Friday, December 20, 2019

Hamlet What Is the Appeal to the 21 Century Audience

As people in the twenty-first century generally dont believe in ghosts and dont consider revenge a duty, why is a play like Hamlet still of interest to film and theatre audiences? As William Shakespeare began writing Hamlet in 1598 - at the end of the 16th century - the play which would go on to become one of his most famous pieces of work was geared towards an audience of â€Å"churls†, â€Å"groundlings† and the less-educated members of theatre-going society, just as equally as the more educated and affluent audience members. Theatre being a relatively affordable and popular form of entertainment for the less wealthy individuals, Shakespeare would cater as much to their tastes as he would to the ‘higher society’ who would attend his plays. A†¦show more content†¦When you consider that he was following the instructions of his father’s â€Å"ghost† it becomes even more blurred. It was the ghost which created the fire inside Hamlet, the desire for revenge but also the need for revenge as a duty, to his â€Å"murdered† father. The ghost, however, has been the subject of much debate amongst critics and read ers of Hamlet, with the controversy surrounding whether the ghost is â€Å"real† as a physical element of the play, or whether it exists simply in the mind of Hamlet. The play opens with Horatio and various watchmen alarmed that they have seen a ghostly presence, although we don’t know for sure that they have actually seen the purported ghost of the former King. This could indicate that what they saw wasn’t actually a ghost, and further evidence to suggest this could be found in the scene in which Hamlet sees the ghost but Gertrude cannot see him (Act III, Scene IV). Some critics, such as Jan Pick, argue that the appearance of the ghost as an actual element of the play is simply to encourage the audience to accept Hamlet as a rational human being rather than an insane character; the inclusion of the ghost as somebody the audience (if not the other characters) can see lends an air of authenticity to the ghost scenes, authenticity which can only exist to a modern audience in the assumption that Hamlet actually is insane, and imagining the ghost. Still, this scenario leads the viewer down a different butShow MoreRelatedA Rhetorical Analysis: of I Have a Dream Essay1484 Words   |  6 Pagesmakes the audience feel an immense amount of emotion due to the outstanding use of pathos in his speech. King also generates a vast use of rhetorical devices including allusion, anaphora, and antithesis. The way that King conducted his speech adds to the comprehension and gives the effect that he wants to rise above the injustices of racism and segregation that s o many people are subjected to on a daily basis. Throughout King’s speech, he uses the rhetorical mode, pathos, to give the audience an ambienceRead MoreHAMLET AND ORESTES10421 Words   |  42 Pages07 1 THE BRITISH ACADEMY THE ANNUAL SHAKESPEARE LECTURE 1914 Hamlet and Orestes A Study in Traditional Types By Gilbert Murray, LL.D., D.Litt. Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Oxford Fellow of the Academy New York Oxford University Press American Branch 35 West 32nd Street London : Humphrey Milford THE BRITISH ACADEMY THE ANNUAL SHAKESPEARE LECTURE 1914 Hamlet and Orestes A Study in Traditional Types By Gilbert MurrayRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Kabuki 3062 Words   |  13 Pages Center Stage Left - In traditional western theater stages (as opposed to street theater or theater-in-the-round) this is an area of the stage that is about halfway between the front edge and the back wall, and to the left (as you are facing the audience) of the middle of the stage. 4. Prop - a prop is any object that the actor can use to assist in conveying motion, meaning, or energy. Props are representative of the setting in which a play takes place; for example, a water bottle is representativeRead More Comparing Arthur Laurents West Side Story and Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet 2318 Words   |  10 Pagesshow well that now shows best.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (I.ii.99-104)    Tony confesses to Riff that hes reachin out for something; just what, he doesnt know (Laurents 19).   Riff chides him: Maybe what youre waitin forll be twitchin at the dance! (Laurents 21).   Not to mention, Tony has to show, because Riff already told the gang youd be there (Laurents 20).   So, Tony succumbs to the plea of an old friend, despite his premonitionRead MoreSAT Top 30 Essay Evidence18536 Words   |  75 Pages............................ 21 Billie Jean King (Tennis legend and women’s rights activist) ................................................................. 23 Jesse Owens (Track star and civil rights icon).......................................................................................... 25 Muhammad Ali (â€Å"The Greatest† boxer of all time) .................................................................................. 27 Fiction and Literature: Hamlet by William Shakespeare (â€Å"To beRead MoreQuestion and Correct Answer7042 Words   |  29 PagesAnswer: |   Ã‚   As celebrations of the priest-kings power | | | | | ï‚ · Question 2 2 out of 2 points | | | What did lost-wax casting enable the Mesopotamian sculptors to create?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: |   Ã‚   Larger and more lightweight bronze pieces | Correct Answer: |   Ã‚   Larger and more lightweight bronze pieces | | | | | ï‚ · Question 3 2 out of 2 points | | | What classic struggle do Gilgamesh and Enkidu represent?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: |   Ã‚   Nature versusRead MoreHow English Literature Affects the Monarchy2997 Words   |  12 PagesEnglish Literature (English Renaissance). Through William Shakespeare, The Golden Age of Drama emerged through his famous Elizabethan dramas, which included many of the following works: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Oedipus Rex, and Macbeth. These dramas included elements designed to entertain every member of the audience which included people from every social class, but many Puritans, strictly religious Protestants, believed that these dramas were immoral (Literature and Language 16-17). Ultimately, QueenRead MoreMasculinity in the Philippines12625 Words   |  51 Pageswomen soldiers in 1963; and another thirty years after that before the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) admitted its first female cadets in 1993 (Hilsdon 1995, 48, 51, 89; Duque 1981, vii). If we accept what one historian has called the emancipated status of Filipino women in the 19th century, then the prewar nationalist movement, with its rhetoric of militarism and male empowerment, may have skewed the gender balance within the Philippine polity. In a Malay society with a legacy of gender equality-bilateralRead MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesinnocent young woman is tested by a seductive male Effect: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · patriotism grows instills pride creates common agreement about issues shows differences between Americans and Europeans Historical Context: ï‚ · ï‚ · tells readers how to interpret what they are reading to encourage Revolutionary War support instructive in values American Renaissance/Romanticism period of American Literature - 18001855 Content: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · writing that can be interpreted 2 ways, on the surface for commonRead MoreSummer Olymoics23416 Words   |  94 Pagesthe most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal.[20] Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time, so that every currently eligible country has sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games.[21] Women s boxing was included for the first time; thus, the Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors.[22] Contents[hide] * 1 Bidding process * 2 Development and preparation * 2.1 Venues * 2.2 Public transport

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.