In Hamlet, Polonius tells his son, Laertes, “[…] and to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day thou canst not be false to any man (I.iii.564-566).” It is possible that Shakespeare may have gleaned this idea from Montaigne and his essays. This idea of honesty to one’s self is central to Montaigne’s essays. He wrote these essays to try to reveal himself to himself and to his readers. But, it can also be applied to Cervantes’s Don Quixote. Don Quixote reads and goes adventuring, arguably, in part to realize who he believes that he is. However, who he truly is depends on whether you believe that Don Quixote is mad or not. By comparing how Montaigne and Don Quixote search for themselves, it becomes apparent how a …show more content…
Whether in madness or sanity, he does not truly become a knight errant and he does not remain one. Knight errantry, as he practices it, cannot be true knight errantry because he is from a different time and has only gleaned the rules of knight errantry from fiction. Fiction and fact are obviously two different things, and Don Quixote conflates the two. Those who knew Don Quixote before he became a knight errant; the priest, the barber, the housekeeper, and his niece, believe that he keeps undulating between madness and sanity. When he wants to go adventuring, they believe him to be mad. When he keeps these desires to himself or when he decides not to be a knight errant at all, they believe that he is sane. Sancho Panza does not seem to have a strong opinion on the subject. Eventually, he realizes that his master is crazy, but before that, and even after that moment, he does not treat Don Quixote much differently. Despite what others think of Don Quixote’s madness, if the knight errant side of Don Quixote is his true self, then his sanity inhibits his finding and realizing his self. He claims, while adventuring, “I am a knight of La Mancha, Don Quixote by name, and it is my business and calling to roam the world righting wrongs and redressing injuries (I., XIX).” In the same chapter, he goes on to say that, “‘The Knight of the Rueful Countenance,’ as I intend to call myself from this day forward; and that the said name may fit me better, I mean, when the opportunity offers, to have a very rueful countenance painted on my shield.” In this case, Sancho’s general approach to Don Quixote actually facilitates Quixote’s ability to continue his self-discovery and Quixote’s niece, housekeeper, and others, are hurting that same desire. If the sane side of Don Quixote’s mental state is his true self, then the knight errantry harms his ability to realize his true self. At the end of Part II, when Don
In Cervantes’ Don Quixote, the protagonist, a middle-aged gentleman named Alonso Quixano, loves chivalry and spends all his free time collecting and reading books on it. Obsessed with the heroic ideals portrayed in the books, he decides to roam the countryside as a knight-errant named Don Quixote, protecting the helpless, defending women, and destroying evil. Reality and imagination begin to blend together for him, as he sees a peasant woman as a great lady, an inn as a castle, or some windmills as giants. His perception of the world is aligned with neither reality nor the perceptions of those around him. As a result, he obviously acts and treats people differently. But do Don Quixote’s illusions affect his interactions with others for better or worse? One thing is certain: in any given situation he tends to exaggerate either the virtues or vices of people, to the extent that he perceives them as much better or much worse than they really are. Because of this, it seems his illusions cause his interactions with other people to be either better than usual, or much, much worse. He builds people up more
Self Doubt in Hamlet William Shakespeare is widely known for his ability to tell a sad story, illustrate it with words, and make it a tragedy. Usually, human beings include certain discrepancies in their personalities that can at times find them in undesirable or difficult situations. However, those that are exemplified in Shakespeare’s tragedies include “character flaws” which are so destructive that they eventually cause their downfall. For example, Prince Hamlet, in Shakespeare’s tragedy play “Hamlet,” is seemingly horrified by what the ghost of his father clarifies concerning his death. Yet the actions executed by Hamlet following this revelation do not appear to coincide with the disgust he expresses immediately after the ghost alerts him of the true cause of his death.
An understanding of William Shakespeare’s philosophies reinforces the meaning of the human condition found in the play Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is an example in the exploration of good versus evil, deceit, madness, inter-turmoil, and utter existence. Shakespeare, fascinated by the human mind and human nature, clearly and completely illustrates the meaning of “self.” Hamlet is a drama that examines one’s personal identity. From the beginning of the story atop the castle when the guards enter the platform to the conclusion of the performance as Hamlet lies, dying in Horatio’s arms every characters’ psychological type is
...ter on Hamlet, in his soliloquy, is frustrated at how actors can freely express their emotions without fear. However, his goal of vengeance has taken over all other aspects in his life and therefore, he willingly sacrifices his freedom of expression.
Starting with the second chapter Don Quixote begins his life as a knight, a new identity from his previous. No one stops him, because no one knows, for he left without saying a word to anyone. Not only that, but he left without provisions, like that of “money and shirts” (2375). Though these two things may not have been very smart, one thing the new delirious Don Quixote is very knowledgeable about is the way of a knight. Since his mind is gone and is now replaced with the thoughts of being a knight, it is about all he thinks about and he takes it seriously.
Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were 17th and 18th-century philosophers with very similar, yet contrasting theories about human nature. Whereas Hobbes created his philosophy based on the idea that humans are naturally competitive, violent, and selfish, Rousseau’s philosophy is based on his opinion that man is good by nature, but corrupted by society. Hobbes ideas may be viewed as quite cynical, especially when compared to Rousseau’s more idealistic ideas. Both philosophers discussed ideas relating to a ‘state of nature’ and what would happen to man once placed in a ‘state of nature’ stripped of outside influences. Also, both philosophers discussed their ideas about what exactly morality and ethics are and why humans act in the way that
Although many works of literature are very long, the main idea can be summarized in one or two of its lines. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the most important line is: “This above all, to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man” (1.3, 78-80). Spoken by Polonius, this advice is present throughout the entire play, together with the motifs of truth and lying. The characters desire to be true to themselves; however, some of them are not true to others.
The truth is something that everyone looks for at any particular point in time. It can be as simple as an answer to a question, or as complicated as a search for clues and answers in a murder. Whatever the situation may be, one must investigate, interrogate, or do anything else possible to find the truth. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the death of Hamlet's father was a mystery, until a ghost told the prince to avenge his father's murder. Hamlet then suspected his uncle, King Claudius, of being the murderer of his father. Since the court was then going to watch a play, Hamlet found that as the best opportunity to reveal his uncle as the one responsible for the death of his father. He gives the players a new speech to recite and advises them how to "act," so that the King can unveil himself by his own actions and expressions toward the play.
...never truly know another’s inner nature. If Hamlet’s scenario is not convincing enough, an examination of the situations of Polonius— whose attempts to see into Hamlet’s interior based on Hamlet’s actions get him killed— and Claudius— who also falls prey to the belief that his soul is impenetrable and dies as a result of it— may be helpful. As Hamlet demonstrates, there exist certain moral principles beyond human control, and sometimes, as in Hamlet’s case, they are better left unchallenged.
Thus I claim, that on account of feigning his madness, Hamlet did not only fool his friends and family, but himself as well. The illusion he put on fashioned him into a crazed man. Here, Hamlet is saying that if he finds it necessary to behave as a mad man, they should not in any way by word or gesture reveal that they know the real reasoning behind this act. Hamlet behaved this way, hoping that by acting in such a way others would become bolder around him and reveal something in their actions and speech that he could employ as justification for avenging his father’s death.
William Shakespeare attained literary immortality through his exposition of the many qualities of human nature in his works. One such work, The Merchant of Venice, revolves around the very human trait of deception. Fakes and frauds have been persistent throughout history, even to this day. Evidence of deception is all around us, whether it is in the products we purchase or the sales clerks' false smile as one debates the purchase of the illusory merchandise. We are engulfed by phonies, pretenders, and cheaters. Although most often associated with a heart of malice, imposture varies in its motives as much as it's practitioners, demonstrated in The Merchant of Venice by the obdurate characters of Shylock and Portia.
Shakespeare thus leaves his audience to fabricate their own perception with serving only minor stage directions. They are then left with Hamlet’s lingering words, actions, and the reactions to predisposed whether Hamlet’s madness is actually feigned or legitimate. Nevertheless, The evidence does not actually define Shakespeare’s character, Hamlet. To relate, modern audiences must do their research to become accustomed to the way of thinking done by people of the Renaissance. All in all, Hamlet’s true soundness is left up to the people of today’s
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably one of the best plays known to English literature. It presents the protagonist, Hamlet, and his increasingly complex path through self discovery. His character is of an abnormally complex nature, the likes of which not often found in plays, and many different theses have been put forward about Hamlet's dynamic disposition. One such thesis is that Hamlet is a young man with an identity crisis living in a world of conflicting values.
In conclusion, Shakespeare has been accused of inconsistency with Hamlet only because he has kept up the distinction which there is in nature, between the understandings and the moral habits of men, between the absurdity of their ideas and the absurdity of their motives. Hamlet is not a fool, but he makes himself so. His folly, whether in his actions or speeches, comes under the category of impropriety of intention.
William Shakespeare and Henrik Ibsen are two great authors of their time and are still read by many today. William Shakespeare wrote many plays; one that is more well known is Hamlet. Henrik Ibsen is a not so well known author but wrote a great rival play named A Doll’s House. These two plays were extraordinary for their time and there has been much controversy and debates on which play made the greatest impact to culture and society. These two plays, written in very different time periods, show alternative views on society and how it should be.