“Words, Words, Words”, is a play written by David Ives and is considered by many to be an outstanding play. This play was written in the 1990’s and has since then inspired and even educated people. In order to understand the play, one must understand the time period in which the play was written as well as the idea around which the story is focused. Despite its simple and fun look and idea, this play has many allusions to Shakespearian poetry, as well as other works of literature which helps to draw in a very wide audience. A critic of Shakespeare said; “Shakespeare’s mode of conceiving characters out of his own intellectual and moral faculties, by conceiving any one individual or moral faculty in morbid excess and then placing himself, thus …show more content…
The first one that the reader comes across is the title. “Words, Words, Words” is not only a really remarkable title for the play that talks about monkeys typing words, but also a quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet of when Polonius is talking to Hamlet. The next reference the reader comes across is when Swift is talking about what will happen if they actually manage to type up Hamlet and what will happen next. In this part Swift also quotes Hamlet but does not write it down. “Boy there’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life! For who would bear the whips and scorns of time…” (Line 118) However, quotes from Hamlet are not the only allusions that we see in this play. If we take a look at the names of the three monkeys they also tell us something about the monkeys as well. The first monkey is Milton; this is the same monkey that quotes John Milton in the beginning in Lines 35-40. Then there is Swift whose name describes his character and actions. He is the really hyper one that at the end makes a plan to kill the doctor. And the last monkey is Kafka. Her name sounds funny and makes no sense and that exactly what Kafka does, she is very dreamy and rarely puts in a remark, however when she does put one in then she wants to be heard. Also she is only able to type one letter repetitively until in the end she writes Hamlet, which makes no sense. Not only did the allusions to Shakespeare and the Bible make this play exciting to read but it was more the allusions to what you hear in the everyday world. The first allusion like this that we see is in Line 72 where the author refers to post modernism to describe what Kafka wrote. This of course makes a lot more sense to people who are into art or ever took an Art Appreciation course in school or college. And most likely the funniest part is in lines 100-110 where they are talking about using the system and Milton puts on a show in order to earn a cigarette and
Time never stops moving forward and neither do the changes that humans make to today’s society, so why should we use Elizabethan references to make the same point that modern points could make. It would be similar to building a house but only using tools available centuries ago, it takes longer and is not as effective as using today’s tools and methods. The allusions used in Hamlet are a great example of references that would have been understood by Elizabethan teens, but if it is going to be read by modern teens the allusions should be revised so the reader understands what the writer is trying to say. That is why updating these allusions would open up Hamlet to a whole new teenage audience.
The court of Denmark is full of hungry ears, listening for news of the king’s death, how he died, scandalous gossip of the newly wedded Claudius and Gertrude, eavesdropping on conversations, catching whispered secrets, and sometimes lies. Such open ears in the court offer easy access for words, truthful or not, to slither into the mind and sake seed inside unsuspecting listeners. In fact, spoken words in Hamlet are apt to find their way into unguarded ears and have great effects upon characters in the play. Shakespeare uses prominent imagery of ears to illustrate words’ powerful influence on the actions and emotions of a person.
When one reflects on the questions they are asked in life, one of the most thought provoking questions is “what is your favorite movie?” Though a trivial question, one constantly finds oneself baffled trying to think of a movie in which they can truly say is their favorite. Once one comes up with an answer to this question, the preceding question is “why?” What is it that truly makes a movie great? One can argue the characters, or the story line that makes the movie great. But ultimately it is the memorable scenes in which make the movie ones favorite. It is the scenes that truly stand out above the other components of a movie or play. For this reason, numerous writers emphasize one or two scenes in which stand out from all the rest. This technique was mastered by no other than the playwright William Shakespeare. Shakespeare throughout his tragedies focuses on two scenes that stand out to the audiences. Shakespeare’s emphasis on scenes is evident in act 1 scene 1, act three scene 1 of his play Hamlet, and Act 2kj… of his play King Lear.
...ne else in the play the power of language to alter reality, and the issues of conscious or unconscious deceit.
An author can reveal characteristics of characters in literature through several different methods. Some common methods of characterization include one’s appearance, speech, thoughts, name, actions, and emotions. However, unconventional means can also be used, such as imagery, which is visually descriptive or figurative language. In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, imagery is used to characterize central characters to the play. Firstly, Hamlet’s characteristics are revealed through the imagery of death in his speech. Secondly, Claudius’ characteristics are revealed through the imagery in the Ghost and Hamlet’s descriptions of him, as well as his own thoughts. It is through this visually descriptive and figurative language, that readers can identify characteristics of these central characters.
In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, we observe Hamlet as an incredibly complex and bewildering character that upon first glance, seems to undergo a plethora of predicaments. Upon identification of such obstacles, we begin to wonder about whether his entirely fictitious existence in the play classifies him as sane while the world around him is in a way, insane or vise-versa. In addition, one of the main problems that superficially seems to be at the root of his conflicts is his melancholy. This is a condition that has always identified with him throughout the entire play, even still presenting itself up until the very end of Act V. In conclusion, the cause of his affliction is generally simplistic but drawn-out, serving to impact his actions significantly.
Assignment 1: Explication from Hamlet (1.3.111-137) (“My lord, he hath importuned me with love” … [end of scene].
The thoughts of young Hamlet contain specific diction that exemplify his fragile state. Overall the diction remains elevated; an attempt of Shakespeare to stay consistent with Hamlet’s aristocratic upbringing. Shakespeare repeatedly pairs particular words together to provide additional contrast to this life versus death debate. Choice words such as “suffer” and “fortune” as well as “coil” and “respect” demonstrate the opposing forces of life and death. This contrasting diction also builds tension as throughout the soliloquy the word choice becomes increasingly more negative.
comparing the quote to the rest of the themes of the play, we interpret a deeper meaning in the
To understand a play, you must first understand the fundamentals for the play: protagonist, antagonist, exposition, rising action, crisis, climax and resolution. I will examine Hamlet by William Shakespeare. This is a great example for the purpose of this paper it provides a clear and great examples.
Language Techniques in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Shakespeare used a variety of language techniques throughout Hamlet,
Hamlet’s Concern with Death In Hamlet’s first soliloquy (ll. 1.2.129-159) , Shakespeare uses a biblical lexicon, apostrophes, and depictions of corporeal decay to show Hamlet’s preoccupation with the fate of a person after death.
A principal theme in Shakespeare's Hamlet is the strength and flexibility of language. Words are used to communicate ideas, but can also be used to distort or conceal the truth and manipulate. Throughout the play characters comment on the properties of language and exploit these for their own advantage.
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist exhibits a puzzling, duplicitous nature. Hamlet contradicts himself throughout the play. He endorses both the virtues of acting a role and that of being true to one's self. He further supports both of these conflicting endorsements with his actions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness, for he does behave madly, only to become perfectly calm and rational an instant later. These inconsistencies are related with the internal dilemmas he faces. He struggles with the issue of revenging his father's death, vowing to kill Claudius and then backing out, several times. Upon this point Hamlet stammers through the play. The reason for this teetering is directly related to his inability to form a solid opinion about role playing. This difficulty is not present, however, at the start of the play.
Keys to Interpretation of Hamlet & nbsp; William Shakespeare's Hamlet is, at heart, a play about suicide. Though it is surrounded by a fairly standard revenge plot, the play's core is an intense psychodrama about a prince gone mad from the pressures of his station and his unrequited love for Ophelia. He longs for the ultimate release of killing himself - but why? In this respect, Hamlet is equivocal - he gives several different motives depending on the situation. But we learn to trust his soliloquies - his thoughts - more than his actions.