A World Without Books

Books have, over the centuries, been among the greatest inventions of the human race and it has been through them that human civilization has been able to advance. Books have become so essential that it is difficult to envisage humanity without them. Books have been the way through which the history of the human race has been transmitted from one age group to another. In addition, they have been the through which official records have bee kept, and without them, all the great civilizations of the past would not have been able to blossom and flourish as they did. Throughout history, scholars and those people who could read have been greatly revered by their fellow men because they were believed to be the carriers of and transmitters of knowledge. Before the modern times, books were extremely rare and were intensely sought after by those who could read them. In the Western world, books were so rare that the only book which many of those who could read had read was the bible, a book that certain priests could not even read. The ownership of and the ability to read books were therefore a source of great prestige for those who had the privilege of having them. This privilege eventually came to be spread all over the world as more people became literate and books became commonplace. There has, however, recently developed a trend where people have come to prefer other forms of entertainment at the expense of books, which are slowly, but surely, being viewed as relics of the past.

A world without books is a concept which many people are yet to comprehend due to the fact that a majority of the literate people in the world today at some point enjoys reading. While this is a fact, one has to consider that there have developed newer and seemingly more interesting forms of entertainment, which many of the younger generation is adapting to instead of books. This is creating a situation similar to that in the novel Fahrenheit 451 where books are of no value and any that are found are destroyed. In the world of this novel, books are considered by society to be useless and due to popular demand, it has become the duty of the firemen to destroy every available copy that is found. The influence of other media such as soap operas has become so great that the population prefers it to books, which are looked upon as being too strenuous to read. Many of the characters in the novel have become disillusioned by books, mainly because of the conflicting information which is found within them. Beatty, the boss of the main character, is said to have once been an avid reader, but his disillusionment with books soon led him to get involved in their destruction as a fireman. His disillusionment with them seems to be so great that he makes Montag, the main character, destroy the book which he realizes that the latter has in his possession.

One would say that a world without books would be a dreary place within which to live because books have traditionally been the means of transmitting knowledge from one generation to another. Through books, issues are discussed more deeply and in the process, the reader gets to have a better understanding of the issues being discussed. This is not true of other sources of information, because these sources are scarce in content and this creates a situation where individuals get only a shallow understanding of the subject matter. In Fahrenheit 451, it is seen that because of the destruction of books, knowledge has become static, not being able to grow as it should. Those people who possess books are completely ostracized from society and are put in mental asylums because of their intellect. This makes it extremely difficult for knowledge to be transmitted and the lack of this knowledge has made the people in this society disillusioned with life. Because of their hatred for books, the society in Fahrenheit 451 is not equipped to deal with the issues of day to day life and they have instead become artificial. This is the likely scenario that would face the world if there were no books from which people could get the knowledge and wisdom that they could use to make their lives more meaningful. In addition, it is possible that the intellectual development of the human race would be brought to a standstill because intelligent thought is often written in books.

Books have been a source of history for the human race for centuries, and without them, one would conclude that there can be no history. The study of the history of the human race is extremely important because it enables people to learn from the events of the past and this knowledge helps in the making of future decisions. The study of history is only possible through books and because of the developing lack of interest in them, slowly but surely, the human race is going to end up without a history. This can clearly be seen when, in Fahrenheit 451, most of the women prefer watching interactive soap operas to having intellectual discussions. This has led to a situation where the women in the novel have no life other than that which they watch on television. The power of the media has become so great that the characters in the novel do not have the will, or the inclination, to live a different sort of life. When Montag asks his wife if she remembers where they met, she declares that she does not remember. In fact, she does not seem to show any more interest in the matter despite the fact that it is supposed to be one of the most important events of her life. Her obsession with soap operas has damaged her intellectual ability as well as her long term memory. Perhaps if she had been obsessed with reading books instead soap operas, then she may have had an interest not only in her life but also in her past.

Independent thought has greatly been encouraged through the reading of books and this has ensured the development of new ideas. This ability would be immensely diminished if there were no books in the world because it is only through the study of old ideas that new ideas are developed. Such technology as the internet will inevitably lead to the extinction of books from the world because it is the source of plenty of information. However, despite the large reserves of information within it, the internet does not have the qualities which books have because most of the information gotten from it is often instant and shallow. The internet does not allow individuals to contemplate on the information which they have just received, as books do. The lack of independent thought due to the absence of books is likely to put the human race into a dark age of intellectual stagnation. The ability to think through the learning of the previous work of others is what has helped the advancement of the human race. The inability to think and the reliance on shallow sources of information such as the internet is likely to see the end of the world as we know it. Human beings learn about their past from books and with this knowledge, the take action to avoid the mistakes of their past. Therefore, without books, the human race will probably end up destroying itself because it will not have the ability to learn from its past.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

The Jungle is a novel which depicts the unpleasant conditions within which workers had to work in meat packing plants in order to earn a living. It is a description, in the form of a story, of the experiences which Upton Sinclair had while working undercover for six months in an attempt to gather information on an article he was writing. These working conditions are described so vividly that anyone who reads them might become revolted by the conditions in these meatpacking plants. The novel is most realistic, as it follows the life of an immigrant, Jurgis, and his family who comes to America in an attempt to have a better life. In doing so, he ends up working in a meatpacking plant, where the exact opposite of his dreams come to take place. It must be noted that many of the people who ended up working in these plants under sometimes appalling conditions tended to be immigrants and these had no other choice other that to go on doing the same jobs because they had no education and had little knowledge of English. It was therefore difficult for them to recognize the injustices in their lives and in doing so work towards escaping such injustices. It can be said the The Jungle is an attempt by Sinclair to describe the working conditions of the United States according to his socialist views and a way to push the American public into taking action against such conditions, since they are the ones who are the largest beneficiaries of the labor of the immigrants.

The Jungle is basically a political novel whose main purpose is to propagate the socialist view of the ideal America. It is an attempt by Upton Sinclair to show how workers in the industries in the United States worked under bad conditions to earn a living. One of the main themes that can be found in this novel which are an obvious part of the socialist views of Sinclair is that of exploitation. The factory owners and managers exploit their workers in every way possible and treat them more like slaves than as free human beings. Among the most appalling things which the factory managers do is to sexually abuse some of their female workers. This can be seen when Ona, Jurgis’s wife, is raped by her employer, with the latter threatening that she would lose her job if she does not continue giving him sexual favors. Moreover, many of the factory workers have no job security because they can lose their jobs at any moment at the slightest pretext. An example of this sis when Jurgis ends up losing his job because of an injury sustained while working. While this would not, in normal circumstances, get him to lose his job, in Jurgis’ case, it is different because he is not aware of his rights. When it is seen that he will not be able to be as productive as before, he is fired, and this is done without his being provided with any compensation by his employer. While it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the workplace is safe for his employees, this is not the case in The Jungle. Although it is the employer’s fault when accidents take place in the workplace, the employer does not take steps to improve the working conditions. Instead, workers who get injured lose their jobs, and the families of those who lose their lives are not compensated.

One of the main themes that are dealt with in this novel is that of the evils brought about by capitalism and the idea that socialism is its cure. For most of his political life, Upton Sinclair was a dedicated socialist whose actions and works tended to upset many of the mainstream Americans who were dedicated capitalists. While Sinclair did not call out for the abolition of capitalism, he advocated for the inclusion of socialism into the American way of life. This would have ensured that there was a balance in the economy, with the people in the lower classes in society being provided with the opportunity for advancement. Throughout The Jungle, Sinclair shows how the family of Jurgis is destroyed by the cruelties that are brought about by capitalism. Most of the disastrous and tragic things that happen to his family are as a result of their lack of a stable financial base through which to support them. Their faith in the so called American Dream is tarnished as the realities of the capitalist ways that are prevalent in America are felt directly. They turn from a family that is full of hope for a better future, to one which gets involved in some of the most abhorrent practices in society. Sinclair’s narrative is one designed to show that capitalism is evil and that the best way to get rid of it is to adopt communism.

In the novel, the American Dream is considered to be just that, a dream and this is because of the fact that despite moving from Lithuania to America in anticipation of having a better life, this does not happen for Jurgis’ family and instead, they end up living in worse conditions than those in their home country. This can be considered to be a parallel of the life which Upton Sinclair’s family lived due to their relative poverty. While both his parents’ families were of aristocratic backgrounds, his father’s family had been ruined during the American Civil War and despite being in America, they had not managed to regain the wealth and prominence that had once been theirs. Instead, Sinclair’s father had to become a salesman in order to make ends meet, something he barely could because of his alcoholism. Sinclair therefore spent some of his childhood with his wealthy maternal family and because of this, experienced both poverty and wealth. In The Jungle, through the portrayal of the tragedies which are encountered by Jurgis and those around him, Sinclair comes to reveal the ugliness that is capitalism, and his belief that the lot of the poor in America has to be improved for the American Dream to finally come true. It is this theme which he used throughout his political career and despite not being able to gain any elective position; he ended up being influential in other matters.

In conclusion, it can be said that The Jungle is an influential novel whose main endeavor was to prove Sinclair’s view that capitalism was an evil practice. Instead, there is the recommendation for the adoption of socialism as the best way of improving the lives of those who have been deprived in society. Sinclair wanted the American public to see the evils which were brought about by the greed and inhumanity of those who practiced capitalism. The unfortunate working conditions that the poor had to undergo everyday of their lives to make their employers wealthier than they already were is a recurring theme in the novel. While this was the novel’s original intention, the public did not come to view it the way Sinclair did and instead, they came to look upon it as a revelation of the unclean environment through which the food they consumed was processed. In the end, The Jungle failed to represent the real intentions of its author and instead, it became a revelation of the food health issues that were prevalent in the United States. The novel was a representation of the political views of Upton Sinclair but it ended up coming into the service of the larger meat processing plants at the expense of the smaller ones.

Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors is a play that seeks to display the folly of unchecked ambition as well as the attraction of individuals to the promise of wealth and power. These are themes that are seen throughout the play where the character of Seymour is attracted to the promises made to him by the plant Audrey II concerning attaining all that his heart desires, and this, in the end, proves to be the cause of his downfall. In this play, the themes of unchecked ambition and the false promises of wealth and power are highly prominent and dominate its entire plot.

The theme of unchecked ambition is extremely prominent in Little Shop of Horrors and this is mainly as a result of the desires that the characters of Seymour and Mushnik have. Seymour is an individual who desires to achieve success in his life and it is as a result of this desire that he is shown to constantly want to get out of the Skid Row neighborhood. Additionally, he has a major crash on his fellow employee at the flower shop, Audrey, in whose honor he names the strange plant that he finds. Therefore, when he realizes that Audrey II has the potential of saving the flower shop, after Mushnik decides to close it, he convinces Mushnik to give Audrey II the chance to bring in more customers. The result is that Seymour ends up becoming indispensable to Mushkin, who, on realizing that his business is completely dependent on Seymour, takes advantage of his innocence and decides of adopt him in order to keep him tied to the shop.

The theme of false promises of wealth and power is explored in this play and this is in relation to Seymour. Seymour, after coming to the realization that Audrey II needs blood in order to survive decides to give it his own blood. However, when he cannot do it anymore, Audrey II asks him to kill people in order to provide it with blood, promising him that if he does so, it will make all his dreams come true. While he has doubts concerning this course of action, he succumbs to his baser instincts and ends up killing people, beginning with Orin, Audrey’s boyfriend, in order to ensure that Audrey II has a constant supply of blood. The result is that Audrey II keeps on asking for more as it grows and this leads to a situation where it ends up killing Audrey, the woman that Seymour loves. This is when Seymour realizes his folly, but by then, it is too late because Audrey II has become too powerful and cannot be killed.

Therefore, the plot of this play is dominated by the themes of unchecked ambition and the false promises of wealth and power. These are shown through the actions of the characters as they seek to ensure that they make use of an unusual plant in order to make their fortunes. However, all of these attempts end up being for nothing because the plant is actually manipulating the whole situation in order to fulfill its desire of achieving world domination.

Gender and Power in the Renaissance Period

The Renaissance period is one which saw significant advancement in the arts and culture of Europe as a result of the coming to an end of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern period. It was a period that brought with it great changes in society although the latter essentially remained a patriarchal society. The submission of women towards men was considered to be the ideal in society and even those women who had considerable power, such as Queen Elizabeth I were required to be seen to submit to the ‘wisdom’ of their male advisors rather than taking their own counsel in matters concerning the governance of the state. Women, considered to be lesser creatures than men, were denied real power because of the feeling by society that they were not equipped to wield it.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth I can be considered to be among the best in English history because she presided over great achievements. It was under her that England was able to first exercise incredible ability as a naval power that would rival other great maritime powers such as Spain and Portugal. Furthermore, for the first time in history, the country was led by a strong woman who, unlike her sister Mary before her, took an active part in government and did what she had to do to ensure the security of her kingdom. However, despite these achievements, Queen Elizabeth, as a woman, was expected to receive counsel from her male advisors; meaning that society was not ready to admit that women had the ability to lead. In a world which was dominated by religious beliefs, women were believed to be inferior to men to such an extent that they needed a constant male presence in order to make major decisions. Women were relegated to taking care of their households and were expected to constantly submit either to their fathers, husbands, or to other male members of their families. Such a situation proved to be serious especially in a situation where women, especially in English society, were for the first time taking the throne in their own right. The ability of women to lead was constantly disregarded by the patriarchal society which sought to make sure that the role of women was kept in the background rather than given prominence in the rest of society.

Additionally, despite England being ruled for over half a century by women during the Renaissance, there were really few changes in society when it came to the achievement of political power by women. This is especially the case considering that women had almost no legal rights and could therefore not participate in public life. Even Queens Mary and Elizabeth had to a large extent to submit to the will of their male advisors when it came to matters on governance; essentially continuing to propagate the male-dominated society within which they lived. It was also through the development of the norm of female dependency before and during the Renaissance that women were almost completely excluded from public life. The belief that women had to be completely dependent on the men in their lives meant that the freedoms that they had previously enjoyed were brought to an end (Deats, 2003, p.189). Women had to submit themselves to their fathers, and after marriage, to their husbands. Women who did not submit to a male authority more often than not earned themselves a bad reputation in society and ended up being marginalized. Therefore, women were expected to remain in the background of public life and were not to be heard while their male counterparts took an active role in it in addition to having almost complete authority over the women. All real political power in society remained in the hands of men and very few women were able to achieve any significant role in the governance of their society.

Moreover, it is important to note that during the Renaissance period, the major vocation of women was marriage; expected of women of all classes. One of the most significant aspects of marriage during this period was that it led to a situation where women ended up losing all their rights and freedom of action. They could not own property and had to be completely submissive to their husbands because once married, their husbands had full rights over their persons. It is most likely as a result of such circumstances that Queen Elizabeth chose not to get married because marriage would have restricted the exercise of her power. Instead, she remained unmarried for the whole of her reign since marriage would have almost automatically led to a situation where her husband became king and the main decision-maker in the running of affairs in England. Elizabeth’s decision not to get married may have been wholly political since it was a means of not only securing her reign, but also making sure that her position remained intact through denying any potential husband her birthright. In addition, she chose to use the potential of marriage as a political tool to secure the interests of England because of the significant number of suitors from powerful European countries. However, while the promise of marriage ensured the security of the interests of England, it never came to fruition because Elizabeth was able to skillfully maneuver her way out of such arrangements. Therefore, despite the expectation that she would end up getting married and submit to her husband, Queen Elizabeth was able to transcend such social expectations by choosing not to get married; retaining her political power in a male-dominated society.

Furthermore, there was a failure by men in Renaissance society to recognize the value of women in their lives. Among the values that were often ignored by men was that their societies could not continue to function without the women in them. Even though they were not allowed to take part in the social and political life of their societies, women played an active role in making sure that they projected a positive image on behalf of the men in their lives. However, despite this, women continued to be relegated to the background with those who dared to speak their minds being considered an anomaly and discriminated against by the rest of society. Women themselves may have also helped to prop up the patriarchal system which was meant to make sure that they were kept out of power because they allowed themselves to be almost completely dominated by the men in their lives. Even the perceptions they had of themselves were often shaped by the views that the men in their lives had of them (Levy, 2001, p.83). The refusal to submit to the opinions of the men in their lives meant that women had to endure isolation as well as fear from both men and women because being outspoken was considered to be against the natural order of society and deserved to be broken off the women involved. Thus, men were justified in using whatever means necessary, including violence, as a way of making sure that the women in their lives remained submissive and in the background; conforming to societal norms.

Also, the religious nature of Renaissance society played a significant role in making sure that women were kept away from power. This was especially the case where religious teachings emphasized that women had to submit to their husbands and fathers as a means of making sure that they did the will of God. However, there was often a failure to note that women were given equality to their male counterparts in the New Testament and that they took part in similar activities as the men. Despite this argument, women in the Renaissance period were not allowed to take an active part in the administration of their own property as long as either their fathers or husbands were still alive. The only way for women, especially from the upper class, to attain a degree of freedom as well as to exercise their rights was through making sure that they did not get married at all (Enterline, 1999, p.25). As seen in the case of Queen Elizabeth above, women were able to achieve a level of independence by not having men in their lives because under such circumstances, they did not have to cede their rights. While this may have been the case, Elizabeth was still required, to an extent, to be seen to submit to the counsel of her male advisors because of the common belief at the time that women had no political sense and that only men could be able to take part in it without the involvement of emotion. It is as a result of such perceptions that it became possible for a great number of women to be kept out of public life with those who spoke their minds being described in derogatory terms.

 However, while it was uncommon for women in the Renaissance to participate in public life, there were instances where some of them were able to privately influence the opinions of their sons and husbands. Women were able to exercise their influence through pushing the men in their lives to adopt their views; leading to a situation where these women, through their husbands, were able to push their own agenda in society forward. Therefore, while not having any real political power, women were able to bring about diverse changes in their societies either through the men in their lives or their actions which can be considered to have been acts of protest. In Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrese, Lucrere, the main character, ends up committing suicide as a result of being raped by Tarquin and it is as a consequence of this suicide that the populace of Rome overthrows the Tarquin dynasty and becomes a republic (Kirkland, 1999, p.660). The depiction of the actions of women having an influence on the course of society in this play shows that despite the discrimination that they faced when it came to public life in the Renaissance period, there were instances where they had a profound impact (Shakespeare, 1997, 2.3.259-60). Renaissance writers, however, seem not to consider the actions of these women to have been conscious actions and instead, their consequences were indirect and not intended. The recognition of the role of women in public life remained limited in the Renaissance and these continued to be relegated to the background in the belief that women had no constructive place in male-dominated society and had to submit to men.

In addition, Renaissance literature shows a majority of women as being completely dedicated to domestic chores while the men got involved in public life. In Lucrere, the title character is shown to be an individual who is highly proficient in domestic tasks as well as being able to make sure that she undertakes tasks that are essentially feminine. However, there is the propagation of the idea that women are weak individuals and need constant male protection in order to be safe. In this case, Lucrere is shown to be an individual who, despite her proficiency in domestic tasks, is neither able to protect herself or the home from an invasion by the stronger Tarquin (Shakespeare, 1997, lines 232 - 238). The violation of her body by Tarquin and her devastation afterwards is a sign of the fragility of women and the need for them to have male protection. Lucrere’s lack of male protection at the time of her rape shows her vulnerability because there was no one to stop Tarquin from doing such a vile act (Kelemen, 2005, p.151). Lucrere’s rape can also be considered to be a means of showing the power of men over women in all social matters because it is women who have to submit to the will of men. It is also a sign of the unwillingness of the patriarchal system to recognize that women are the equals of men and that they have a right to have a place in public matters. The subjugation of women to the will of men in society is a means of the latter exercising their power and dominance over women in such a way that it propagates the status quo.

Also, upper class women were often used for the purpose of advancing the interests of their families. These women were married off to more powerful and affluent families in order to form alliances with them. This is especially the case in Renaissance European countries where fathers were the ones who made decisions concerning who their daughters could marry in a bid to secure useful alliances for their families. A famous example is that of Pope Alexander VI who made use of his daughter Lucrecia as a means of solidifying alliances with powerful Italian dynasties when it was convenient for him. The various marriages that Lucrecia got in and were annulled were for political purposes because they ensured that the wealth and power of the Borgia family were maintained. Therefore, while such women as Lucrecia got more opportunities for mobility that other women of their time, they still had to submit to the will of their fathers for the sake of their families. Furthermore, they were not able to gain significant power despite their mobility because they had to submit to the will of their husbands so that they had to conform to the ideal of being the caretakers of the household. As a result, a major theme of Renaissance literature was the subjugation of women because they were not often prominently featured in the said literature, and if they were, their role was supplementary. Thus, women were depicted as fragile individuals whose role in society was in the periphery and that their involvement in public affairs would lead to chaos.

Likewise, women were denied a voice in society because of the belief that they were inferior and that they were emotional individuals who did not have the capacity to think rationally (Carrera, 2005, p.63). Women who would have been rulers in their own right, such as Maria-Therese of Austria could not achieve real power because they were expected to submit to their husbands. Maria-Therese’s husband, Joseph, is the one who took over control of the Austrian Empire when her father died while she took on a more subordinate role. The result of such circumstances was that women ended up being denied their inheritance and property rights by their husbands; making it more difficult for them to advance in society than their male counterparts. Even in those situations where women found themselves to be unmarried, they were expected to seek a close male relative to not only protect them, but also to manage any wealth that they might have. Women in the Renaissance period, as reflected in its literature, were considered to be essentially weak individuals who could not be trusted to govern their own affairs and instead had to make sure that they placed themselves under the protection of the men in their lives in order to achieve a level of security. The enforcement of the masculine dominance of society came about as a result because women ended up being largely accepted as the lesser of the members of society while at the same time having to endure being denied all the rights that were accorded to men. Female monarchs such as Queen Elizabeth did not seek to change the status quo and instead sought to propagate it; making it possible for the patriarchal system to perpetuate itself.

In conclusion, women were denied real power because of the belief in society that they were not equipped to wield it. Despite this perception, as shown in the discussion above, the reign of Queen Elizabeth I can be considered to be among the best in English history because she presided over great achievements. Additionally, during her reign, there were really few changes in society when it came to the achievement of political power by women since the major vocation of women was marriage. Furthermore, there was a failure by men in Renaissance society to recognize the value of women in their lives. This is also the case where the religious nature of Renaissance society played a significant role in making sure that women were kept away from power. However, there were instances where some of them were able to privately influence the opinions of their sons and husbands. Also, upper class women were often used for the purpose of advancing the interests of their families; hence greater mobility for them through marriage. Finally, women were denied a voice in society because of the belief that they were inferior and that they were emotional individuals who did not have the capacity to think rationally.

References

Carrera, E. 2005, “The Spiritual Role of the Emotions in Mechthild of Magdeburg, Angela of Foligno, and Teresa of Avila.” The Representation of Women’s Emotions in Medieval and Early Modern Culture. Ed. L. Perfetti. Gainesville, FL: UP of Florida.

Deats, S. 2003, "The 'Erring Barbarian' and the 'Maiden Never Bold': Racist and Sexist Representations in Othello." Women, Violence, and English Renaissance Literature: Essays Honoring Paul Jorgensen. Eds. L. Woodbridge and S. Beehler. Tempe, AZ: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Enterline, L. 1999, "What 'Womanhood Denies' the Power of 'Tongues to Tell'." Shakespeare Studies, vol. 27, pp. 25-36.

Kelemen, C. 2005, “Images of Passion, Rape, and Grief: A Comparative Analysis of Shakespeare's Rape of Lucrere and Titus Andronicus.” Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 151-73.

Kirkland, L.R. 1999, “To End Itself by Death: Suicide in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.” Southern Medical Journal, vol. 92, pp. 660-66.

Levy, E. 2001, “The Problematic Relation between Reason and Emotion in Hamlet.” Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature, vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 83-95.

Shakespeare, W. 1997. Othello (Arden Shakespeare: Third Series). New York: Routledge.

Shakespeare, W. 1997. The Rape of Lucrere (Arden Shakespeare: Third Series). New York: Routledge.

Literary Devices in Hamlet

In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses various literary devices to enhance the different characteristics in the play. Among the most significant devices that he uses include metaphors, tone, style and motifs. The use of these devices is extremely significant in the play since it builds the characters within it as well as the various themes which are revealed.

Metaphors

In the play Hamlet, there are plenty of instances where metaphors can be found and they are used to reveal the feelings of the main character concerning those who are around him. Among the metaphors which are used in the play is when Hamlet states, "My father's brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules”(Act 1 scene 2). Later on, he further states, "My fate cries out, and makes each petty artery in this body as hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve." The metaphors which are mentioned above are used by the author of the play to reveal that despite the fact that Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, had killed his brother to attain the throne, they were extremely alike to each other. It shows Hamlet’s belief that both his uncle and father were men who valued their own power more than those people who were around them. It is because of this that eventually, the both came to their downfall because had they valued their people, then the tragic events which took place in the play would not have happened. Another important metaphor that is used in the play is that related to the cannon fire which accompanies the king’s toasts and this helps to show that Claudius, the king, is united with the land that he rules. In reference to the cannon fire, Hamlet states, "…or that the Everlasting had not fix'd his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" (Act 1 scene 2). This is used to express Hamlet’s wish that his uncle Claudius would turn into a cloud (a play with the name Claudius) so that when the cannons shot into that cloud, it would be able to kill him. This would in essence freed Hamlet from his promise to his father’s ghost that he would kill Claudius to avenge his death.

Tone

When one considers the tone of this play, one would say that it is extremely dark. This is especially because of the fact that almost all the characters within it are either thinking dark thoughts or are plotting to commit evil things. From the very beginning of the play, we see that there is plenty of anxiety and uncertainty concerning the events that are taking place or are likely to take place. The mood in which Hamlet is put after talking to his father’s ghost is extremely dark, and those who know him come to believe that he is going mad. This dark mood is also transmitted to those who are around him and their actions, either directly or indirectly, reflect the darkness which is in the play. The soliloquies which Hamlet has concerning the dark aspects of life such as betrayal and mortality are some of the things which contribute to the tone of the play. However, from the first line of the play when the guard, Bernardo yells, “Who’s there!” (Act 1 scene 1) the dark tone of the play is set. It is later revealed that this may have been an expression of the anxiety which the guards felt after seeing the ghost of their former king several times during the nights.

Style

One of the aspects of style that is revealed when one reads Hamlet is the use of verse among the main characters when they speak. These characters often use words which have an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. This creates a rhythmic pattern in their speech and it can be said that Shakespeare used this style of writing in order to keep the attention of the audience on the play and the characters within it. An example of the use of verse in the play is in Act 1 scene 2 when Hamlet states, “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!” When one considers Hamlet’s soliloquies, one will find that he often speaks in a formal tone, and this is used to reveal that he comes from the nobility. The fact that verse is used in the play is a way for Shakespeare to separate the nobility from the commoners, who often speak in prose, not seeming to use the formal ways of the former. When Hamlet communicates with the commoners who are his friends, he also speaks in prose. For example, when he speaks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he says “….how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel!” (Act 2 scene 2). This can also be used to reveal Hamlet’s character as being a humble man despite the fact that he is the prince of his country. 

Motif

Throughout the play, the motif of incest is alluded to especially when there are conversations concerning the relationship between Claudius and Gertrude. These allusions stem from the way these two are referred to in conversations between Hamlet and his father’s ghost. One gets the sense that the marriage between Claudius and Gertrude is forbidden and that their being united is an act of incest. These two were previously brother- and sister-in-laws and despite this, with the death of Gertrude’s husband, she chooses to be with her husband’s brother. In addition, the way Laertes speaks of his sister Ophelia, especially after her death has overtones of incestuous desire within it. This desire is seen in sexually suggestive terms and in action when as Ophelia is being buried, Laertes jumps into her grave and holds her. One of the most revealing suggestion of incest in the play is the obsession which Hamlet has with the sex life of his mother and his uncle. Another motif that can be seen in the play is that of misogyny and this is seen through Hamlet’s reaction to his mother’s marriage to his uncle. The disappointment and abandonment which he feels leads him to come to look down upon women as mere weaklings. This acts as an inhibitor to the relationships which Hamlet has with the women in his life since he considers them to be frail creatures that cannot be trusted. The hatred towards women that Hamlet feels is what brings him to tell his mother, “Frailty, thy name is woman” (Act 1 scene 2).

Significance

The play is highly significant because it is a revelation of the true nature of human beings in the world. One of the most noteworthy themes in the play is that of ambition and this is seen when Claudius takes steps to eliminate his own brother so that he can not only take his throne but also his wife. In addition, once it is revealed to Hamlet that it is his uncle, who killed his father; his main ambition in life is to ensure that he takes revenge on Claudius on behalf of his father. The dark tone which is dominant in the play is also highly significant because it is a revelation of the dark nature of human beings. Human beings are often blinded by their own needs and they cease to care about the needs of those with whom they share their lives. This can be seen through Gertrude’s reaction to her son’s dark mood when she ends up believing that he is going mad. If only she had thought to dig deeper into her son’s thoughts, perhaps the real reason for his dark mood would have been revealed and as a result, the tragic events at the end of the play would have been avoided. It can, therefore, be said that the play is significant since it reveals the true nature of the life which human beings have to live.

 References

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Farnham, United Kingdom: Scolar Press, 1969.