How does the use of comic relief best contrast the tragedy of Hamlet? In great works of literature a comic relief is used as contrast to a serious scene to intensify the overall tragic nature of the play or to relieve tension. As illustrated in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, intense scenes are joined with character’s banter and vacuous actions as to add a comic relief. In Hamlet, Polonius acts as a comic relief by his dull and windy personality, Hamlet uses his intelligence and his negativity toward the king and queen to create humor, while on the other hand Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are a comic relief by their senseless actions and naïve natures. Polonius, Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are all used as a comic relief to …show more content…
Another instance where Polonius is a comic relief is when Hamlet is inviting the players into the castle. One player breaks into an emotional speech at Hamlets whim and Polonius interrupts with comments. “Fore God, my lord, well spoken, with good accent and/ Good discretion.”(IIii,447-448). Polonius is trying to commend the speaker to hasten him. After the speech keeps going on Polonius rudely interrupts with “This is too long”(IIii,478). As the player recites a part of the speech he becomes emotional with color and Polonius points it out. “Look whe’e he has not turned his color and has/ Tears in’s eyes.-Prithee, no more.”(IIii,499-500). Polonius is rude and pokes fun at the emotional speaker. His actions contrast with the player’s tragic speech emphasizing sorrow aspects of his speech. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are comic reliefs by acting as the fool in the play Hamlet. The duo’s ignorant nature are picked at by Hamlet’s sharp toungue through the play, intensifying it’s ultimate tragic nature. One example is in act two scene two of Hamlet, when Hamlet is questioning Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about the reason they are at the castle. Hamlet offsets Humor in these scenes by his choice of words. Hamlet puts the pressure on the duo and Rosencrantz in an aside to Guildenstern asks what excuse they should make to Hamlet while the whole time Hamlet is aware of their conversation. “(to Guildenstern) What
play, “The Tragedy of Hamlet”, Shakespeare’s vindictive and psychopathic ethos allows the reader to have an introspective view on the “socially acceptable.” The play adheres to shocking subjects and themes that push society’s standards. During the English Romantic period, William Shakespeare’s sentimentality in the topics of suicide, depression, and family dynamics transformed his plays; despite, the contrasting ideals of the protestant church and the Elizabethan era. Subsequently, William Shakespeare was one of few playwrights to incorporate the use of sentiment
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in Hamlet who have a more complex side to them than one might assume. Hamlet sees them as good friends who have always been there for him, such as after his father 's death when they came “to visit [him]; no other occasion” (99). Although they acted as good friends to Hamlet, in reality they were manipulative and deceitful. The two characters had a darker side because they acted as Claudius’ and Gertrude’s spies. Near the end of the play, Claudius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern
The two of them share a common flaw. They both care only about their own advancement, and are willing to spy on and betray Hamlet in order to stay in the king’s favor. Despite the fact that they both claim to be Hamlet’s friends, they barely hesitate to accept the tasks the king sets before them. Hamlet knows that they possess this trait. He recognizes that they have been spying on him and trying to trick him. In a conversation prior to his confrontation of his mother, he tells Guildenstern, “’Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me” (Act III, scene ii). This statement shows his recognition of their actions and points out their disloyalty to him. Later, when, in conversation with Hamlet, Rosencrantz asks, “Take me for a sponge, my lord?” Hamlet replies, “Ay, sir, that soaks up the King’s countenance, his rewards, his authorities” (Act IV, scene ii). With this response, the two men’s willingness to disregard morals in favor of material gain is presented to the audience. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s eventual deaths are caused by their greed and their desire to be in the king’s good favor. They are taking Hamlet to be executed, and they don’t question the order. When they go to their deaths, Hamlet remarks to Horatio, “Why, Man, they did make love to this employment” (Act V, scene ii). They are no longer
“To be or not to be – that is the question…” (III, I, 56-) so starts Hamlet’s most famous and well-known soliloquy. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, written in the very late 1500’s, the audience is introduced to two “comical” characters at the beginning of the play; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. These two characters, clearly, had no clue of what is going on throughout the play; in addition, they followed orders without questioning them. Therefore, their role in the play was not clear. Ultimately, their role in the play was to support, as well as spy, on Hamlet, hence them taking orders from greater characters like Claudius. However, the comic duo serves a deeper purpose than just assisting their old childhood friend. Arguably, their role in the play is also to forecast ideas, bring out character traits to help readers understand them more, and come up with solutions to some of the questions that the play has left the readers to deal with. They are capable of accomplishing that due to their disloyal behaviors towards other characters.
In his “Hamlet”, Shakespeare uses the element of humor in several forms in order to emphasize both Hamlet’s wit and his ability to use this wit to stay sane despite the grim and challenging circumstances of his life. Although it is a tragedy, Shakespeare skillfully incorporates Hamlet’s unique sense of humor into the storyline, giving us a glimpse into the workings of the troubled young prince’s mind.
Humor can be funny and uplifting or cynical and destructive. Hamlet's humor insults every one around him and it's very cynical and leads to his downfall. When Hamlet insults people around him, his remarks are not clearly understood by the people who he is insulting. Hamlet makes Polonius look like a fool when he criticizes him with his words, and Polonius doesn't know that he is being fooled. Hamlet even makes fun of the courtiers particularly Rosencrantz and Guildernstern. Although Hamlet doesn't stop there, he even insults Claudius and his own mother, Gertrude. Hamlet's love, Ophelia, is also an unfortunate victim of these remarks. All these insulting remarks show Hamlet's lack of sympathy for other
Comic Relief in Hamlet Shakespeare’s use of comedy in Hamlet always occurs around a dramatic event and the placement of these comedic messages serve as comic reliefs to ease the tension that is brought on by the nature of the tragedy. This reveals the author’s success in trying to entertain the audience while simultaneously keeping them despondent. Hamlet’s internal and external conflicts give birth to humorous remarks that reveal his inner feelings. The incestuous marriage of Gertrude and Claudius left Hamlet in a state of despair. Feelings of immense betrayal due to this marriage and the sudden loss of his father caused Hamlet to gradually turn insane.
Sadness is often disguised through fake smiles and laughter, allowing people to hide in their depression without unwanted attention. In William Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, humour is incorporated for a variety of reasons. This playwright was known for his tragedies; to entertain his audience, he used the technique of humour to focus the reader or viewer in on a specific part of the play. Tragedies are intensified through the use of humour because after the joyful moments, readers are reminded of the devastation that the characters are facing. By relieving the tension of the emotional chaos, humour allows the audience to become more engaged, thus permitting them to develop closer connections with the
Gavin Amundsen May 9, 2017 English Miller Comedy In Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, comedy is used in quite a few occasions. Instead of using it as a tool to add more drama and tension to the play, he uses it as a relief and a break from all of the craziness in the play. Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episode interposed in the midst of serious or tragic elements in a drama. The use of comedic relief in this play allows for an emotional connection to the play from the audience since it shows that it doesn't have to always be taken so seriously, and it's ok to laugh every now and then.
murder in a rash mood. It is not seen by Gertrude. It tries to urge
Eric Bentley said that a Tragedy is dependent on comedy. Comic relief is used in tragedies to change the atmosphere of the reader, who is constantly focusing on the death and corruption of a tragedy. If a play were full of the death and sorrow, as in tragedies, it would make the reader very depressed and not like the play. Some examples of this in Hamlet, are in the Gravedigger Scene, Talking to the Skull and the Throwing of the book.
will.” ( III I, 179-181) The fear of what will happen after death deters him.
of his insanity, other characters in the play such as Claudius, Gertrude and even Polonius
In representing intense human relationships in Hamlet, Shakespeare reflects human characteristics and so makes his play more accessible to audiences across the ages. In particular, Shakespeare explores familial relationships such as Hamlet’s strong love and loyalty to his late father, which manifests itself first as grief, then as a desire for revenge. Hamlet’s method of revenge is contrasted with Laertes’ in order to communicate the value of contemplation of rash action and to demonstrate the often blinding nature of revenge that leads to devastating events. These profound and complex relationships between Hamlet and his father and Hamlet and Laertes, captivates audiences through the drama they provoke, and thus gives Hamlet an
One of the highly prominent parts of his word choices involve his careful manipulation of the way that he places certain comic relief. According to Alden, “Within Othello, the need of ‘relief’ is perhaps the greatest” (297) In addition to this, the way that Shakespeare tends to use the comical scenes can be best described as, “most used in tragedies which as least strongly moving to horror and despair.” (297) Several locations can be pointed out within Othello to show general humor in order to keep the audience interested, like “the witty sallies of Iago, notwithstanding the terrible import of that to which they were leading.” (Alden 294) However, there are times when “the distinctness of the interluding parts in their brevity or their closer connection with the main tragic action.” (Alden 293) Examples of this may be the “Drunkenness of Cassio (II.ii), as well as the duping of Roderigo…,(II and IV.ii)” (Alden 293).Slightly different, Hamlet is known to have “some of the most brilliant intellectual comedy to be found in Shakespeare,” (Alden 295) when Hamlet talks about his adversaries like Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Osric. Majority of the wording within the plays are made up of