2. To What Extent is Hamlet an
Aristotelian Tragedy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UEQRNNNxD0
3. “ Tragedy, is an imitation of
an action that is serious,
complete, and of a certain
magnitude. ” C. 335 B.C.E.
1. Plot
2. Character
3. Thought
4. Diction
5. Song
6. Spectacle.
4. TRAGEDY
PLOT CHARACTER THOUGHT
DICTION SONG SPECTACLE
6. ARISTOTLE: PLOT
First principle - an “Arrangement of incidents” all related.
• Cause and effect chain Complete
Beginning • Incentive moment
• Climax
Middle • Triggered by earlier incidents Magnitude
• Caused by earlier incidents
End • Resolution Simple or
complex
7. HAMLET: PLOT
Main Plot - Revenge.
Sub Plots:
• Madness
• Gertrude & Claudius
• Hamlet & Ophelia
• Hamlet & Gertrude.
• Fortinbras’ Revenge.
8. HAMLET SCENE I: ACT V
Hamlet meets with the Ghost of
his Father alone.
The Ghost tells Hamlet how he
died, and what he must do.
9. THE ARGUMENTS:
For: Against:
• Beginning
• Middle
• End
• Complete
• Magnitude
• Complex.
12. ARISTOTLE: CHARACTER
Personal Cause & Pity or
Motivation Effect Fear
Protagonist Renowned Change of
- Believable & Prosperous Fortune
Frailty or Pity 0r
Change Error Fear
13. HAMLET: CHARACTER
• Love & loyalty
• Anger
• True to his Word
• Ability for Revenge
• Prince
• Educated
• Philosopher
• Conscience = delay.
14. HAMLET: ACT I: SCENE V
Soliloquy: Swears to dedicate
himself to avenge his
Father’s death.
15. THE ARGUEMENT
FOR: AGAINST:
• Personal Motivation • Pity is subjective
• Cause and effect • Fear – probably not.
• Renowned & Prosperous
• Change of Fortune
• Frailty or Error.
18. ARISTOTLE: THOUGHT
• “Third in order is Thought -
that is, the faculty of saying
what is possible and pertinent
in given circumstances.”
• “Thought…………………. is found
where something is proved to
be or not to be, or a general
maxim is enunciated.”
19. HAMLET: THOUGHT
“Oh that this too solid flesh
will melt” (1:2)
CLAUDIUS
“Oh all you host of heaven! Oh
1 earth! ” (1:5)
“Oh! What a rogue and
peasant slave am I” (2:2)
HAMLET HAMLET
7 “To be or not to be” (3:1)
SOLILOQUIES
“Tis now the very witching
time of night” (3:2)
“Now might I do it pat” (3:3)
OPHILIA
1 “How all occasions do inform
against me” (4.4)
20. HAMLET ACT III : SCENE I
Hamlet contemplates life
and death……………..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JD6gOrARk4
23. ARISTOLTLE: DICTION
• “Every word is either current, or strange,
or metaphorical, or ornamental, or newly-
coined, or lengthened, or contracted, or
altered.”
• Metaphor : “For the essence of a riddle is
to express true facts under impossible
combinations ……. Such is the riddle..…..”
24. HAMLET: DICTION
• Claudius – politician “We doubt it nothing: heartily
farewell”
• Ophelia – obedient “I shall obey my lord”
• Gertrude - loving: “Let not thy mother lose her
prayers, Hamlet. I pray thee, stay with us”
• Osric - kowtowing: “ Sweet lord, if your lordship
were at leisure, I would impart a thing to you from
his majesty”
• Hamlet- madness and sanity appropriate.
25. SCENE
Act V Scene I:
The Grave Yard
Scene….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_GqWC_uIfs
32. ARISTOTLE: SPECTACLE
• “The Spectacle has, indeed, an
emotional attraction of its own,
but, of all the parts, it is the least
artistic”
• “The production of spectacular
effects depends more on the art of
the stage machinist than on that of
the poet.”
33. SPECTACLE: HAMLET
• The Ghost’s appearances
• Reprimanding of his Mother
• Killing of Polonius
• The play within a play
• Contemplation of death
• Ophelia's madness
• Grave yard and skull
• Poisoning of Gertrude
• Poisoning of Claudius
• Death of Hamlet.
36. SO, IS HAMLET AN
ARISTOTELIAN TRAGEDY?
• Shakespeare – versed in history
• Inspired by ancient mythology
• Pity & Fear - questionable
• Song - questionable
• Comic elements
• Ultimately a tragedy of it’s time.
37. FINAL THOUGHT
Shakespeare borrowed from many.
Today many borrow from him.
The Circle of Life so to speak…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZwdByyMujY
Notas do Editor
We’re going to focus on tragedy I am [NAME NUMBER].
Today we will explore to what extent does Hamlet fit Aristotle's description OSRIC HAND OUT. Steps plays. stop
Bomb take you back in time Tragedy as described by Aristotle in Poetics Date: mention he thought Oedipus was perfect tragedy
Choose one – keep on toes. When all done click arrow to final section this is done by last person clicking.
The most important, Closer look at plot and see how it relates to hamlet
Expand what's on this slide
Main plot revenge of ghosts info – kill Claudius, Madness – pretends to go mad to get truth = complexity, Claudius and Gertrude historical context Ophelia actually goes mad due to rejection and Father’s death, Gertrude infatuated with Claudius, loves her son- closet scene relationship changes. Fortinbras of Norway’s Father had been killed by old King Hamlet- seeks revenge for his father’s death – invades Poland- but promises to leave Denmark alone – ends up getting crown of Denmark. His revenge is final and complete.
GHOST TELLS STORY. Ben and Mike
Beginning – cause and effect- Middle = queen on side, claudius atones, decides to kill Hamlet, End- they all die.. Magnitude – UNIVERSAL THEMES – APPLY TO ALL DEATH –LIFE’ SUICIDE big deal killing royalty. Complete – nothing left untied Complex- many plots and motifs – ears, spying
Our decision based on argument of previous slide
Second importance support plot
First four are grouped as to how it pushes plot. Last are his circumstances
Character soft – to anger– love of Father- do the right thing, released from purgatory – avenge his death – ALL HIS ENERGY ON REVENGE. Ben’s scene
Motivation- revenge. Cause and effect Father’s death. Renowned and prosperous –prince, well loved ( Claudius feared), uni at Wittenberg, Change of fortune – lost father, lost crown, mother under spell, sent to England to death. Frailty – conscious – delay killing Claudius, killing Polonius ( sent to England)n Pity of fear personally yes – how played – fear again would the audience then have more fear? Also Aristotle said pity OR fear.
The last 4 are the least important according to Aristotle.
Although characters show much thought, the ones easily identifiable are the soliloquies
Hamlet gives thought to life, and contemplates death. You tube link
Hedging his bets. Current = in use. Strange = foreign (so can be both) newly coined = author made up. Metaphor most important
Claudius to Voltemond and Cornelius. Ophelia – subservient to her father
To 1.31. Note the use of language compared to Claudius which we viewed with Rebecca. The way the grave digger muddles his words in an attempt to sound intelligent –newly coining words which he has heard
These are common to all plays: peculiar to some are the songs of actors from the stage and the Commoi ( actors and chorus).
Ophelia sings, The Clown sings.
I find this quite ironic – least artistic – as Oedipus was quite a spectacle. And todays audiences love this part.
Dependant on how played, but of its time what tackled spectacle.