The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines revolution as “a sudden, radical, or complete change,” but the meaning of revolution and rebellion has evolved over time. In today’s more open-to-interpretation society its meaning has come to envelope a broader array of subjects. The development of rebellion and revolution as a theme can be seen throughout literature in works such as William Shakespeare's Hamlet, George Orwell’s 1984, and Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. Revolution changes from the known definition that can be applied to The French and American Revolutions, as seen in 1984 and to a lesser extent Hamlet, to a humanistic idea of an inner conflict within an individual as in Into the Wild. Nevertheless, the incongruities of the ideas of revolution in these literary works does not lessen the truth that there is an innate desire to rebel and defy a status quo in all humans.
Revolution in the more obvious sense is that in which an individual or group take action against another group for example, as is the case when in history revolutionary groups rebel against governments thought to be corrupt or ineffective. The works that best represent this take on revolution are Hamlet and 1984. In these works both main characters, Hamlet and Winston find themselves opposing their societies. In Hamlet, Shakespeare makes use of character foils to show the motives and willingness to act of Hamlet and Laertes. “Hamlet's visible absence in this scene only strengthens the contrast between the two avengers, with Laertes's actions illustrating what Hamlet ought to have done to fulfil the Ghost's bidding” (Sadowski). Laertes suffers from the same fate that Hamlet did: the murder of his father. Laertes at once goes to the throne and challenges the king i...
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...rds an outside force. Their reasons for rebellion differ and some may not deem the stresses of upper middle class worthy comparable to the oppression of a totalitarian government or the confrontation to a corrupt kingdom and murderer; regardless they are all examples of how the urge to reject a norm or controlling force is an innate part to humans, or as the social activist Abbie Hoffman calls it a “process embedded in the human spirit.” People will always see that the grass is greener on the other side and revolt to see that their lawn looks like the next. As Emma Goldman puts it “If I can't dance to it, it's not my revolution.” (1236)
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Revolution is one word that summarizes complete change. To put the name of a country before the word revolution means complete change in that country's government. In some way, whether it be politically, economically, or socially, the government failed to appease the people. In France and Latin America they stopped at virtually nothing to gain their goal. Latin America literally bit the hand the fed them and France beheaded their own king. This was all done in the name of reformation and change because somehow their government severely let down their people.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
A revolution is a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system. In 1775, America was ready for dramatic change, freedom, and a disconnection with Great Britain. Taxes, trade regulations, and overarchingly, power, made all colonists, aside from the loyalists, more than ready to detach from Great Britain 's rule. The American Revolution portrays many similarities and qualities of the French revolution, due to the inspiration of one to another. The similarities and qualities lie within their down spiraling economies, selfish, money wealth-thirsty leaders, ideologies, and provocation.
Shakespeare, William. The Tradegy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Which means all people, not giving thought to any struggle in the past. A revolution is a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence. As stated before, society changed, but the social structure of the society did not. When observing historical context, this can be a revolution because social structures either reverted back to the old ways then changed to an extent.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The. “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Eds. X. J. Kennedy, Dana. Gioia.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. 1395-1496.
Revolution is briefly described as an attempt to overthrow a government to start a new one. The American Revolution took place between 1775 and 1783 and was a fight for American Independence from England. In 1764, the first of many “Intolerable Acts” were passed. The British Parliament began to excise tax on the American colonies without representation, sparking the great conflict. The British were continuing to incorporate new ways to make more money. England was the most powerful country at the time with an intimidating military, so this wasn’t a hard task to complete. The American Revolution was very Revolutionary because, it jump started the abolition of slavery, it brought about many political and social advances, and served as a stepping stone towards a democracy and a strong centralized government.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012. Print.
Shakespeare, William. The New Cambridge Shakespeare: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Philip Edwards. Cambridge: Cambridge U P, 1985.
Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Washington Square Press new Folger ed. New York: Washington Square, 2002. Print.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Revolution is a topic at the heart of the Socialist and Marxist Ideology. The processes that bring about the insurrection vary, but for Marx and Engels, the only viable coup d’état is a violent one, that will enable a transition to the best society and human life. In Marxism, revolution is inevitable because of precedents set by developmental historicism and then inequality rampant in society. These negative and traditional attributes give rise to class-consciousness in a manner that promotes the inexorable path of society from capitalism to socialism.