A Portrayal of Humor Within the Tragedy of Hamlet How does humor factor into a tragedy? Shakespeare knew the answer to this question and acted upon it quite frequently. Shakespeare has been known to write comedies and tragedies both but this does not qualify him at to not incorporate a little of each into each other. In the work of Hamlet there are many occasions where Shakespeare uses it for different effects. The main reason for the presence of humor within a tragedy is to keep the reader interested
In all genres of literature, there are numerous character types one might encounter. Some bring humor or comic relief to a more serious plot, while others bring both pity and fear to the minds of the audience. A tragic character is one who shows characteristics above normality, while simultaneously giving evidence to the audience concerning his or her tragic flaw that causes the character’s life to end in an abnormal state of events. “A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph
An Analytical Essay on Comic Relief in Hamlet In Hamlet, the majority of the comic relief is dark and depressing. The main character is obsessed with death and makes morbid jokes about old age, deception, and corpses. This side of the character is shown so that the reader can understand how much this disturbs the prince. The result of this is a play with some very depressing scenes. Hamlet's negative attitude gives way to many sadistic jests at the events surrounding him. He tells his friend
humorous scenes throughout his masterpiece, Hamlet. In particular, the character of Polonius fills the role of the comic fool; he is in two essential comedic scenes, one with his own children and then one with Hamlet. Shakespeare's acute ability to weave humor into this very heavy play is noteworthy, as his use of comedy goes beyond merely providing much-needed comic relief. In fact, the rather numerous comedic scenes serve as a foils to, as well as reflections of, the intense action of
Only 3,000 copies were produced and they sold out very fast (Wikipedia,2007). A few months later, the origin would sell for over 50 times what it actually cost (Wikipedia, 2007). These comics were very dark and definitely not for kids. Instead of getting the bad guys sent to jail, they would kill. The first issue of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is available to view on the internet and the adventure they go on is a great
Hamlet: The Gravedigger and the Inevitability of Death From the appearance of the Ghost at the start of the play to its bloody conclusion, Hamlet is pervaded with the notion of death. What better site for a comic interlude than a graveyard? However, this scene is not merely a bit of comic relief. Hamlet's encounter with the gravedigger serves as a forum for Shakespeare to elaborate on the nature of death and as a turning point in Hamlet's character. The structure and changing mood of the encounter
the story’s most important scenes take place at night. For example when Michael hits the person in the middle of the road at night when it is pouring rain. He still shows some what of a conscience to bring him back to the hospital. There is some comic relief because every time he leaves and enters the town they show a sign of either entering or leaving Red Rock. No matter how hard that he tries to leave the town he just can’t do it, something always comes up. The most symbolic settings would have to
Trinculo and Stephano of Shakespeare's Tempest Trinculo and Stephano though not major characters in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, serve a large role in the story itself. They mainly serve as the story's comic relief and they also contribute to demonstrating to the audience how evil has no boundaries. Much of the play revolves around Prospero's contempt for everyone who betrayed him, and Prospero forces the conspirators to a remote island. Trinculo and Stephano had nothing to do
A Defining Moment in My Papa’s Waltz An older boy remembered his father, a hardworking blue collar man. He remembered how his father would walk into the home each evening with scraped hands and perspiration stained shirts. His father was a tough man. He was the kind of man that refused to go to the doctor and rarely hugged his children. Yet, he was a good man. The boy remembered how his father provided for the family and often times his smallest actions proved his paternal love for them. One
The Roles of Trinculo and Stephano in The Tempest Trinculo and Stephano have two major roles in The Tempest - comic relief and the theme of exploration. Because of this double nature to their characters, they are more important than they initially appear. The Tempest is a comedy. The play may not seem to fit into the category of comedy as it exists today; but in the 17th century comedy was very different. Certainly, The Tempest would never be confused with a modern television comedy -
Robin bring much-needed comic relief to this tragic play. Imitating Doctor Faustus’ actions unwittingly, this pair of ostlers illuminates Faustus’ misuse of power. They also reflect Faustus’ character by acting as his parallel self. Behind their clownish antics, Rafe and Robin highlight Faustus’ downfall and evil’s power through comic relief, parody, and parallel. According to the Neo-Classical view of tragedies, tragic action is the essence of the play; comic relief is often dismissed as mere
at the humor and sarcasm found in three of Dickinson’s poems, "Success Is Counted Sweetest", "I am Nobody", and "Some keep the Sabbath Going to Church", one can examine each poem show how Dickinson used humor and irony for the dual purposes of comic relief and to stress an idea or conclusion about her life and the environment in the each poem. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst Massachusetts; a small farming town that had a college and a hat factory. There, she was raised in a strict Calvinist household
cinematography has been hardly flattering. Throughout the course of history Asians in film have been portrayed as evil or the "yellow peril" as described by others. If Asians are not being classified as evil in this picture then they are most likely the comic relief, with their lack of coordination or grasp of the English language. With these common stereotypes in place, it gives a white American viewer a sense or need to destroy this Asian villain or superiority over the comedic character portrayed in the
when Uncle Charlie and Charlie are sitting in the bar, and makes the comment “I would die for a ring like this”; or the quiet, gentle neighbor Herb who is fascinated with the process of homicide and murder. It brings to the audience an immediate comic relief, but similar to all of Hitchcock, leaves an unsettling feeling of fear and suspense with the viewer. Shadow of a Doubt is a film that hits very close to home for me, primarily because of the small town feel very similar to Orono that I have grown
in the style of Michael Moore. The film utilizes satire throughout – evidence the old “Popularity” instructional film where overdubbing is used. Interviews are presented offering only on side of the issue. Surprise attempts at interviewers for comic relief are sprung on unsuspecting university officials. Subtle visual effects, such as student Charles Mitchell sitting with an American flag blanket behind him are used. Ultimately, what happened in the editing process of ‘Brainwashing 101’ is a complete
Shakespeare’s publication into the calamity that’s known around the world. Each death pushes the story forward continuously, leading to the finale where the two lovers die due to love and hate from both feuding families. Mercutio, the joker and comic relief of the play, dies first and foremost. Tybalt spies Romeo at Lord Capulet’s extravaganza and vows to continue his fighting match by saying: “I will withdraw; but this intrusion shall, Now seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall” (I, V, 93-95) Determined
reader is introduced to a rather bizarre and heterogeneous group of people leaving for a pilgrimage. The Wife of Bath is the most interesting and lively character of the group. Her "Prologue" and "Tale" provide readers with a moral lesson as well as comic relief. The Wife's "Prologue" serves as an overture to her "Tale", in which she states a very important point regarding the nature of women and their most sacred desires. According to this character, women desire sovereignty, or power, over their men
very hard to avoid a romantic relationship with Carrie, but the problem was that Carrie had romantic feelings for Hunter. This love story was interrupted with a group of women trying to kill Hunter for putting their men in prison. This was just a comic relief, so Hunter got out of the situation easily by fighting with all the women at once. In the next scene, Hunter excepted a case to find a runaway name Yoko. This runaway was the daughter of a rich Japanese businessman. The reason Yoko ran away was
but,in the end, they make all the wrong decisions. Mercutio serves as a foil to all these characters. He is considered by every character in the play to be a fool, but, in the long run, he is the one whois the wisest. He brings a sense of comic relief as well as a reality check to many of the character’s inthe play. Although he can be seen as a laughable youth, his character serves to show how manyof the so-called wiser characters are actually fools. The audience is first introduced to Mercutio
Life in Terry Kay's To Dance With the White Dog The voice of Terry Kay relays to his readers a story of life through death in this short novel, To Dance With the White Dog. This novelist writes the story of an elderly man, recently widowed and dealing with everyday occurrences while also battling the inevitable effects of old age. Sam Peek, the elderly main character, tends to get fed up with his overprotective family. During this, Peek begins seeing a white dog that no one else seems