TRAGEDY

To What Extent is Hamlet an Aristotelian Tragedy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UEQRNNNxD0

“ Tragedy, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude. ” C. 335 B.C.E.1. Plot2. Character3. Thought4. Diction5. Song6. Spectacle.

TRAGEDYPLOT CHARACTER THOUGHT

DICTION SONG SPECTACLE

PLOTARISTOTLE’S DEFINITION

HAMLET SCENE

FOR & AGAINST DECISION

ARISTOTLE: PLOTFirst principle - an “Arrangement of incidents” all related.

Beginning

• Cause and effect chain• Incentive moment

Middle

• Climax• Triggered by earlier incidents

End

• Caused by earlier incidents• Resolution

Complete

Magnitude

Simple or complex

HAMLET: PLOTMain Plot - Revenge.Sub Plots: • Madness • Gertrude & Claudius• Hamlet & Ophelia• Hamlet & Gertrude.

• Fortinbras’ Revenge.

HAMLET SCENE I: ACT VHamlet meets with the Ghost of his Father alone.The Ghost tells Hamlet how he died, and what he must do.

THE ARGUMENTS:

For:• Beginning• Middle• End• Complete• Magnitude• Complex.

Against:

THE DECISION

CHARACTERARISTOTLE’S DEFINITION

HAMLET SCENEFOR &

AGAINST DECISION

ARISTOTLE: CHARACTERPersonal

MotivationCause &

EffectPity or Fear

Protagonist- BelievableRenowned& Prosperous Change of Fortune

Change Frailty or Error Pity 0r Fear

HAMLET: CHARACTER• Love & loyalty• Anger• True to his Word• Ability for Revenge• Prince • Educated• Philosopher• Conscience = delay.

Soliloquy: Swears to dedicatehimself to avenge his Father’s death.

HAMLET: ACT I: SCENE V

THE ARGUEMENTFOR: AGAINST:• Personal Motivation• Cause and effect• Renowned & Prosperous• Change of Fortune• Frailty or Error.

• Pity is subjective• Fear – probably

not.

THE DECISION

THOUGHTARISTOTLE’S DEFINITION HAMLET

SCENE DECISION

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.”

HAMLET: THOUGHT

HAMLETSOLILOQUIES HAMLET 7

“Oh that this too solid flesh will melt” (1:2)“Oh all you host of heaven! Oh earth! ” (1:5)“Oh! What a rogue and peasant slave am I” (2:2)

“To be or not to be” (3:1)“Tis now the very witching time of night” (3:2)“Now might I do it pat” (3:3)

“How all occasions do inform against me” (4.4)

CLAUDIUS 1

OPHILIA 1

HAMLET ACT III : SCENE I

Hamlet contemplates life and death……………..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JD6gOrARk4

THE DECISION

DICTIONARISTOTLE’S DEFINITION HAMLET

SCENE THE DECISION

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..…..”

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.

Act V Scene I: The Grave Yard Scene…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_GqWC_uIfs

SCENE

THE DECISION

SONGARISTOLOTE’S DEFINITION HAMLET

THE DECISION

ARISTOTLE: SONGQUANTITATIVE

PARTS

EPISODE

PROLOGUE

EXODE

CHORIC SONG

PARODE

STASIMON

COMMOI

HAMLET: SONG• No Chorus• Of its time?• Action on stage.• Aristotle : “Peculiar to some are songs of actors from the stage and the Commoi”.

THE DECISION

SPECTACLE

ARISTOTLE HAMLET

SCENE THE DECISION

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.”

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.

SCENEAct III Scene IV: The Closet Scene…..

THE DECISION

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.

FINAL THOUGHTShakespeare borrowed from many. Today many borrow from him.The Circle of Life so to speak….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZwdByyMujY