聊城大学外国语学院英国文学史与选读课件 Hamlet.ppt

Tragedy A serious play in which the protagonist meets an unhappy or disastrous end. Tragedy Tragedy depicts the actions of a central character who is usually dignified or heroic. Through a series of events, this main character, or tragic hero, is brought to a final downfall. The causes of a tragic hero’s downfall vary. In traditional dramas, the cause can be fate, a flaw in character, or an error in judgment Tragedy In modern dramas, where the tragic hero is often an ordinary individual, the causes range from moral or psychological weakness to the evils of society. Shakespeare’s tragedies Shakespeare’s tragedies reflect the sharp contradictions of the Elizabethan society, the economic and social crisis of the time, and show the author’s deep observation of life. In his tragedies he portrayed heroes who are victims of injustice and treachery. He exposed and denounced hypocrisy, treachery and general corruption at the royal court and various evils in the society. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Origin: Based on the history of Denmark; Shakespeare took the story of revenge, but transformed it into a realistic reflection of the time and made Hamlet the representative of humanism. Plot: A Revenge Story 1. Father suddenly died, mother remarried to his uncle, the new king ; 2. Meeting the ghost: murder, urging revenge! 3. Pretending to be mad, a play within a play; 4. Guilt confirmed, but Hamlet unable to take prompt action; he delays and delays-- 5. The scheme in the duel! 6. The revenge completed, but many people dead; Hamlet Theme Shakespeare retained the revenge subject and the subject of struggle for the throne within the court, but the main purpose was for the revelation of something more profound and realistic: contradiction between humanist ideals and the reality. Hamlet Character study Hamlet as a typical tragic hero: Good qualities: noble-minded, brave, intelligent, learned, with a strong sense of justice, loved and respected by his people; Haml