Psychologically Viewing Three Plays Essay Research Paper

Psychologically Viewing Three Plays Essay, Research Paper

From psychologically viewing the plays, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello it seems that these three tragedies all connect. Shakespeare has a way of manipulating the audience into feeling compassionate towards acts that the usually wouldn’t be compassionate towards. These acts may include insanity, murder, or betrayal. And Shakespeare also has a way of leaving the audience to ponder what the outcome would have been if one certain event may not have happened. Shakespeare’s tragedies will certainly stick in many people’s minds and hearts for years to come because of the power and reality of Shakespeare’s characters.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a complex story of revenge, the lack of love,

and the “madness” of Hamlet. This play is fueled by the the people of the

Elizabethean and Jacobean period. It is a revenge play that included the

elements for a revenge play that the people wanted. They wanted a hero to

avenge an evil deed, scenes of death and mutilation, insanity or feigned

insanity, sub-plays, and the violent death of the hero. Shakespeare knew

what the people of this era wanted and he combined it together to create one

of the best plays of that time and all-time: Hamlet.

Shakespeare was able to make this play so great because Hamlet was a

great character. Most people could relate to what he did and why he did it.

He was a real person; mourning the loss of his father and rejecting the man

who was to take his father’s place. This play was maybe the first time that

the audience was able to come to understand the insanity of a man.

Hamlet is faced with some of the biggest difficulties a man can be

faced with. How to handle the situation with his uncle and mother, the loss

of his father, and a girlfriend who betrayed him is what drove Hamlet to be

crazy. This play enables the audience to feel a pang of sympathy toward Hamlet even when they might not agree with what he is doing.

Another key point in Hamlet is that he is very intelligent. Hamlet had many chances to kill his uncle that he did not take. They were too easy and would not completely satisfy Hamlet or the spirit of his father. Hamlet wanted his father’s death avenged; he wanted everybody to know what had happened.

This play also gets thrown a twist with the character of Ophelia. Ophelia was used in the play to show the changes happening in Hamlet’s character. We see how a man’s mother can be the ultimate representation of a woman. For Hamlet it became if my mother is a whore then every woman must be. Ophelia furthered proved this fact by obeying the wishes of her father over the Hamlet’s wishes. Hamlet felt Ophelia had let herself be used and she was now dirty. This aspect of the play allows the audience to see that Hamlet is really going insane from the whole situation he is in.

The irony behind this play is that if Hamlet was not such a great man he may have lived. If he would have taken the easy way out by stabbing his uncle in the back or poisoning his drink he could have lived on. But Hamlet died because he was a fair man.

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, a prominent reoccurring theme is vision and its importance. Shakespeare portrays this theme through the characters of Lear and Gloucester. The contrast of vision in these two characters shows the difference between eyesight and enlightenment to a person’s inner feelings. Although Lear can physically see he is blinded in the sense that he lacks insight, understanding, and direction. In contrast, Gloucester becomes physically blind, but gains the type of vision that Lear lacks. It is evident from these two characters that clear vision is not derived solely from physical eyesight.

Throughout most of the play, Lear’s vision is clouded by his lack of insight. Since he could not see into other’s personalities he could never identify them for whom they truly were. When his youngest daughter, Cordelia, angers Lear Kent tries to reason with Lear, who is too stubborn to be open-minded to the insight of others. Lear responds to Kent’s opposition with, “Out of my sight!” to which Kent responds, “See better Lear, and let me still remain.”(Act I, Scene 1, line 160) Here Lear is saying that he never wants to see Kent again. If he only could see Kent for whom he really was.

Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear, but Lear could not see that Kent’s vision is not clouded, as is Lear’s. Kent knows that he can remain near Lear as long as he hides behind the mask. Lear’s visual perception is so superficial that merely garments and a disguise worn by Kent trick him. He only learns of Kent’s honest and noble character just prior to his death, when his vision is clear. By this time, however, it is too late for an honest relationship.

Lear’s vision is also worsened by his lack of direction in life and his poor foresight. Also, he cannot look far enough into the future to see the consequences of his actions. This, in addition, to his lack of insight condemns his relationship with hi most beloved daughter Cordelia. When Lear asks his daughters who loves him the most he already thinks that Cordelia has the most love for him. However when Cordelia says, “I love you my majesty/according to my bond, no

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