Further going into the tragedy half of the revenge tragedy, Janet Spens states that there are 3 distinct qualities in an outline of a tragedy play. The first criteria is that the “tragedy must end in some tremendous catastrophe involving in Elizabethan practice the death of the principle character” (Spens). The play ends with Hamlet’s delay of taking revenge on Claudius resulting in the king accidentally poisoning Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother (5. 2. 294), Hamlet stabbing Claudius (5. 2. 306) and forcing him to drink the poisoned cup and thus killing Claudius (5. 2. 312), Laertes stabbing Hamlet with the poisoned blade who then subsequently returns the favor with the same blade (5. 2. 283), Laertes succumbing to the poison (5. 2. 316), and finally,
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347). The second criteria for a tragedy play to be a tragedy play is that “the catastrophe must not be the result of mere accident, but must be brought about by some essential trait in the character of the hero acting either directly or through its effect on other persons” (Spens). As stated above, the catastrophe largely resulted in Hamlet’s unwillingness to swiftly take his revenge, choosing instead to slowly allow tension to grow until it results in a brutal scene, which results in the death of not only Claudius, but himself, his rival Laertes, and his dear mother, Gertrude. The third and final criteria for what makes a tragedy play just that, is that “the hero must nevertheless have un him something which outweighs his defects and interests us in him so that we care for his fate more than anything else in the play” (Spens). This is the criterion that is left the most room for interpretation, though the most likely source of interest for Hamlet’s fate would be his internal struggle. If not for Hamlet’s delay in his taking vengeance on Claudius for his father’s death, the play could have largely been …show more content…
Amanda Mabillard gave four distinct reasons as to why Shakespeare in general still holds influence and popularity to this day, all of which can be adapted to specifically Hamlet. The first reason that Mabillard attributes to Shakespeare’s success is his “ability to summarize the range of human emotions in simple yet profoundly eloquent verse” (“Why Study”); the leads to many of Shakespeare’s lines have become easily recognizable from their repeated usage in media, pop culture and in general use, such as “To be, or not to be: that is the question” (Hamlet). The second reason that she attributes to Shakespeare’s success is that his “stories transcend time and culture. Modern storytellers continue to adapt Shakespeare’s tales to suit our modern world, whether it be the tale of Lear on a farm in Iowa, Romeo and Juliet on the mean streets of New York City, or Macbeth in feudal Japan” (“Why Study”). Indeed, Shakespeare’s plays continue to be adapted and translated again and again in almost every country in the world. The third reason that she attributes to Shakespeare’s success is his invention of his truly great characters which tend to remain popular because of their complexity which can be analyzed and reanalyzed with a dozen different results and opinions forming. For instance, the tragic hero Hamlet, is a gentle soul who is “forced against his better nature to seek murderous revenge”
347). The second criteria for a tragedy play to be a tragedy play is that “the catastrophe must not be the result of mere accident, but must be brought about by some essential trait in the character of the hero acting either directly or through its effect on other persons” (Spens). As stated above, the catastrophe largely resulted in Hamlet’s unwillingness to swiftly take his revenge, choosing instead to slowly allow tension to grow until it results in a brutal scene, which results in the death of not only Claudius, but himself, his rival Laertes, and his dear mother, Gertrude. The third and final criteria for what makes a tragedy play just that, is that “the hero must nevertheless have un him something which outweighs his defects and interests us in him so that we care for his fate more than anything else in the play” (Spens). This is the criterion that is left the most room for interpretation, though the most likely source of interest for Hamlet’s fate would be his internal struggle. If not for Hamlet’s delay in his taking vengeance on Claudius for his father’s death, the play could have largely been …show more content…
Amanda Mabillard gave four distinct reasons as to why Shakespeare in general still holds influence and popularity to this day, all of which can be adapted to specifically Hamlet. The first reason that Mabillard attributes to Shakespeare’s success is his “ability to summarize the range of human emotions in simple yet profoundly eloquent verse” (“Why Study”); the leads to many of Shakespeare’s lines have become easily recognizable from their repeated usage in media, pop culture and in general use, such as “To be, or not to be: that is the question” (Hamlet). The second reason that she attributes to Shakespeare’s success is that his “stories transcend time and culture. Modern storytellers continue to adapt Shakespeare’s tales to suit our modern world, whether it be the tale of Lear on a farm in Iowa, Romeo and Juliet on the mean streets of New York City, or Macbeth in feudal Japan” (“Why Study”). Indeed, Shakespeare’s plays continue to be adapted and translated again and again in almost every country in the world. The third reason that she attributes to Shakespeare’s success is his invention of his truly great characters which tend to remain popular because of their complexity which can be analyzed and reanalyzed with a dozen different results and opinions forming. For instance, the tragic hero Hamlet, is a gentle soul who is “forced against his better nature to seek murderous revenge”