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Theme of Social Hierarchy in William Shakespeare's Henry V, Twelfth Night and Macbeth
Henry V, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth cover the whole field of Shakespearean genres, but it is amazing how Shakespeare displays a theme and carries it through in any kind of play he wants to. Historic, comic, and tragic plays are about as different as you can get, yet when we take a closer look we see many similarities among them, especially in the area of social hierarchy. In all three of these plays, Shakespeare uses a similar theme, which he conveys and proves through his characters. Twelfth Night's Malvolio, and Macbeth's Macbeth, Henry V's Henry all hold social status, and they spread the social scale, one a servant, one a nobleman, and one a king. In the play we see their desires to better their social standing and climb the social hierarchy that puts them all on similar ground, ground which in some cases is somewhat dangerous, breaking social laws.
In Twelfth Night, Malvolio is a servant. Granted, he is a higher-level servant; he is responsible for Olivia's finances. When we begin the play, it seems, even through Malvolio's melancholy personality, that he is content with his social standing. He enjoys the little social power he possesses but is not seeking a higher social standing. However, after he finds the letter, he "becomes" a new individual. His cross-gartering himself with yellow stockings, his incessant smiling, and his eager compliance with the anonymous show us the lengths Malvolio is willing to go to now to increase his social standing. His quickness to direct the letter to himself also shows us that the attitude he appeared to show at the beginning, his melancholy satisfaction with his social standing, may have been...
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... God's approval. If Henry could not "with right and conscience take [his] claim" (Henry V I.ii.98), he wouldn't have gone to war. He was not going to risk lives for a quest that was not within his royal limits. Malvolio didn't bother to care about going out of his socially constructed box and neither did Macbeth.
This is Shakespeare's point. Society has created a hierarchy for a reason, and it is within no person's rights to try to break out of his mold, except for the King, who is the figurehead of England. Shakespeare doesn't let Macbeth or Malvolio off the hook as Malvolio is completely humiliated and overwhelmed with and humorously vows to revenge and Macbeth is ultimately killed, defamed, and stripped of his crown after death. Breaking the social hierarchy is placed in a bad light and discouraged for anyone as unpleasant things may happen in consequence.
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me”(1.3.157-159). Hierarchy wasn’t always bad, but in the case of “Macbeth”, leads to the death of many, and all for the fabled position of power, king. However, in history, it has proven to not be all that bad at times; with many great leaders like Alexander the Great having led his Country through many advances in civilisation. Throughout Macbeth, 3 kings are sworn in; that is insane, the time period is no longer than a year, yet power was transferred 3 times. Imagine if we changed Prime Ministers every few months; they don’t even hold as much power as a king. Duncan, Malcolm, Macbeth, Macbeth’s wife, the Witches (The Supernatural) and other all influence and play a part in the
Malvolio’s unfortunate issue is a warning tale of ambition overcoming good sense. At the close of the play, he is brought out of the darkness into a celebration in which he has no part, and where no one seems willing to offer him a real apology. “I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you,” he snarls, stalking out of the festivities (V.i.365). His exit strikes a jarring note in an otherwise joyful comedy. Unfortunately, I do not believe Malvolio has no real place in the anarchic world of Twelfth Night, only to suggest that333 someone must suffer while everyone else is happy.
Leadership in William Shakespeare's Henry V. At the time when "Henry V" was written in 1599, England was in chaos. facing many dilemmas and challenges. The country was coming to the end of the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth was in the final years of her reign. and she was getting old, which must be taken into consideration.
Unquestionably, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth show how ambition mixed with greed and unchecked morales can ultimately lead to one’s downfall. Shakespeare excellently portrays this through the main characters in his play Macbeth. By using two protagonists, Shakespeare allows the reader to view two different ways the meaning of the play can have an effect on people. Undeniably, the Macbeth’s greed based off ambition is thoroughly shown throughout
Shakespeare’s relatable literature questions Elizabethan hierarchy and morals while respecting society’s parameters. Macbeth exhibits a prime example exploring social issues such as relativity between cruel behavior and masculinity. Protagonists Macbeth and Lady Macbeth conflict with idealology acceptable for Renaissance noble families. By exploring femininity, gender stereotypes, and allusions to Greek mythology, Shakespeare investigates relativity between cruel behavior and masculinity. Macbeth stands as a tragedy through the ages to question stereotypes and how they affect lives in Elizabethan England, and today.
One leading contribution for Macbeth’s tragedy is the inability to have his power kept in check. According the Berger, a position of authority can directly affect the individual’s sense of self, status, and their role in society. This also touches this individual’s sense of not only others, but also that of the world surrounding this person (1). A position of power directly impacts those around that person. These characters surrounding this power, who are close enough, can also maintain a power check over that person. Yet these characters holding such a position in the play are not able to keep this power in check. Under the influence of unchecked power, Macbeth takes actions that have serious and devastating consequences for other characters in the play.
Among the greatest gifts that the renaissance produced was the eloquent and incredible Shakespearean plays. Written mostly in the 1590s these plays have been performed and admired countless times; entertaining mass audiences by providing interesting tales that explore the depth of human insights and the different universal themes. Among the many Shakespearean plays Macbeth, written in 1606, stands out with its short composition but multiple themes. This tragedy narrates the tale of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s quest to grasp ultimate power by ignoring their morals and succumbing to their dark desires, which ultimately leads to their downfall. This tragic play portrays the desires, needs, and temptations that accompany ambition in men and women. However the ambition in Macbeth is blind, it does not abide to the morals, but it allows space for dark actions as means necessary for accomplishment. Blind ambition serves as the main driving force that drives Macbeth to subdue to his dark desires, defy his noble behavior, and ultimately his downfall.
William Shakespeare' tragedy Macbeth (1606) considers many themes such as ambition, divine rulership, fate and free will, power, violence, and the supernatural. Set in Scotland, the play demonstrates the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Shakespeare creates a mood to make the audience either sympathise or condemn her by the usage of symbolism, cold language, and sorrow.
In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Malvolio is considered an outcast by almost everyone in the play. He doesn’t act the same way that any of the other characters act, in that he doesn’t participate in any of their activities, he enforces rules that the others could care less about, and he is just overall a socially awkward guy. Malvolio not only claims to adhere to the rules of the household himself, but uses his relations with Olivia to try and help make the others follow the rules as well. This upsets certain characters more than others. For instance Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria find his behavior particularly detestable. But Malvolio’s strict coherence to the rules allows him to have a rather high position in Olivia’s household. While Malvolio may be considered a social outcast to most of the characters in the play, Olivia considers Malvolio to be a very trusted steward of her household. For these reasons Malvolio is not only a social outcast, but an outcast that Shakespeare uses to keep people interested in his play.
Malvolio’s dislikeable rigidity nature is shown immediately in his first entrance in the play, in his rude humiliation of Feste, “I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal … unless you laugh and minister occasion to him, he is gagged” (McEachern, 2007). The disapproval towards his rigid humorless attitude immediately follows with Olivia reprimanding her steward’s habit for making a big deal out of everything, “O you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite” (McEachern, 2007). Malvolio further manifests his rigid and fun despising personality as he, depicted as a killjoy, spoils the revelry of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Feste late in the night “My masters, are you mad? Or what are you? Have you no wit, manner, nor honestly, but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night” (McEachern, 2007). It is exactly this fun despising side, depicted as Malvolio’s “stubborn and uncourteous parts” that earns him the enmity of the revelers. As he thinks, with excellences, that it is his grounds of faith that look on him love him.” Because of Malvolio’s dispositio...
Shakespeare showed us that Macbeth was a dynamic character who changed from loyal, caring and courageous to a selfish jealous character. Macbeth let the evil take him over therefore he was no longer a good person because the witches manipulated him. It was showing humanism because after the death of Duncan he then realized that he regretted using it in an evil way. “My hands are red like yours but I’d be ashamed to wear a heart so white.” Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth the she wouldn’t want to be so cold hearted like he is. Would you let the powers get the best of you by ruling a country and turn them into evil?
Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare dramatically shows what can happen when our common gender roles are broken. He shows the power that people can have over others when they aren’t acting the way they’re expected to.
A common similarity in Shakespearean plays is the main character either being an tragic villain or tragic hero. In Macbeth and Hamlet both villains Claudius and Macbeth are killers who are seeking power. William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet and it is about a king’s son seeking the revenge of his father's wrongful death by his own brother Claudius. He also wrote Macbeth which is about a power hungry warrior who becomes king by his corruption and ambition. King Claudus and King Macbeth both are similar in many ways but yet have many differences with set them apart but in the end bring them together by an common action to gain power.
The Importance of the Elizabethan Concept of Natural Order to Our Appreciation of Macbeth and Henry V
Arguably the greatest playwright of his time, perhaps in all of history, William Shakespeare's literary works have had a tremendous impact (see Appendix 2). Reaching into the pop culture of the modern world through movies and quotes used in everyday conversation, Shakespeare's influence is astounding (see Appendix 1). One rarely stops to think, however, about events that had an impact on Shakespeare's life, particularly his writing. The outbreak of the plague, social disparity, political unrest, just a few of the historical happenings that impacted Shakespeare's plays, including Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Henry IV Macbeth. The basic setting of Macbeth is a man named Lord Macbeth usurping the Scottish throne from the rightful ruler.