Compare and Contrast the Ways in Which Shakespeare and Webster Present Hamlet and Bosola as Tragic Heroes. Essay

Bosola from Websters The Duchess of Malfi and village from Shakespeargons Hamlet, twain present elements of Aristotles model of the sad hero through both of the graphemes, Shakespe atomic number 18 and Webster use the features of the tragic hero to engage Elizabethan and Jacobean audiences in an exploration of issues linked to the Renaissance, religion and philosophy. This essay im place explore how the playwrights present the tragic flaws in their heroes reference and how they face struggles due to their inner conflict and may exhibit villainous behavior hardly are non complete tyrants. Greek philosopher Aristotle recorded his ideas ab surface tragedy dramas and the tragic hero in his say book of literary theory titled Poetics (335 BCE), the book was rediscovered during the Renaissance and became commonly used as a playwriting manual. Aristotle stated that the tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness exactly although they are seen as pre-eminently gre at, they are non perfect.The tragic heros d avowfall will get into down to being mainly of their own doing through the result of free choice rather than slash or villainy or some other malevolent fate. Aristotle characterised the tragic hero as discovering hamartia which is usually translated as tragic flaw. Thither is too some increase in awareness and a sense of disco actually upon the part of the tragic hero. Hamlets biggest flaw in character is that he over philosophises and delays killing Claudius up until it is too late for his family and himself. After he decides Claudius is guilty of murdering his father, he distillery relents from taking his revenge, he says Haste me to know t, that I, with wings as swift/ As surmise or the thought of love/ May sweep to my revenge. (Act I, scene V). This quote displays Hamlets deep relish for revenge, the words are powerful and using words much(prenominal) as swift gives the impression that he will not delay in taking action sugges ting that he is set up, however the juxtaposing simile implant within the quote is soft and suggests Hamlets cogitating over thoughts of love possibly his love for Ophelia, meditation also implies that he d rises in deep thought.Hamlet procrastinates a lot throughout the play metalworker says that due to his brooding and introspective nature, he often wrangles with language to help him understand a universe w present he has little control. Hamlets famous to be or not to be monologue questions the righteousness of life over demolition in moral terms and discusses the m all possible reasons for either living or dying, this does howevershow the audience Hamlets humanity, Shakespeare can also use his character to engage with the prevalent philosophical ideas during the Renaissance period Judkins states that the Renaissance embraces a serial of religious, economic, and political changes which ripple into areas of science, literature, and philosophy, at a time of change and new idea s many writers such as Shakespeare would occupy been interested in the ideas explored during the Renaissance and so create characters to reflect it. One font of Hamlets dilemma reflecting the debates in Elizabethan society, is linked to morality and law Hamlet finds himself part between his desire for revenge but also his philosophizing over the futility of life J. J. Lawlor argues that the avenger delays, not from despair or indecision which are finally rejected in favour of the duty of revenge, but be driving there is a scruple about revenge itself.Hence, Hamlets scrupling reflects a man trap in changing times between the Medieval Age when bloody revenge was accepted and the Tudor era of legal reformation where private revenge was outlawed. Bosola also shows internal conflict which could imply that he fits Aristotles model of the tragic hero, however it is shown more through his asides rather than soliloquies as shown in Hamlet. Bosola is very bitter towards the system and the authority the country is ruled, with those above him abusing their power but still he continues to transport out his ways, due to his greed poisoning his morals, it can be said he is plagued by his own melancholy and will only debate the consequences afterwards. Boas suggests that the tragic hero is made to feel him-self caught in a situation over which he has little control but in which he must counterbalance some decision, however futile. But the unhappy out-come always emerges from his decision. He must choose and cannot choose well, so although Bosola chooses to avenge the duchess he kills her, her children, Antonio and himself in the process.It could also be said that Bosola fails to redeem himself because his actions are determined by revenge, after he kills the Cardinal and Ferdinand he says, no(prenominal) my revenge is perfect. Sink, thou main cause/ Of my undoing The last part of my life/ Hath d iodin me best service (Act V, shooting, V). Like Shakespeare, Websters innovation of inner conflict in his protagonist also seems to suggest that the path of private retribution is multiform and will lead to destruction. Bosola does also come to terms with his fate existential nihilists claim that, to be honest, one must face the absurdityof existence, that he/she will eventually die (Unknow Author). Bosola states that people are provided the stars tennis balls (Act V, Scene IV) that a persons fate is already mapped out and everything is inevitable so Bosola feels like a victim of circumstance. John F Buckingham states that perhaps there is also an etymological entailment in Websters adjustment of the source name, Bozola to a new spelling that references the word Bossola Italian for a mariners compass, pointing up the irony that Bosolas own final journey is directionless, away from arbitrator. It could be said that Hamlet also comes to terms with his fate and carries it upon his shoulders like a burden. The time is out of joint O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right (Act I, Scene V), here it could be said that Hamlet indisputably feels that he was born to avenge his fathers death, thus he vows to dedicate his life to vengeance.In the final scene Hamlet realizes that a person should be ready to accept the undeniable fact that death will come Hamlet says to Horatio, Theres circumscribed providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, tis not to come if it be not to come, it will be now if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all (Act V, Scene II). both Hamlet and Bosola show villainous behaviour, but it can be argued that they arent in fact exclusively evil. Hamlet soon finds himself acting upon passion and is at least at crucial moments of his experience, passions slave, as in his castigation of Ophelia and, more tragically, in his murder of her father (Allan). Hamlet is not a bad person yet the pressure and intensity of his vengeance tears away at him he finds himself acting sometimes rashly an d uncertainly, and in the case of Polonius murder, he does not initially show any signs of remorse as he looks down on him calling him a wretched, rash, intruding fool (Act III, Scene IV), which suggests he is almost saying it is Polonius fault for getting involved and does not take responsibility. Hamlets actions are caused by his desire to avenge his father the old king Hamlet who was murdered by his brother Claudius and so it could be argued that had Hamlet not known thatClaudius murdered his father, he would not have carried out the murders and would therefore not be villainous, as Hamlet was loved by the people and was known to be a smart scholar who went to university. Shakespeare uses Ophelia to reflect these views when she says, O what a noble mind is here oerthrown (Act III, Scene I). Hamlet did not int halt onhurting his loved ones in the branch and should not be seen as evil as his aims were to only avenge his father. Allan comments that, violence of word and accomplish ment do not come naturally to Hamlets reflective and moral temperament. On the other hand, amateur Augustus Schlegel argues that Hamlet has a natural inclination for crooked ways he is a hypocrite towards himself his far-fetched scruples are often mere pretexts to cover up his want of determination, this suggests that Hamlet is just as Machiavellian as Claudius but this reading would be too simple, and does not consider the impact of Hamlets humanity which is evident in his delay and conflicting thoughts. Bosola however is more entangled in Machiavellian scheming, serving the Duchess brothers, the Cardinal and Ferdinand, and so it could be said that he is not in fact a villain but instead just a working man. Bosola refers to himself as their creature (Act I, Scene I) with its connotations of unthinking, subjection and inhumanity, Bosola carries out their deeds for his own material gain seemingly regardless of his morals most believably due to his bitterness and discontent with soc ial structure and other existing conditions. Bosola is a key part of the plot and acts as a spy and a murderer but although it was his choice to have this way of life, in the end he stands for his beliefs.Bosola has already been to prison which implies he is criminal, but during his asides, it is evident that he is not an evil assailant but a man doing a job, For the good deed you have through me, I must do all the ill man can invent. He recognizes the consequences of his actions and feels remorse, for example, when Bosola is tell to kill the Duchess, he cannot face her as his true self due to his sympathy towards her and so he disguises himself C. G. Thayer states that having caused the Duchess so much agony already, Bosola cannot now bear to have her recognize him as he comes to finagle her murder, or, more simply, that he is a dauntd to appear in his own fix. This idea of the counterfeit shape links to Machiavellian ideas but also links to his own sense of morality and feeling towards the Duchess and Antonio and his shame for how he is ruining their family and lives. Bosola cannot be seen to be a villain completely as at the end of play he plans to kill the Cardinal for making him kill all those people and for committing crimes, hoping to help lighten Antonio, and although he kills Antonio accidently, he did change his ways and tried to help, this is an excellent example of how Bosola resembles the tragic hero excogitation. In conclusion it is clear that Hamlet fits the model of the tragic hero and it is evident that Bosola also fits the characteristics of a tragic hero.Smith describes Hamlet as the quintessential tragic hero. Not only does he begin with the noblest motivations but by the end, his situation is so dire that the only plausible final act should be his death. If we consider Bosola as the malcontent of the play, the audience can see he tends to view things cynically, and makes numerous censorious comments on the nature of Renaissance societ y. Bell states that Bosola also acts as a choric figure at regular intervals during the play and he often makes judgements on the other characters and the series of events. However despite these more seemingly malcontent traits, it is evident that he can also be seen as a figure resembling the tragic hero. Hamlet and Bosola both display a tragic flaw in character, both display villainous behavior yet it is clear that they both have a sense of morality, neither character realize the right thing to do until the end of both plays and so fail to attain happiness. Shakespeare and Webster both use the traits of the tragic hero to engage in and explore topics which were being challenged and revamped by the discoveries of the Renaissance period.BibliographyAllan, Phillip. Hamlet Phillip Allan Literature Guide for A-Level. Hodder Education Oxford shire, 2011. Bell, Millicent. Hamlet, Revenge The Hudson Review, Vol. 51, No. 2 (Summer, 1998), pp. 310-328. Boas, George. The Evolution of the Tra gic Hero. The Carleton Drama Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, Greek Tragedy (1955 1956), pp. 5-21. Buckingham, John F. The Dangerous Edge of Things John Websters Bosola in Context & Performance, 2011. Judkins, David. bearing in Renaissance England Online available at Lawlor, J.J. The Tragic Conflict in Hamlet. The Review of English Studies. R.E.S revolutionary Series, Vol 1, No. 2, 1950. Schelegel, Augustus William. Criticisms on Shakespeares Tragedies Hamlet. Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. London, 1846. Hamlet. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. Norton and Company New York, 1992, pp. 155-7. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 2005. Smith, Nicole. Shakespeares Hamlet as a Tragic Hero Online available at Thayer, C. G. The Ambiguity of Bosola. Studies in Philology, Vol. 54, No.2 (Apr., 1957), pp. 162-171. (Unknown Author) nihilistic delusion Onlineavailable atWebster, John. The Duchess of Malfi. London Methuen drama, 2001.