belleforest, and so are presumed to have originated either with Shakespeare himself or with the author (if it was A.N.Other) of the lost Ur-Hamlet. The full texts of the sources are also available to download from the company’s website. Andrew Hilton CAST Francisco Marc Geoffrey Barnardo Laurence Varda Marcellus John Sandeman Horatio Alan Coveney Ghost Christopher Bianchi Claudius Paul Currier Gertrude Julia Hills Polonius Ian Barritt Laertes Callum McIntyre Hamlet Alan Mahon Ophelia Isabella Marshall Reynaldo Marc Geoffrey Rosencrantz Joel Macey Guildenstern Craig Fuller 1st Player/Duke Christopher Bianchi 2nd Player/Duchess Eleanor Yates 3rd Player/Lucianus Laurence Varda 4th Player/Prologue Callum McIntyre Fortinbras Laurence Varda Gentlewoman Eleanor Yates Sexton Nicky Goldie Priest John Sandeman Osric Marc Geoffrey Lords & Ladies, Messengers, Soldiers played by members of the company PRODUCTION Director Andrew Hilton Associate Director Dominic Power Assistant Director Peter Chicken (UofBristol) Set & Costume Designer Max Johns Assistant Designer Mae-Li Evans (UofBristol) Costume Supervisor Jane Tooze Lighting Designer Matthew Graham Composer & Sound Designer Elizabeth Purnell Fight Director & Captain John Sandeman Production Manager Nic Prior Construction Manager Chris Samuels Company & Stage Manager Jennifer Hunter Deputy Stage Manager Cassie Harrison Assistant Stage Manager Charlie Smalley Wardrobe Mistress Jessica Hardy Production Photographer Mark Douet Rehearsal Photographer Craig Fuller 1 Part One Scene 1 Enter Barnardo and Francisco Barnardo Who’s there? Francisco Nay, answer me: stand, and unfold yourself. Barnardo Long live the king. Francisco Barnardo? Barnardo He. Francisco You come most carefully upon your hour. Barnardo ’Tis now struck twelve, get thee to bed Francisco. Francisco For this relief much thanks: ’tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart. Barnardo Have you had quiet guard? Francisco Not a mouse stirring. Barnardo Well, good night. If you do meet Marcellus, The rival of my watch, bid him make haste. Francisco I think I hear him. Stand: who’s there? Marcellus [Off] Friends to this ground. Horatio [Off] And liegemen to the Dane. Enter Marcellus, followed by Horatio Marcellus Holla Barnardo. Barnardo Welcome Marcellus. Say, what is Horatio there? Horatio A piece of him. Barnardo Welcome, good Horatio. Marcellus What, has this thing appear’d again tonight? Francisco I have seen nothing. Gentlemen, give you good night. Barnardo Farewell honest soldier. Exit Francisco Marcellus Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy, And will not let belief take hold of him, Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us. Therefore I have entreated him along With us to watch the minutes of this night, That if again this apparition come He may approve our eyes and speak to it. 2 Horatio Tush, tush, ’twill not appear. Marcellus Sit down awhile, And let us once again assail your ears That are so fortified against our story What we two nights have seen. Horatio Well, sit we down And let me hear Barnardo speak of this. Barnardo Last night of all, When yond same star that’s westward from the pole Had made his course t’illume that part of heaven Where now it burns - Enter Ghost Marcellus Peace, break thee off, look, where it comes again. Barnardo In the same figure like the king that’s dead. Marcellus Thou art a scholar, speak to it Horatio. Barnardo Looks it not like the king? Mark it Horatio. Horatio Most like: it harrows me with fear and wonder. Barnardo It would be spoke to. Marcellus Question it Horatio. Horatio What art thou that usurp’st this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march. By heaven I charge thee speak! Marcellus It is offended. Barnardo See, it stalks away. Horatio Stay, speak, speak, I charge thee speak. Exit Ghost Marcellus ’Tis gone and will not answer. Barnardo How now, Horatio? You tremble and look pale. Is not this something more than fantasy? What think you on’t? Horatio Before my God, I might not this believe Without the sensible and true avouch Of mine own eyes. Marcellus Is it not like the king? Horatio As thou art to thyself: Such was the very armour he had on When we the ambitious Norway combated. So frown’d he once, when in an angry parle 3 He smote his sledded polaxe on the ice. ’Tis strange. Marcellus Thus twice before, and jump at this dead hour, With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. Horatio In what particular thought to work I know not, But in the gross and scope of my opinion This bodes some strange eruption to our state. But soft, behold! Lo, where it comes again! Re-enter Ghost I’ll cross it though it blast me. Stay, illusion! If thou hast any sound, or use of voice, Speak to me.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bibliography for the Study of Shakespeare on Film in Asia and Hollywood
    CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture ISSN 1481-4374 Purdue University Press ©Purdue University Volume 6 (2004) Issue 1 Article 13 Bibliography for the Study of Shakespeare on Film in Asia and Hollywood Lucian Ghita Purdue University Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb Part of the Comparative Literature Commons, and the Critical and Cultural Studies Commons Dedicated to the dissemination of scholarly and professional information, Purdue University Press selects, develops, and distributes quality resources in several key subject areas for which its parent university is famous, including business, technology, health, veterinary medicine, and other selected disciplines in the humanities and sciences. CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture, the peer-reviewed, full-text, and open-access learned journal in the humanities and social sciences, publishes new scholarship following tenets of the discipline of comparative literature and the field of cultural studies designated as "comparative cultural studies." Publications in the journal are indexed in the Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (Chadwyck-Healey), the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (Thomson Reuters ISI), the Humanities Index (Wilson), Humanities International Complete (EBSCO), the International Bibliography of the Modern Language Association of America, and Scopus (Elsevier). The journal is affiliated with the Purdue University Press monograph series of Books in Comparative Cultural Studies. Contact: <[email protected]> Recommended Citation Ghita, Lucian. "Bibliography for the Study of Shakespeare on Film in Asia and Hollywood." CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 6.1 (2004): <https://doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.1216> The above text, published by Purdue University Press ©Purdue University, has been downloaded 2531 times as of 11/ 07/19.
    [Show full text]
  • Fortinbras Program
    THE MIT COMMUNITY PLAYERS PRESENT FORTINBRAS BY LEE BLESSING THURSDAY–SATURDAY, MAY 22-24, 1997 KRESGE LITTLE THEATRE ON THE MIT CAMPUS FORTINBRAS by Lee Blessing *Produced by special arrangement with Baker’s Plays The Persons of the Play Fortinbras ...................................... Steve Dubin Hamlet ........................................... Greg Tucker (S) Osric .............................................. Ian Dowell (A) Horatio........................................... Matt Norwood ’99 Ophelia .......................................... Erica Klempner (G) Claudius ........................................ Ben Dubrovsky (A) Gertrude ........................................ Anne Sechrest (affil) Laertes .......................................... Randy Weinstein (G) Polonius......................................... Peter Floyd (A, S) Polish Maiden 1............................. Alice Waugh (S) Polish Maiden 2............................. Anna Socrates Captain .......................................... Jim Carroll (A) English Ambassador ..................... Alice Waugh (S) Marcellus....................................... Eric Lindblad (G) Barnardo ....................................... Russell Miller ’00 The Scenes of the Play Act I: Elsinore — ten minute intermission — Act II: Still Elsinore (“S” indicates MIT staff member, “G” indicates graduate student, “A” indicates alumnus, and “affil” indicates affiliation with a member of the MIT community). Behind the Scenes Director............................................. Ronni
    [Show full text]
  • The Story O/Hamlet
    Thestory o/Hamlet The guards of ElsinoreCastle in Denmark have scen a Ghoston the bardcmenrs.Ir lookslike rhe fatherof prince -l'hev Hamlet who died only rwo monrhs bcfore. ask Horario.a youngnobleman and a friendof rhe prrnie, ro watchwith them and to talk to the Ghost.rffhen it appears. it doesnot speak, and disappears from sight. The new King of Denrnark Thc new King ofDenmark is Claudius,Hamler's uncle who hasjust ma[ied the Prince'smother, Gertrude.He allows Laertes,the son of his Lord Chamberlain,polonius. to rcturnto Parrsand urges Hamlel to castoff hismournine. Hamletis srill disrrcssed by his tarher'sdearh and decplv upsel that his mother has marriedbarelv t*o m,rnrh, afterwards.He longsfor deathand cundemnshis mother 'Fraihy, with the words, rhy nameis woman., Hamlet's lorying for death O! that this too too sol llesh toutrt nelt, ThalL)and r.sobe itseu inb a dn) . IInr ueary, shle,tat, and u,tfrolitubb Seemb mea fie usesof rhis;^orLl. Acrr Scii Poloniusbids farewellto hisson.advising him on howa youngman shouldbehave. Polonius's advice to his son l,leithera bonote4 nor a lealer be; Forloa ofi tosesbofi ilsetf dndfri.n t, And bonuA s dul\ th, eds ol hu,bart,j. Thr oboreall. to rhnc mv sctlbe rruc, And mustfoll@^, ttsthe nigtu rheda|, Thoucanst not fien befalse to anJma . Act r Sciii A ghostly rneeting Hamlet,meanwhile, has gone ro the castlebattlcments with Horatio. Vhen the Ghosrappears, he speaksro Hamlel, as the spirit of his dead farhcr. The Ghosrrells how he was l14 hr\ asks.llrrnltt 1o rcvtntle murdcrcd h\ (lhudius lnd lecp thc mcctingsccrer i""ii.-ii"*r",':i;.'.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tragedy of Hamlet
    THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET EDITED BY EDWARD DOWDEN n METHUEN AND CO. 36 ESSEX STREET: STRAND LONDON 1899 9 5 7 7 95 —— CONTENTS PAGE Introduction ix The Tragedy of Hamlet i Appendix I. The "Travelling" of the Players. 229 Appendix II.— Some Passages from the Quarto of 1603 231 Appendix III. Addenda 235 INTRODUCTION This edition of Hamlet aims in the first place at giving a trustworthy text. Secondly, it attempts to exhibit the variations from that text which are found in the primary sources—the Quarto of 1604 and the Folio of 1623 — in so far as those variations are of importance towards the ascertainment of the text. Every variation is not recorded, but I have chosen to err on the side of excess rather than on that of defect. Readings from the Quarto of 1603 are occa- sionally given, and also from the later Quartos and Folios, but to record such readings is not a part of the design of this edition. 1 The letter Q means Quarto 604 ; F means Folio 1623. The dates of the later Quartos are as follows: —Q 3, 1605 161 1 undated 6, For ; Q 4, ; Q 5, ; Q 1637. my few references to these later Quartos I have trusted the Cambridge Shakespeare and Furness's edition of Hamlet. Thirdly, it gives explanatory notes. Here it is inevitable that my task should in the main be that of selection and condensation. But, gleaning after the gleaners, I have perhaps brought together a slender sheaf.
    [Show full text]
  • An Analysis of Paternal Models of Authority and Filial Duty in Shakespeare’S Hamlet
    The Dilemma of Shakespearean Sonship: An Analysis of Paternal Models of Authority and Filial Duty in Shakespeare’s Hamlet The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Mosley, Joseph Scott. 2017. The Dilemma of Shakespearean Sonship: An Analysis of Paternal Models of Authority and Filial Duty in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Master's thesis, Harvard Extension School. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33826315 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA The Dilemma of Shakespearean Sonship: An Analysis of Paternal Models of Authority and Filial Duty in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Joseph Scott Mosley A Thesis in the Field of Dramatic Arts for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University May 2017 © 2017 Joseph Scott Mosley Abstract The aim of the proposed thesis will be to examine the complex and compelling relationship between fathers and sons in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This study will investigate the difficult and challenging process of forming one’s own identity with its social and psychological conflicts. It will also examine how the transformation of the son challenges the traditional family model in concert or in discord with the predominant philosophy of the time. I will assess three father-son relationships in the play – King Hamlet and Hamlet, Polonius and Laertes, and Old Fortinbras and Fortinbras – which thematize and explore filial ambivalence and paternal authority through the act of revenge and mourning the death of fathers.
    [Show full text]
  • Much Ado About Nothing – Beatrice – Act IV, Scene I
    Much Ado About Nothing – Beatrice – Act IV, Scene I BEATRICE Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonored my kinswoman? Oh, that I were a man! What, bear her in hand until they come to take hands and then, with public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancor—O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace. Princes and counties! Surely, a princely testimony, a goodly count, Count Comfect, a sweet gallant, surely! Oh, that I were a man for his sake! Or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into curtsies, valor into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too. He is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving. Summer 2020 Hamlet, Prince of Denmark – Hamlet – Act III, Scene I HAMLET 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? To die, to sleep— No more—and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause.
    [Show full text]
  • Assignment: to Be Or Not to Be
    Assignment: To Be or Not to Be This is Hamlet’s famous soliloquy about life or death. He is contemplating suicide. Now, that is not what I want any of you to think about, so we will give this soliloquy a twist. Look back at Hamlet’s soliloquy To Be or Not To Be. As you read through this soliloquy, note the variations within the passage: First 10 lines: Live or die. Deal with life’s misfortunes or end them through death. Dying is really like sleeping, so let’s sleep to end all this pain. Sleeping makes one dream. 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? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; Next ten lines: But what if nightmares come? One can never control what they dream of, and in death that is something to worry about. And who wants to deal with all of life’s humiliations: abusive superiors, rejection, rudeness, lawlessness in the legal system—maybe killing one’s self is a better solution. For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Last section: Who would choose to sweat through life in hard work in pain, unless they feared the afterlife? No one knows what death is like and who knows what happens.
    [Show full text]
  • STUDY GUIDE Introductiontable of Contentspg
    STUDY GUIDE IntroductionTABLE OF CONTENTSPg. 3 Pg. 4 Top Ten Things to Know About Going to the Theatre Cast and Creative Team Credits Pg. 5 Mysterious Shakespeare Pg. 6 Inside Vertigo Theatre- An Interview with Anna Cummer Pg. 8 Pre-Show Projects and Discussion Questions Pg. 10 Ghostly Appearances It's Time To Soliloquize Your Burning Questions Pre-Show Activities- To Get You Up On Your Feet Pg. 15 Making Up Meter The Dumbshow Post Show Discussion Questions Pg. 20 The Art of The Theatre Review Pg. 21 About Vertigo Theatre Pg.22 Vertigo Theatre is committed to creating a welcoming atmosphere for schools and to assisting teachers and parent chaperones with that process. It is our wish to foster and develop our relationship with our student audience members. It is our intention to create positive theatre experiences for young people by providing study guides and post-show talk backs with our actors and theatre personnel, in order to enrich students’ appreciation of theatre as an art form and enhance their enjoyment of our plays. IntroductionWelcome to the Study Guide for Vertigo Theatre's, The Shakespeare Company and Hit & Myth's production of Hamlet: A Ghost Story by William Shakespeare, adapted by Anna Cummer. In this guide you will find information about this new adaptation of Hamlet and Shakespeare’s connection to mystery theatre. It also includes information about the creative team and performers involved in the production, as well as a variety of activities to do with your class before and after the show. There are topics suitable for class discussion, individual writing projects, as well as games and exercises that get students moving around and learning on their feet.
    [Show full text]
  • Hamlet on the Screen Prof
    Scholars International Journal of Linguistics and Literature Abbreviated Key Title: Sch Int J Linguist Lit ISSN 2616-8677 (Print) |ISSN 2617-3468 (Online) Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com/sijll Review Article Hamlet on the Screen Prof. Essam Fattouh* English Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Alexandria (Egypt) DOI: 10.36348/sijll.2020.v03i04.001 | Received: 20.03.2020 | Accepted: 27.03.2020 | Published: 07.04.2020 *Corresponding author: Prof. Essam Fattouh Abstract The challenge of adapting William Shakespeare‟s Hamlet for the screen has preoccupied cinema from its earliest days. After a survey of the silent Hamlet productions, the paper critically examines Asta Nielsen‟s Hamlet: The Drama of Vengeance by noting how her main character is really a woman. My discussion of the modern productions of Shakespeare begins with a critical discussion of Lawrence Olivier‟s seminal production of 1948. The Russian Hamlet of 1964, directed by Grigori Kozintsev, is shown to combine a psychological interpretation of the hero without disregarding its socio-political context. The action-film genre deployed by Franco Zeffirelli in his 1990 adaptation of the play, through a moving performance by Mel Gibson, is analysed. Kenneth Branagh‟s ambitious and well-financed production of 1996 is shown to be somewhat marred by its excesses. Michael Almereyda‟s attempt to present Shakespeare‟s hero in a contemporary setting is shown to have powerful moments despite its flaws. The paper concludes that Shakespeare‟s masterpiece will continue to fascinate future generations of directors, actors and audiences. Keywords: Shakespeare – Hamlet – silent film – film adaptations – modern productions – Russian – Olivier – Branagh – contemporary setting.
    [Show full text]
  • Language, Humour, Character, and Persona in Shakespeare
    Language, Humour, Character, and Persona in Shakespeare Arthur Henry King The rst Oxford English Dictionary (hereafter OED)1 use of “character” as “a personality invested with distinctive attributes and qualities by a novelist or dramatist” is in Fielding’s Tom Jones (1749). OED does not list the Theophrastian2 use reected in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century character-sketches, for example Ben Jonson’s play, Every Man Out of His Humour, “the characters of the persons” (1599),3 those in the then current satires, and in translations and collections.4 Another OED entry under character, “personal appearance” (entry 10) correctly interprets Twelfth Night 1.02.51 “outward character”; but that phrase implies “inward character” too, and OED misinterprets Coriolanus 5.04.26 as the outward sense; but “I paint him in the character” refers to this description of Coriolanus (16-28): He no more remembers his mother now than an eight-year-old horse. The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes. When he walks, he moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before his treading. He is able to pierce a corslet with his eye, talks like a knell, and his hum is a battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for Alexander. What he bids be done is nish’d with his bidding. He wants nothing of a god but eternity and a heaven to throne in. I paint him in the character. There is no more mercy in him than there is milk in a male tiger. Compare Coriolanus 2.01.46-65, where Menenius sketches an ironical “character” of himself and makes “character” statements about the tribunes: I am known to be a humorous patrician, and one that loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop of allaying Tiber in’t; said to be something imperfect in favoring the rst complaint, hasty and tinder-like upon too trivial motion; one that converses more with the buttock of the night than with the forehead of the morning.
    [Show full text]
  • Poison and Revenge in Seventeenth Century English Drama
    "Revenge Should Have No Bounds": Poison and Revenge in Seventeenth Century English Drama The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Woodring, Catherine. 2015. "Revenge Should Have No Bounds": Poison and Revenge in Seventeenth Century English Drama. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17463987 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA “Revenge should have no bounds”: Poison and Revenge in Seventeenth Century English Drama A dissertation presented by Catherine L. Reedy Woodring to The Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of English Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts May 2015 © 2015 – Catherine L. Reedy Woodring All rights reserved. Professor Stephen Greenblatt Catherine L. Reedy Woodring “Revenge should have no bounds”: Poison and Revenge in Seventeenth Century English Drama Abstract The revenge- and poison- filled tragedies of seventeenth century England astound audiences with their language of contagion and disease. Understanding poison as the force behind epidemic disease, this dissertation considers the often-overlooked connections between stage revenge and poison. Poison was not only a material substance bought from a foreign market. It was the subject of countless revisions and debates in early modern England. Above all, writers argued about poison’s role in the most harrowing epidemic disease of the period, the pestilence, as both the cause and possible cure of this seemingly contagious disease.
    [Show full text]
  • MODULE B 2016 William Shakespeare's Hamlet Presents An
    MODULE B 2016 William Shakespeare’s Hamlet presents an accessible and universal protagonist, transcending the boundaries of Theatre and of his contemporaries as a microcosm of Elizabethan England, to dynamically explore the human condition in its psychological and moral complexity. The Aristotelian tragedy succeeds in its investigation to segregate the convoluted ideas of truth and deceit through Shakespeare’s manipulation of imagery to heighten audience comprehension of underlying motivations of particular characters in their autonomous pursuit for truth or deception. With the responsibility of restoring order within a corrupt social milieu, whilst in a seemingly, eternal internal moral struggle with his sense of filial duty, religious piety, and social justice, Hamlet is able to become “an instrument rather than an agent”(Samuel Johnson) in the observation of human intricacies. In order to weed the “unweeded garden”(I.ii.139) of Denmark’s facade, one must study Hamlet, according to Dr Kate Flaherty in Theatre and Metatheatre in Hamlet(2005), as “a play deeply concerned with notions of the play: The power of play, the danger of play and the threshold between play and reality...”, in symbiosis to Shakespeare’s intentional employment of imagery to emphasise the struggle and disillusionment of Hamlet’s dilemma in his endeavour for earth-bound truth. excellent BODY : STUDY OF KING HAMLET’S GHOST / LIGHT AND DARK Audiences are introduced to the conflicting notions of truth and deceit through Shakespeare’s manipulation of light and darkness to explore the initial stages of chaos. Shakespeare’s implementation of the popular conception of supernatural elements in the exposition stage of his play depends on the Elizabethan audience to engage and recognise the reversal of nature as being symptomatic of an unnatural intervention of God’s design-the Great Chain of Being.
    [Show full text]