Authority: Mimesis And Authority

As the play progresses and the characters develop, the question of ‘who’s there’ in the sense of who is this person really, are they kind or cruel, innocent of guilty? The most obvious choice for the question of character is in Claudius. Is he the kind king he makes himself out to be or a murderous manipulator. The initial question of his character is during the wedding of Gertrude and he, where he states, “With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,” (I. II. 12). He essentially is pronouncing King Hamlet’s funeral as joyous and his own wedding as mournful. The question that now presents itself to the audience is whether this is a simple mix-up on Claudius’s part or a verbal projection of his inner thoughts and feelings towards both occasions. The uncertainty of Claudius’s stance on the matters is later enlightened upon and pursued by Hamlet after his conversation between him and the ghost of King Hamlet. The old king recalls the true story of his death – demise by poison at the hand of Claudius in an effort to claim the throne. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown.” (I. V. 38-39). The validity of this statement is put into inquiry by Hamlet, leading to his use of a court play by a traveling actor’s troop as a platform to perform a reenactment of the King Hamlet’s death in order to see the reaction of Claudius. “The play’s

Lastly, Shakespeare use of description throughout the play that will take you through a suspense, shock, and tragedy. "Stay! Speak, speak! I charge thee, Speak!" for awhile Horatio tries to speak with the ghost of Hamlet's father demanding him to tell why he roams the castle. As the ghost appears and disappears at random moments and having Horatio yell for communication causing the reader's suspense during this moment. "The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown," the ghost tells hamlet and was one of the shocking moments in the play for not only hamlet but the readers also. To find out that hamlets father was killed and the murder was his uncle who now not only wears the crown but also married the queen, twisted.

To establish the sinister intentions of Richard the actor, Shakespeare makes reference to his moral and physical impediments that leave him cursing “I that am not shaped for sportive tricks…I that am curtailed…”. Through the subtle use of anaphora and repetition of ‘I that am’, which is fleshed out by a definitive tone, the audience is made aware of how Richard is led ostensibly “to prove a villain” and thus, adopt a disguise. Moreover, Richard’s theatricality is stressed as he embarks as a ‘master’ of his own fate, for he perceives himself as “subtle, false, and treacherous”. His sinister intentions are exemplified by the use of tricolon, evocative word choice and short sentence patterning that create a sharp staccato effect. These intentions allow Shakespeare to subtly resonate Richard with the Vice from the medieval morality plays as well as the Renaissance Machiavelli who actively sought power, caused mischief, practised deceit and cynically gloats over his success. Moreover, Richard’s acting allows him to confide in his audience as he is paradoxically honest about his dishonesty, whilst also encouraging his audience not to detest him, but rather, take delight in his cleverness as the ‘director’ of the play. Thus, the opening soliloquy of Richard III offers an insight into how Richard manipulates the

The facades that each character assumes are all important to the complex duplicity and insanity that follow. It shown that all characters in the play have multiple personalities with the exception of Horatio. The characters reveal what’s behind their mask only when they talk to the audience during the asides and soliloquies in addition to the manipulation of language for Hamlet’s case. Furthermore, Shakespeare introduces the actors to add the ‘play within a play’ effect. This acts as a tricky literary device that suggests that the play itself revolves around the charade undertaken by most of Shakespeare’s characters as the ‘play within a play’ occurs in the middle of the play…...

Hamlet, the titled character of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare’s most prominent play, is arguably the most complex, relatable, and deep character created by Shakespeare. His actions and thoughts throughout the play show the audience how fully developed and unpredictable he is with his mixed personalities. What Hamlet goes through in the play defines the adventures encountered by a tragic hero. In this timeless tragedy, despite Hamlet’s great nobility and knowledge, he has a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to his ironic death.

Starting off in the opening scene, we see the transition of the handsome prince turned beast portrayed by Toby Davis. I have been to a few shows where Davis has played major and minor roles, and you see feel the love he truly has for theatre. Davis, a high school senior, has acting skills that still need growth, however, he takes the character and makes it his own. The play is a mix between drama and comedy, as it was originally meant to appeal to a younger

This play is about the prince of Denmark, Hamlet. His life is destroyed after Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, murders his father, the King. Hamlet is heartbroken, but also seeks revenge. He feigns madness, so that he can say what he wants under this cover, and discover the truth behind his father’s death. In the process, he leaves his lover Ophelia, which drives her mad, and ends up drowning herself.

William Shakespeare is a writer, from a few centuries ago, who has had a major influence on many movies and stories that are made today. His stories and plays may seem a little hard to understand, but once you get passed that, you will literally be hooked onto the story. There's this little debate going on about whether or not William Shakespeare should be taught at school. In my opinion, I think he should be taught at school.

The perfect foil character for the audience to collate against Hamlet’s feminine mentality is Hamlet himself. His character is an amalgamation of contrasting personalities: good and bad, feminine and masculine. The prince’s masculinity is discerned in the courage that lifts his steps when the ghost of Old Hamlet told him to go to a more isolated

William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, composed during the last years of the 16th century, is as much as character study as it is a retelling of a moment in history. Though the play is titled for one king, it truly seems to revolve around the actions of the titular character's successor. Indeed, Henry IV is a story of the coming-of-age of Prince Hal and of the opposition that he must face in this evolution. This process gives narrative velocity to what is essentially a conflagration between two personality types. In Prince Hal, the audience is given a flawed but thoughtful individual. Equally flawed but more given over to action than thought is his former ally and now-nemesis, Hotspur. In the latter, Shakespeare offers a warrior and a man of action and in the former, the playwright shows a politician in his nascent stages of development. The contrast between them will drive the play's action.

Hamlet is essentially the playwright to the play that he is going to put on

Shakespeare represents Hamlet as a dignified prince who is attempting to combat the evil and corruption of his world. After the visit from the Ghost, he has come to know and understand what he must do: restore Elsinore to its

Throughout Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the main character; Hamlet displays his contemplative side and his sexual deviancy wrapped up in his enigmatic character that makes for a thought provoking play with many interesting twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Hamlet’s creative character allows for the viewer and the characters in the play alike to search deeper into the meaning of Hamlet’s words hoping find something more about Hamlet than meets the eye. As for Hamlet’s sexual deviancy, his dirty jokes and interest in his mother’s sex life are just another loop Shakespeare employs to get the reader engrossed and slightly disgusted in the story. Hamlet’s philosophical and contemplative side involves the reader in Hamlet's quest

He soon decides to hold auditions at The Rose Theatre. He doesn’t find a Romeo until the brave Viola shows up to the auditions, dressed as a man named Thomas Kent. Following the audition, Viola becomes afraid of being found out and runs away. Shakespeare runs after her-- up to her mansion where there is currently a party being held, and he asks to speak with Thomas Kent. At this party, Shakespeare becomes captivated by the beautiful Viola at the same time that her father is promising her to Lord Wessex. After seeing him dance with Viola, Lord Wessex chases Shakespeare away, but not before asking his name. Shakespeare is quick to tell him that his name is Christopher Marlowe, the name of the current playwright for The Curtain Theatre. Having found his muse, Shakespeare soon hands a complete script of Act I to his actors, now calling the play "Romeo and Juliet". He is in a blissful state until he receives a letter from Viola, telling that she must marry Lord Wessex. After a "man to man" conversation about this with Thomas Kent, Shakespeare realizes that Thomas Kent is Viola. After this, the passionate couple spends as much time embracing as possible, whether in rehearsal or in bed, except of course for the times that Will is busy writing down the numerous inspired lines running through his mind. They spend so much time together that Lord

The character of the Duke is portrayed by Shakespeare as a very complex, hypocritical and contradictory character. To many critics, he is conveyed as a Machiavellian Prince, using others for his own political ends, and to some critics, a God-like figure, testing the pathology of power in Vienna. Despite these two polar opposites the character is nethertheless a character of ambivalence. Contradiction is one of the main themes of the play, as is appearance versus reality, law versus grace and justice versus mercy. The Duke never lets go of the puppet strings, pulling events and manipulating other characters in the play. Vincentio's motives for influencing the events are controversial; it has been argued that the Duke enjoys watching others