RENAISSANCE PERIOD

Renaissance Period - Comparing Hamlet by Shakespeare and The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster



Renaissance Period - Comparing Hamlet by Shakespeare and The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster

Introduction

The purpose of this discussion is to examine the portrayal of madness in two Renaissance tragedies. In order to do so adequately, the discussion will explore the extent to which it can it be seen as a manifestation of the inward conflict of the protagonist. The portrayal of madness in the plays, Hamlet by Shakespeare and The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster, shall be given consideration in this regard. The discussion will begin with a brief introduction of Hamlet and The Duchess of Malfi, before moving on to present the comparison and contrasting of the two plays. Once an adequate comparison and contrasting of the two plays has been carried out, the discussion will then move on to present conclusions and inferences based on the observations made during the exercise.



Hamlet by Shakespeare

Prince Hamlet is not only angry at the fact that the murderer of his father (Claudius) has ascended to the throne by marrying the widowed queen (Gertrude), but is infuriated by his mother's support of Claudius. This expression of Hamlet is apparent when he states that:

“O that this too too solid flesh would melt,

Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!

Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!” (Bradley, 2006)

The dead King's spirit continues to encourage prince Hamlet to seek vengeance for his father's death and it is in the pursuit of revenge that Hamlet ends up losing not only his life but also his love: Ophelia, the daughter Polonius (Bratcher, 2007; Chalk, 2011). Polonius also happens to be Claudius's right hand man and confidante, which further complicates the plot.

Hamlet is regarded as one of Shakespeare's most inspiring tragedies. It begins with the remorse of a prince over his father's death and the chain of events that follows when he realizes (thanks to the apparition of the King's spirit) that it was the King's brother who murdered him. As the brother struggles to retain the throne after marrying the queen, Hamlet falls victim to a sequence of circumstances that continue to spiral out of control as regret, remorse and a desire for revenge dictates the actions of the characters. It ultimately comes as no surprise that the eventual outcome of the events that transpire leads to further pain and remorse for the characters (Baker, 2012; Borlik, 2011).

The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster

The Duchess of Malfi is a tragic play by John Webster. The play centers on the events that transpire when The Duchess of Malfi chooses to marry beneath her social class in spite of the warnings of her brothers (Junod, 2008; Baker, 2012). The brothers are driven by rage in their reactions and it is because of the same rage that they not only end up killing their own sister but also lose their own lives in the ...