Elements Of Tragedy In A Doll House And William Shakespeare's Hamlet

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The tragedy genre is most often seen in drama. It encompasses a plot in which a protagonist “is brought to a disastrous end… in some cases… [is a] direct result of a fatal but common character flaw” (Mays A13). The protagonist is often portrayed “as noble and statuesque” (Wallace 201). Tragedies are still a respected and well-studied genre of literature, although they are not considered a common theme in the modern era. An analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” and William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” shows common traits of the tragedy genre, such as situational irony, along with aspects of feminism that make each play unique. “An especially key component of tragedy” (Mays 781) is situational irony which occurs when the reality of a situation …show more content…
Throughout “A Doll’s House”, Torvald refers to Nora as his “little lark” (Ibsen 785), “squirrel” (785), and “little spendthrift” (785). Torvald feels as though “something of beauty [is lost]... from a home that’s founded on borrowing and debt” (786). He eventually informs Mrs. Linde “knitting… can never be anything but ugly” (830). Throughout the play, it is clear that Torvald is obsessed with beauty and appearances. He “manifests his social class”, according to Toril Moi, as “knitting is ugly because it is useful, [yet] embroidery is beautiful because it is a pastime for leisured ladies” (Moi 262). Toward the end of “A Doll’s House”, Torvald continues to express his lack of respect for female independence as he denounces Nora for taking out a loan and being “a featherbrained woman” (Ibsen 835). He tells Nora that, while she may continue living in the house, she “can’t be allowed to bring up the children” (835), as he does not trust her to do so. Nora becomes fed up and “[refuses] to define herself as a wife and mother]” (Moi 258). Nora’s decision, in this time period, is scandalous and unheard of, but it transforms “A Doll’s House” into “an astoundingly radical play about women’s historical transition from being generic family members… to becoming individuals” (258). This decision from Nora results in the …show more content…
Throughout the play, the two female characters, Gertrude and Ophelia, the daughter of the king’s counselor, receive unfair treatment from their male counterparts. Throughout “Hamlet”, Gertrude is “portrayed as a negative stereotype of a woman” (Jajja 231). In today’s current age, after the passing of a significant other, it is often accepted for a woman to move on to a new relationship when she is mentally prepared to do so. Although Claudius is negatively viewed for marrying Gertrude, it is she that receives constant insult for the marriage. When discussing the plot for revenge with Hamlet, the ghost of the former king refers to Gertrude as “[his] most seeming virtuous queen” (Shakespeare 1102), essentially inferring that the Gertrude is no longer honorable because she decided to remarry. Hamlet refers to Gertrude as weak and a “disgrace of virtue and love itself” (Jajja) as he states, “Frailty, thy name is woman” (Shakespeare 1090) in reference to her remarriage. Ultimately, “Hamlet regards [Gertrude] as the property of his father” (Jajja 231). Ophelia does not receive fair, treatment, either, throughout the play. Her brother, Laertes, warns Ophelia “what loss [her] honor may sustain” (Shakespeare 1095) if she were to physically express her love for Hamlet. Ophelia, however, states that Laertes “recks not his own rede” (1095), which ultimately

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