Shakespeare
Question 1
Shakespeare was fond of comparing and contrasting different sides and views of human behavior, as shown in his plays. He was interested in displaying the behavior of individuals in different environments and circumstances. In his plays, Shakespeare incorporated different aspects of the English culture, in which his audience received mixed reactions. Therefore, the different settings used by the poet in his works were meant to showcase different places and display a shift in the culture and nature of human beings. A Midsummer Night’s Dream displays different aspects of love and the Elizabethan culture in its settings. In contrast, Henry IV/V displays different views of honor and the culture of various classes of people from its distinct settings.
In the first play mentioned above, Shakespeare shows different views of love concerning human nature, as portrayed in the first set, the city of Athens and the second setting, the forest. The first conflict involving love is seen when Egeus approaches Theseus in his palace to report a case where his daughter was willing to disagree with his wishes so that she could be with the man of her dreams. The duke sides with Egeus by agreeing to punish Hermia if she does not comply with the wishes of her father (Rockefeller, 2019). It shows that both Egeus, Hermia’s father, and Theseus believe that decisions should not be influenced by love; hence love is not a priority in Athens. A contradicting nature of love is revealed in the forest setting, where love is the controlling factor in the decisions of individuals. For instance, the fight which was to happen between Lysander and Demetrius was driven by their love for Helena, thus showing how love controls the actions of people. Moreover, the writer showcases different cultures in the two settings of the play. The scene that takes place in Athens shows how women were treated in the Elizabethan culture from the punishment that was to befall Hermia for loving Lysander. Conversely, Shakespeare introduced fairies in the forest, which was a common superstition in the Elizabethan era.
Shakespeare uses the same technique in Henry IV/V, where he uses different settings to show the different perceptions of honor. For instance, Hotspur, who is based in the battlefields because of his profession in the military, believes that honor is obtained during battles and by protecting one’s image to the outside world. Conversely, Henry IV, the king, who is primarily located in the palace, relates honor with the condition of a country and obtaining leadership the right way. Thus, the views his rebellion against Richard II, his cousin, as a dishonorable act that made him the king. Lastly, prince Harry perceives honor as something that can be obtained by being morally upright. Thus, he spends most of his time in taverns knowing that he can redeem his honor. Furthermore, the different settings display a variation in the way of life of the high and low class (Holowienka, 2009). For instance, the palace is filled with seriousness and discussions of important issues, while the taverns are filled with happy moments and light-hearted conversations.
Question 2
Shakespeare portrayed a lot of doubt towards ambitious men and women, as seen in his plays. To him, the end result of ambition is a downfall, and characters in his plays, which were the most ambitious ended up humiliated or lost everything. Thus, it seems that Shakespeare discouraged his audience from being ambitious by painting it as a negative drive of rising above other people in society.
Therefore, the author seems to contradict with the modern view of determined individuals. Shakespeare used Malvolio, a character in Twelfth Night, and Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, characters in Macbeth to display the adverse effects of ambition.
Shakespeare uses Malvolio to display ambition as an act of folly. According to the play, Malvolio is a character who is determined to ascend to a higher social class to the extent that he is willing to anything to abandon his current social status. Maria, who is Malvolio’s peers, takes advantage of his determination by writing a fake later from Olivia, who is from a noble class, addressing it to him. The content of the forged letter addresses Olivia’s love for Malvolio, which is false, but he believes it. Malvolio follows the instructions of the letter with the hopes of impressing Olivia and ends up embarrassing himself and being an amusement to his friends. The consequence of his ambition is that Olivia perceives him as being mad. As a result, Malvolio is taken to a dark room where Toby and Maria make fun of him with the excuse of treating him. In the end, Malvolio does not win Olivia’s affection; hence he fails to rise to a higher social status.
Moreover, Shakespeare vividly showcases the theme of ambition and its negative consequences through Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is perceived as a hero from his victory in a battle against enemies of Scotland. Duncan, the king, rewards him by making him a thane, which is one of the noble ranks in Scotland. However, Macbeth’s determination to attain ultimate power is revealed after the prophecies made by the witches seemed to be true (Jamieson, 2019). Although he was uncertain about the actions that he should take at first, he is convinced by Lady Macbeth to abandon his moral code by killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s determination for his husband to attain the highest nobility rank pushes him to do cruel deeds. The determination of the Macbeths results in their deaths, where Macbeth is killed in battle by Macduff as an act of revenge while his wife commits suicide after being overwhelmed by her evil deeds.
Question 3
Shakespeare lived during the Elizabethan era, which favored men and diminished women. Women were not allowed to attain formal education, participate in activities as voting or work in professional occupations (Dusinberre, 2006). As a result, men were in the spotlight while women remained in the shadows. Although. Shakespeare’s plays were majorly based on the heroism, challenges, and flaws of men in the Elizabethan culture, he created strong and vital roles for his female characters. He went against his current environment by painting women to be mature, stronger, cleverer, and more stable than men. Desdemona, a character in Othello, and Rosalind, a heroic character in As You Like it, are among the most powerful characters in Shakespeare’s plays, which also happen to be women.
Desdemona is the most vital female character because she is used by Lago to destroy both Othello and Cassio. In the play, Desdemona is painted as being mature from the way she handles and responds to Lago’s jokes that diminished women. She also defends women through her soft-spoken words. Another aspect of maturity is when she does not readily accept Lago’s claims against Cassio. Her maturity is also seen when she does not side with her husband’s decision that resulted in Cassio’s demotion, as seen from her effortstoconviceOtrgive Cassio. On the other hand, Othello is viewed to be less mature from the way he blindly believed Lago’s false claims against Cassio, who was loyal to him, without carrying out any research. Furthermore, Desdemona is more stable than Othello by sticking to her innocence until her death. Even when things got out of hand, Desdemona maintained her love for Othello to the extent of forgiving him for killing her. Conversely, Othello allows jealousy to control his actions, which leads to his death and that of his wife.
Apart from Desdemona, Shakespeare uses Rosalind, a female character, to compare men and women in the second play mentioned above. In the play, the maturity of Rosalind is seen from her intelligence when she assumed a different identity after escaping the unkind treatment of her uncle. The reason being that Rosalin understands
the dangers of traveling the forest as a woman. She portrays leadership qualities even while in the forest by placing her interests lasts. Rosalind is also painted as being firm and stable from her loyalty to her friend Celia who also happened to be her cousin. On the other hand, Duke Frederick, Rosalind’s uncle, depicts immaturity after banishing her niece for no apparent reason. Duke Fredrick lets his hate for his brother to affect his relationship with Celia and Rosalind.
References
Dusinberre, J. (2006). Shakespeare and the Nature of Women. London: Macmillan Publishers Limited.
Rockefeller, L. (2019). A Midsummer Night’s Dream Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/midsummer-nights-dream-themes-symbols-literary-devices-4691811
Holowienka, R. (2009). Henry IV, Part One: Language of the Upper and Lower Class. Retrieved from Rhttp://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/eng/lfletcher/henry4/papers/rholowienka.html
Jamieson, L. (2019). Understanding Macbeth’s Ambition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/ambition-of-macbeth-2985019