Day3-3.Shakespeare‘s tragedies

Shakespeare‘s tragedies

1. Introduction

   1. “Hamlet" is fighting against the outside evil; “Othello" is an external evil that causes a man's fall;“ King Lear" is man's mistakes set free the sins;“Macbeth" is an outward evil that destroys a hero.

   2. Human beings are disillusioned with the ideal of the hero of humanism, the purpose of humanism, and the cruel reality. People want to control their destinies. The rise of the bourgeoisie reflects the change in rights. The end of tragedy is the combination of contingency and inevitability. The reason for the disaster is that society is also human.

2. The first common feature of tragedies is the tragic ending and the victory of the idea.

   1. Each portrays some noble hero who faces the injustice of human life and is caught in a difficult situation. His fate is closely connected with the future of the whole nation.

3. The second common feature of tragedies is the combination of contingency and inevitability.

   1. Each hero has his weakness of nature. Hamlet, the melancholic scholar-prince, faces the dilemma between action and mind. Othello's inner weakness is made use of by the outside evil force. The old King Lear, unwilling to give up his power, makes himself suffer from betrayal and infidelity. And Macbeth's lust for power stirs up his ambition and leads him to continuous crimes.

4. The third common feature of tragedies is the whole play is usually centered on the hero.

   1. All characters and incidents serve to set him off. And along with the portrayal of the weakness or bias of the hero, the sharp conflicts between the individual and the evil forces in the society are also revealed.

5. The fourth common feature of tragedies is the emphasis on dialogue, and the competition is spectacular.