SCHOOL of HUMANITIES Uttarakhand Open University
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PROGRAMME CODE: MAEL 20 SEMESTER III SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA- I (MAEL 602) SEMESTER IV SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA -II(MAEL 607) SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES Uttarakhand Open University PROGRAMME CODE: MAEL 20 SEMESTER III SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA- I (MAEL 602) SEMESTER IV SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA -II (MAEL 607) SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES Uttarakhand Open University Phone nos. 05964-261122, 261123 Toll Free No. 18001804025 Fax No. 05946-264232, e-mail info @uou.ac.in http://uou.ac.in Board of Studies Prof. H.P.Shukla (Chairperson) Prof. S.A.Hamid (Retd.) Director Dept. of English School of Humanities Kumaun University Uttarakhand Open University Nainital Haldwani Prof. D.R.Purohit Prof. M.R.Verma Senior Fellow Dept. of English Indian institute of Advanced studies Gurukul Kangri Univ. Shimla, Himachal Pradesh Haridwar Programme Developers & Editors Dr. H.P. Shukla Dr. Suchitra Awasthi(Coordinator) Professor,Dept. of English Assistant Professor Director,School of humanities Dept. of English Uttarakhand Open University Uttarakhand Open University Unit Writers Dr. Preeti Gautam Semester III- Units 1, 2, 3,4,5,6 Govt. P.G. College, Rampur Mrs. Deepika Pant Semester IV-Units 1, 2, 3 Research Scholar, M.B.P.G. College, Kumaun University, Nainital Miss Nikita Bisht Semester IV- Units 4, 5, 6 Research Scholar, S.B.S. Govt. P.G. College, Rudrapur Edition: 2020 ISBN : 978-93-84632-17-5 Copyright: Uttarakhand Open University, Haldwani Published by: Registrar, Uttarakhand Open University, Haldwani e-mail : [email protected] Printer: CONTENTS SEMESTER III BLOCK 1 Unit 1 Hamlet -I 02-09 Unit 2 Hamlet-II 10-20 Unit 3 Hamlet-III 21-30 BLOCK 2 Unit 4 A Midsummer Night’s Dream-I 31-40 Unit 5 A Midsummer Night’s Dream-II 41-50 Unit 6 A Midsummer Night’s Dream-III 51-59 SEMESTER IV BLOCK 1 Unit 1 Antony and Cleopatra-I 61-68 Unit 2 Antony and Cleopatra-II 69-81 Unit 3 Antony and Cleopatra-III 82-91 BLOCK2 Unit 4 The Tempest-I 92-104 Unit 5 The Tempest-II 105-124 Unit 6 The Tempest-III 125-136 SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA I / SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA II MAEL- 602 / 607 SEMESTER III Uttarakhand Open University 1 SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA I / SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA II MAEL- 602 / 607 UNIT 1 HAMLET- I 1.1.Introduction 1.2.Objectives 1.3.Shakespeare – A Re-constructor and Adaptor 1.4.Act-wise Analysis 1.5.Themes 1.5.1. The Theme of Uncertainty 1.5.2.The Complexity of Action 1.5.3.The Mystery of Death 1.5.4.The Nation as a Diseased Body 1.6.Features of a Revenge Play 1.6.1.Revenge – A Popular Theme 1.6.2.Hamlet – The Motive of Revenge 1.7.The Renaissance Features in Hamlet 1.8.Summing Up 1.9.Answers to Self-Assessment Questions 1.10.References 1.11.Terminal and Model Questions Uttarakhand Open University 2 SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA I / SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA II MAEL- 602 / 607 1.1. INTRODUCTION Hamlet is the most notable and the most discussed play in the canon of literature not only from the literary point of view but also from the point of referring to some of the most complex issues and problems concerning life. Since the play came into existence in the early years of the seventeenth century, it has left critics, viewers, authors, readers with some baffling questions. Why does Hamlet procrastinate from revenge? Is the ghost of the father real? Is Hamlet insane? Does Hamlet really love Ophelia? These questions continue to haunt every one of us. Still relevant to contemporary audiences even after four hundred years, it includes everything – intrigues, romance, politics, violence, revenge, jealousy, wit and that to on a grand scale (Kenneth Branagh) – passions of universal human concerns. Almost every one of us seems to face Hamlet’s dilemma of ‘to be or not to be’ and ‘whether it is 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’. The ‘slings and arrows’ and ‘a sea of troubles’ serve as metaphor for all the awful things that are often faced by us. 1.2. OBJECTIVES To introduce Shakespeare as a playwright. To analyze the story and the various themes of Hamlet. To discuss the features of a revenge play. To analyze the renaissance features and their projection in Hamlet. 1.3 SHAKESPEARE – A RECONSTRUCTOR AND ADAPTOR Hamlet was probably performed in July 1602 and was first published in printed form in 1603. As was the practice with Shakespeare, he could have taken the story of Hamlet from sacred possible sources including works from Denmark and France. However, it goes to the credit of Shakespeare that he appropriated the raw material in such a manner that it appears his own. He modified his source material and what could have been a simple revenge tragedy, he resonates it with the most fundamental themes and problems of the Renaissance. The Renaissance with its, propagation of political ideal of humanities generated a new interest in human experience and understanding. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is engrossed in seeking answers to the questions that cannot be answered for they concern supernatural and metaphysical matters. Further, Hamlet is in a dilemma – how to know the guilt or innocence, the motivations, the feelings, the mental states of people. 1.4. ACT-WISE ANALYSIS Act – I There is no exaggeration in the statement that the first scene of the first act of a Shakespearean play is always masterly in effect and strikes the key note of the play. In Hamlet too, Shakespeare creates the desired atmosphere in a very dramatic manner. The two characters Francisco and Bernardo refer to the unrest and disturbances brewing up in the State of Denmark, Further the scene prepares the audience to accept without raising an eyebrow about the acceptability of the appearance of the ghost of Hamlet’s father. Horatio connects the appearance of the ghost with the political troubles in the country. In scene two, nearly all the important characters except Ophelia are introduced. It is from Claudius’ – speech that the readers come to know that young Fortinbras with the help of Norway plans to attack Denmark; that young Hamlet is next in succession, to the throne and he must not return to Wittenberg for Uttarakhand Open University 3 SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA I / SHAKESPEAREAN DRAMA II MAEL- 602 / 607 his studies, and that Hamlet must throw off his studies. Further, soliloquies unravel the inner most secrets of Hamlet’s heart and that he finds suicide a better option to escape from his sorrow. What an indecent and wicked haste – the mother’s incestuous marriage has filled Hamlet’s heart with horror and pain Told by Horatio, Hamlet decides to speak to the ghost of his father, thus increasing the suspense of the audience. Laertes warns his sister Ophelia, the love interest of Hamlet not to trust in Hamlet’s professions of love that might be ‘but a fashion and toy in blood.’ In the scene to follow, the ghost appears; tension mounts as Hamlet is confirmed of something mysterious and terrible about the death of his father. In the next scene is unfolded the ‘most foul, strange and unnatural murder’ at the hands of brother; ‘The serpent that did sting they father’s life/Now wears his crown’ and that ‘with witchcraft o his wit and with treacherous gifts’ had already seduced his wife. The terrible revelation gives a tremendous shock to Hamlet who now decides to put ‘an antic disposition’ to verify the truth of ghost’s revelation. ACT – II A period of about two months is supposed to have elapsed between Act I and Act II. The audience is now informed of the strange behaviour of Hamlet. Hamlet welcomes actors, about to enact a play called the Murder of Gonzago and wants them to recite a speech in the course of their play that he has written especially for them. He begins to doubt whether some evil spirit might not have assumed the shape of his father’s ghost. He believes that the dramatic performance representing a similar murder would reveal whether Claudius is the real murderer or not. In case, Claudius is guilty, Hamlet decides to act swiftly. ACT – III Almost a continuation of the previous scene, the Act begins to show how Polonius’ plan of bringing together Hamlet and Ophelia works out.The queen also hopes that Ophelia’s love and beauty might restore Hamlet to sanity. Hamlet delivers his most famous soliloquy, ‘to be or not to be’ – and is tempted to commit suicide in a bid to escape all the troubles,evils and injustices in the world. Philosophically, Hamlet expresses the universal fear that many people would like to end their miseries by death but who knows that even more terrible experiences lie in waiting after death. In his conversation with Ophelia, Hamlet confesses that he had once loved Ophelia but now disgusted with life, he would wish her to leave the world and join a ‘nunnery’.Ophelia feels profound sorrow at the breakdown of such a noble mind. The king however is convinced that love may not be the cause of Hamlet’s strange behaviour. Alarmed now, Claudius plans to send Hamlet away. Hamlet’s meeting with actors is significant in that it unfolds a glimpse of theatre activities of Shakespeare’s times. The play within the play ‘Mouse Trap’ is performed. As the play reproduces the story related by the ghost, Claudius suddenly gets up in panic and rushes away from the performance. Hamlet and Horatio are now confirmed as both observe how the King has shown clear signs of guilt and his crime is thus beyond doubt.