Women in Literature "THE DIN OF FAITHFUL DAUGHTERS, FAITHLESS LOVERS AND OPPORTUNISTS IN THE SELECT TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE"

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1 "THE DIN OF FAITHFUL DAUGHTERS, FAITHLESS LOVERS AND OPPORTUNISTS IN THE SELECT TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE" Dr.T.Malathi Gabriel, Assistant Professor of English, PVKN Govt College, Chittoor District, A.P ABSTRACT Shakespeare, the renowned dramatist stands foremost in English literature as a versatile genius and creative writer for his universal themes, unique characters, and different plots. The present research entitled, "The Din of faithful daughters, faithless lovers, and opportunists in the select tragedies of Shakespeare" focuses to examine valued virtuoso versus mistaken betrayals in the light of Aristotle's concept of classical tragedy.in the wake of advanced technology, rapid progression and globalized scenario the materialistic attitudes and aspirations play a dominant role resulting in betrayals.' By re-reading Shakespeare one can find him as a fervent aspirer to a fairer society and his dramas strive and thrive for rectifying oneself and to be a human. His works remind the lines of Kaniyan Pugundranar, the Tamil classic poet who articulated, the dew-washed wisdom, 3000years back: "Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character, When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home, When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation, When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world." Hence it is apt to call Shakespeare a world citizen who penned great works with universal themes: Keywords :Shakespeare tragedies,the theme of betrayal,aristotle's concept of tragedy, fairer society,a world citizen Copyright Oray s Publication Page 73

2 Introduction Shakespeare, the renowned dramatist stands foremost in English literature as a versatile genius and creative writer for his universal themes, unique characters, and different plots. He has carved a distinct niche in the realm of world literature and became an evergreen' writer of all times. His plays still tantalize the interpreters, critics and lay, readers, like hundreds of years after they were penned. The paper then proceeds to analyze the literature on the concept of tragedy and Shakespearean tragedies. Literature Review The word catharsis' refers to the effect of tragedy on the human heart. It involves three things: purgation, purification, and clarification. Milton calls this emotional disturbance and the final feeling as, calm of mind, all passions spent.'ac Bradley, the English Literary Scholar and writer of Shakespearean Tragedy,' views that a Shakespearean tragedy is essentially (i)a tale of suffering and woe(ii.) of a great man. This man, due to some fatal flaw, proceeds to his doom. Bradley says, "When he falls suddenly from the height of earthly greatness to the dust, his fall produces a sense of contrast, of the powerlessness of man and of the omnipotence, perhaps the caprice of Fortune or Fate, which no tale of private life can possibly rival". The book Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Guide to Criticism' traces the history of interpretation of Shakespearean tragedies. Lily Campbell, the Professor of English at UCLA states that the problem of tragedy has always been the problem of evil in the world. Tillyard, an English classic and literary Scholar says, "The conflicts of mature Shakespearean Tragedy are those between the passion and reason". McClendon argues that "a tragedy is a violent conflict and confusion of opposites", while Charlton claims that "the essence of tragedy in Shakespeare is the nobility of man triumphs over tragedy through tragedy". According to Frye, the Canadian literary critic "What makes tragedy tragic and not simply ironic is the presence in it of a counter movement of what we call the heroic, a Copyright Oray s Publication Page 74

3 capacity for action or passion for doing or suffering, which is above human experience". In his paper The Essence of Shakespearean Tragedy, David Chandler says, "the essence of Shakespeare's tragedies is the expression of one of the great paradoxes of life. We might call it the paradox of disappointment, and further that each play contains an element of hope that is disappointment or ambition that is frustrated". Objective The present paper entitled, "The Din of faithful daughters, faithless lovers, and opportunists in the Select Tragedies of Shakespeare" focuses to examine valued virtuoso versus mistaken betrayals in the light of Aristotle's concept of classical tragedy. Discussion The four great tragedies of Shakespeare King Lear, Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth are selected for discussion on the theme of valued virtuoso and mistaken betrayals. At the outset, the paper delves to discuss faithful daughters' - Cordelia from King Lear. Cordelia, as the honorable and beloved daughter of King Lear, ranks among Shakespeare's finest heroines. She is a devoted, kind, beautiful and honest. Cordelia's reunion with Lear marks the apparent restoration of order in the kingdom and the triumph of love and forgiveness over hatred and spite. Hamlet: The tragedy in Hamlet is neither in the death of Hamlet nor in the murder of Claudius but in the agony that the young Hamlet suffers post his father's death and the revelations of the ghost. Here is a young man the observed of all observers' staring at his mother's overhasty marriage to a man who was a Hyperion to a satyr'.again and again, he goes back to the theme of his mother's incestuous marriage. It is no wonder that he is driven to test the loyalty of Ophelia. If a woman like his mother could betray the memory of his father then can other women be different? Ophelia does not help matters when she fails the test Hamlet sets for her by conniving with Polonius and others.another source of anguish for Hamlet is his own inability to execute revengeto murder the murderer of his father, to be loyal to his filial obligations."what is he to Copyright Oray s Publication Page 75

4 Hecuba or Hecuba to him?" and again, "That I the son of a dear father murdered, prompted to revenge by heaven and hell " Thus the substance of tragedy in Hamlet is (i) what Hamlet considers to be Gertrude's betrayal of Hamlet's father (ii)hamlet's perception of the act of betrayal of Claudius, (iii) Ophelia's betrayal of Hamlet (iv) Hamlet's betrayal of the ghost's bidding for revenge. Othello: The sweet innocent maiden, besotted by the tales of adventure of the dark, brave stranger, happily married to him only to be strangled by her own husband. Desdemona's death is tragic but that again does not constitute the tragedy of Othello. The true tragedy of Othello is the falling apart of the dark Moor who is betrayed into believing that his sweet bride was unfaithful to him. The essence of Othello the play is "put out the light and then put out the light" because, with loss of Desdemona, Othello's occupation is gone. Iago corrupts not the mind of Othello but the idea of Desdemona the chaste, sweet and innocent girl, Othello had taken as his bride and whose absolute unquestioned loyalty he presumed to be his right. Othello falls twice- once when he finds the alleged ocular proof' of Desdemona's infidelity and again posts Desdemona's murder when he discovers the betrayal of Iago. Macbeth: Wherein lies the tragedy of Macbeth? It is most definitely not in the death of Duncan. Duncan's death is only the source of the tragedy that befalls Macbeth. The tragedy is also not in the gradual fading away of Lady Macbeth a woman who once was considered a woman of undaunted mettle' till she fades into such insignificance that her death fails to evoke any emotion even in her own husband let alone an audience. The tragedy in Macbeth lies in the fall of an able, brave, loyal man when he gives in to his weakness and betrays trust- the trust of a host, trust of a soldier, trust of a good human being. His own soliloquies and asides portray his preoccupation with his betrayal- loyalty he owed to Duncan as his host, relative and as his subject. King Lear: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia each betray Lear in her own way. Regan and Goneril pay lip service with their avowed declaration of love for their father. They Copyright Oray s Publication Page 76

5 appease his vanity only to betray him in deepest consequence. And the kind, the gentle, the true and loving Cordelia also betrayed her father. And hers is the betrayal that was the genesis of the tragedy of Lear. Here is an old man abdicating his throne in favor of his daughters looking only for some homage in return. Goneril and Regan fulfill that expectation through their false but bombastic declarations of love. This is followed by Cordelia's abrupt announcement. What a slap in the face for the old man who was expecting an even greater rhetoric from his most beloved child. Admittedly Goneril and Regan made hollow declarations but was Lear'squestion asked with the purpose of finding out of truth? A declaration of love is meant as a promise, a reassurance. Cordelia failed to deliver. She too failed in her filial obligations. Lear's suffering is once again the result of the perceived lack of loyalty of his daughters. The man who wanders around in a raging storm is conscious only of the betrayal of his three daughters. It is the anguished cry of a father "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child," though it is not ingratitude but Cordelia's alleged betrayal that is the cause of Lear's anguish. Frailty thy name is the woman (Hamlet, Act I Sc II). A cutpurse of empire and the rule, that from a shelf the precious diadem stole(hamlet Act III, Sc IV) iii. False face must hide what the false heart doth know. (Macbeth Act I Sc VII) Treason has done his worst (Macbeth Act III Sc II) v.she has deceived her father and may thee (Othello Act I Sc III ) vi. Yet she must die else she will betray more men (Othello Act VII) These are the key phrases from the four great tragedies of Shakespeare Conclusion In the wake of advanced technology, rapid progression and globalized scenario the materialistic attitudes and aspirations play a dominant role resulting in betrayals.' By re-reading Shakespeare one can find him as a fervent aspirer to a fairer society and his Copyright Oray s Publication Page 77

6 dramas strive and thrive for rectifying oneself and to be a human. Hence it is apt to call Shakespeare a world citizen who penned great works with universal themes: References Smith Emma Ed.Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Guide to Criticism, Blackwell Publishing 2004 Shakespeare, Hamlet, Rupa Classics, New Delhi 2014 Shakespeare, Macbeth, Rupa Classics, New Delhi, 2014 Shakespeare, Othello, Rupa Classics, New Delhi, 2014 Shakespeare, King Lear, Laxmi Narain Agrawal, Agra,2013 Copyright Oray s Publication Page 78

A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MAJOR SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDIES

A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MAJOR SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDIES Assistant Professor Department of English P. U. Constituent College, Dharmkot, Moga. (Punjab) INDIA Shakespeare was gifted with remarkable powers