The document discusses Shakespeare's use of "conceits" in his works. It analyzes Lucrece's interpretation of a painting depicting the fall of Troy, noting how she develops a conceit comparing the painting's characters and plot to her own rape. The author argues this reveals Shakespeare's approach of using classical stories as conceits or allegories. Additionally, Lucrece is shown giving voice to the voiceless painted figure of Hecuba, implying artists should do the same, such as Shakespeare voicing opposition to coal through his works. In general, the document analyzes Shakespeare's aesthetic philosophy and use of conceits/allegories as a way to express social commentary and criticism.
This document provides a detailed summary and analysis of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth in 3 sentences:
It explores Macbeth's descent into evil and tyranny after he murders King Duncan upon the urging of his wife Lady Macbeth and their manipulation by the witches' prophecies, depicting how his crimes lead to his paranoid rule and eventual downfall. Dramatic irony pervades the play as characters are unaware of the true situations while the audience understands Macbeth's growing corruption. The play examines the complex interplay between free will and fate that leads to Macbeth's tragic downfall through his own actions and the consequences of his choices.
Timothy Kimball presents on how Geoffrey Chaucer can be considered a Romantic writer through his most famous work The Canterbury Tales. Specifically, Kimball analyzes three tales - "The Knight's Tale", "The Miller's Tale", and "The Squire's Tale" - and argues they exhibit the key qualities of a romance through their use of settings, characters embarking on quests, and tests of values. However, Chaucer also subverts expectations through crude humor, complicated plots and variations, showing his skill and desire to put his unique stamp on the tradition. Ultimately, Kimball concludes Chaucer was highly influenced by the romance genre and should be viewed as an admirer and hopeful romantic writer himself through
This document provides a detailed summary and analysis of Shakespeare's sonnets. It discusses how the sonnets can be divided into two sections - sonnets 1-126 addressing a male friend, and sonnets 127-152 addressing a "dark mistress." The main themes are constancy versus inconstancy between the two subjects of the sonnets, and how Shakespeare uses them to represent non-physical and physical realities. The document analyzes metaphor usage and how Shakespeare portrays the two subjects in relation to themes of youth, beauty, fidelity and the test of time.
The document provides context and analysis for Robert Browning's dramatic monologue poem "My Last Duchess". It explains that the poem was inspired by the real-life Duke of Ferrara in 16th century Italy. Through his conversation with an envoy, the Duke reveals details about his deceased wife, the Duchess. He suggests that she was too easily impressed and friendly with others, which grew his jealousy. The analysis notes the Duke takes pride in his wealth and status and enjoyed the power and control he had over his wife, going so far as to have her killed. The document examines the poem to understand both the Duke and Duchess's characters and relationships.
The document discusses the poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning. It analyzes the character and voice of the speaker, the Duke. [The Duke takes the listener on a tour of a portrait of his deceased wife and reveals through his word choices that he secretly resented her easy manner with others and felt she did not properly appreciate him. The analysis discusses how the Duke's hidden feelings and insecurities are betrayed through his long-winded speech.]
The summary provides key details about the document in 3 sentences:
The document summarizes a presentation on the Victorian poem "My Last Duchess" which analyzes the possessive and arrogant Duke who speaks to a messenger about his previous wife, as depicted in her portrait. It describes how the Duke sees women as possessions and was displeased that his Duchess appreciated all people equally rather than respecting his high social status alone. The analysis suggests the Duke's jealousy led him to order his Duchess's death, as implied by his comments about her smiles stopping.
The speaker, the Duke of Ferrara, shows off a portrait of his late wife, the Duchess, to an envoy. He speaks proudly of the portrait but reveals that he grew jealous of the attention the Duchess gave to others, including the painter who created her portrait. The Duke implies that he took severe actions against his wife, suggesting he was responsible for her death. He dismisses the envoy to join others, showing his desire to move past his late wife and pursue a new marriage.
http://youtu.be/PiCfrt8Sr3I ,JOHN KEATS,AS A THINKER IN RELATION TO CRITICAL...Rituparna Ray Chaudhuri
Keats's poetry is characterized by sensuous delight in the beauty of nature. He looks at the natural world with child-like wonder, thrilled by what he sees, hears, and experiences with all his senses. In Ode to a Nightingale, Keats seeks escape into the world of the nightingale's song to forget the pains of life, but realizes that fancy cannot provide lasting escape from reality. The poem reflects the human experience that life is full of sorrow and disappointment, and that youth, beauty, and joy are all fleeting.
This document provides a detailed summary and analysis of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth in 3 sentences:
It explores Macbeth's descent into evil and tyranny after he murders King Duncan upon the urging of his wife Lady Macbeth and their manipulation by the witches' prophecies, depicting how his crimes lead to his paranoid rule and eventual downfall. Dramatic irony pervades the play as characters are unaware of the true situations while the audience understands Macbeth's growing corruption. The play examines the complex interplay between free will and fate that leads to Macbeth's tragic downfall through his own actions and the consequences of his choices.
Timothy Kimball presents on how Geoffrey Chaucer can be considered a Romantic writer through his most famous work The Canterbury Tales. Specifically, Kimball analyzes three tales - "The Knight's Tale", "The Miller's Tale", and "The Squire's Tale" - and argues they exhibit the key qualities of a romance through their use of settings, characters embarking on quests, and tests of values. However, Chaucer also subverts expectations through crude humor, complicated plots and variations, showing his skill and desire to put his unique stamp on the tradition. Ultimately, Kimball concludes Chaucer was highly influenced by the romance genre and should be viewed as an admirer and hopeful romantic writer himself through
This document provides a detailed summary and analysis of Shakespeare's sonnets. It discusses how the sonnets can be divided into two sections - sonnets 1-126 addressing a male friend, and sonnets 127-152 addressing a "dark mistress." The main themes are constancy versus inconstancy between the two subjects of the sonnets, and how Shakespeare uses them to represent non-physical and physical realities. The document analyzes metaphor usage and how Shakespeare portrays the two subjects in relation to themes of youth, beauty, fidelity and the test of time.
The document provides context and analysis for Robert Browning's dramatic monologue poem "My Last Duchess". It explains that the poem was inspired by the real-life Duke of Ferrara in 16th century Italy. Through his conversation with an envoy, the Duke reveals details about his deceased wife, the Duchess. He suggests that she was too easily impressed and friendly with others, which grew his jealousy. The analysis notes the Duke takes pride in his wealth and status and enjoyed the power and control he had over his wife, going so far as to have her killed. The document examines the poem to understand both the Duke and Duchess's characters and relationships.
The document discusses the poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning. It analyzes the character and voice of the speaker, the Duke. [The Duke takes the listener on a tour of a portrait of his deceased wife and reveals through his word choices that he secretly resented her easy manner with others and felt she did not properly appreciate him. The analysis discusses how the Duke's hidden feelings and insecurities are betrayed through his long-winded speech.]
The summary provides key details about the document in 3 sentences:
The document summarizes a presentation on the Victorian poem "My Last Duchess" which analyzes the possessive and arrogant Duke who speaks to a messenger about his previous wife, as depicted in her portrait. It describes how the Duke sees women as possessions and was displeased that his Duchess appreciated all people equally rather than respecting his high social status alone. The analysis suggests the Duke's jealousy led him to order his Duchess's death, as implied by his comments about her smiles stopping.
The speaker, the Duke of Ferrara, shows off a portrait of his late wife, the Duchess, to an envoy. He speaks proudly of the portrait but reveals that he grew jealous of the attention the Duchess gave to others, including the painter who created her portrait. The Duke implies that he took severe actions against his wife, suggesting he was responsible for her death. He dismisses the envoy to join others, showing his desire to move past his late wife and pursue a new marriage.
http://youtu.be/PiCfrt8Sr3I ,JOHN KEATS,AS A THINKER IN RELATION TO CRITICAL...Rituparna Ray Chaudhuri
Keats's poetry is characterized by sensuous delight in the beauty of nature. He looks at the natural world with child-like wonder, thrilled by what he sees, hears, and experiences with all his senses. In Ode to a Nightingale, Keats seeks escape into the world of the nightingale's song to forget the pains of life, but realizes that fancy cannot provide lasting escape from reality. The poem reflects the human experience that life is full of sorrow and disappointment, and that youth, beauty, and joy are all fleeting.
1) Macbeth is considered Shakespeare's most comprehensive portrayal of evil. It tells the story of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's ambition which leads them to commit regicide and other murders.
2) Ambition is the main driving force behind the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth's ambition is selfish while Lady Macbeth's is driven by love, but both passions ultimately lead them down a path of evil deeds.
3) The play depicts the contrast between light and darkness, good and evil, through its characters, imagery, and themes. It shows how Macbeth's initial goodness becomes corrupted by his unchecked ambition.
A true poet is defined as someone who uses their art to freely express themselves without concern for societal conventions or criticism. A true poet finds inspiration in even the dreariest of places and trusts their writing above all else. They nurture each word and discover new perspectives to envision a better future. A true poet is not bound by rules or identities, but seeks beauty and meaning through their sensitive and enchanting words. Above all, a true poet follows their heart and uses their gift to bless others.
This document discusses key literary terms: the three unities, tragedy, and chorus. It provides details on each:
1) The three unities refer to Aristotle's concept of unity of action, place, and time. Later critics added the unities of place and time. While important in some traditions, English plays by Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Jonson did not strictly follow the unities.
2) Aristotle defined tragedy as imitating an action that is serious and complete, evoking pity and fear to bring catharsis. A tragic hero is neither thoroughly good nor bad, and makes an error leading to a change in fortune.
3) In Greek theater, the chorus commented on the action
Prospero's "most auspicious star" and Shakespeare's message in a bottleMarianne Kimura
This document analyzes Shakespeare's play The Tempest and argues it contains allegorical references to Shakespeare's support for solar energy and opposition to fossil fuels. It claims Prospero represents Shakespeare, and his line about courting "a most auspicious star" refers to the sun. The storm that drives Prospero's enemies to the island represents an intellectual debate. The document provides a lengthy analysis exploring parallels between The Tempest and Hamlet, and arguing both plays contain encrypted predictions that the negative effects of fossil fuel use would one day enable audiences to understand Shakespeare's true message in support of solar energy.
Prince Hamlet is unmasked and shown to be a sun figure. This academic paper will be published in the March 2014 issue of the Area Studies Journal of Tsukuba University.
Please help support my research into solar energy themes in Shakespeare's other plays by buying my e-novel "Juliet is the Sun" (about $8 on Amazon). (Thank you very much!)
Edmund Spenser was an influential English poet born in 1552 who is best known for his works The Shepheardes Calender and The Faerie Queene. The Faerie Queene was a multi-part epic poem that used allegory to praise the Tudor dynasty and Queen Elizabeth I. Spenser worked as a poet for noble patrons and spent time in Ireland, where he wrote much of The Faerie Queene. He is considered one of the greatest English language poets of his time and a master craftsman of verse in the early modern period.
This summary provides an overview of 3 poems by Edmund Spenser from the document:
1) "Fair is my love, when her fair golden hairs" describes the physical beauty of a woman the author finds attractive, focusing on different parts of her appearance and body.
2) "Sonnet 34" uses a metaphor of the author feeling lost at sea without his lover's guidance, wandering in a storm until he hopes her light will shine on him again.
3) "Sonnet 26" lists several sweet but bittersweet things in nature, concluding that pleasures obtained with pain are more valued and desired.
1. The Duke of Ferrara addresses a visitor while showing him a portrait of his former wife, the Duchess, on the wall of his grand hall.
2. He recounts how the Duchess was too easily pleased and impressed, smiling at and thanking anyone for small favors or compliments. This displeased the Duke as he felt she did not properly value his high rank and gifts to her.
3. After the Duchess smiled at someone other than the Duke in the same manner, he grew angry and had all her smiles "stopped together", implying he had her killed so that she would smile no more. He then moves the conversation to discussing the visitor's business at hand.
The poem is a dramatic monologue spoken by an Italian Duke showing a portrait of his deceased wife, called his "last Duchess", to a representative of the Count. As he speaks, he reveals that he was possessive and jealous of his wife, believing she did not properly appreciate his high social status and wealth. He implies that he had her killed due to her friendly, appreciative nature which he saw as a fault. The ending reinforces the Duke's self-importance as he draws attention to another artwork, highlighting his wealth and power.
“He doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus”: Julius Caesar as the Sun...Marianne Kimura
This document analyzes Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar through the lens of hidden allegories and symbolism. It argues that Julius Caesar represents the sun and the renewable energy economy, while the conspirators who assassinate him represent the coal economy and fossil fuels. Several passages and lines from the play are cited as evidence, with references to ideas from philosopher Giordano Bruno. The document examines how the play portrays the transition from a sun-based economy to one powered by coal through its characters and plot.
The poem describes a traveler telling the speaker about the ruined remains of a statue found in the desert, featuring two vast stone legs and a shattered face bearing a look of cold command, along with an inscription boasting of the statue's subject, King Ozymandias. Though Ozymandias saw himself as the mightiest of rulers, all that remains of his once great works is that lone, decaying statue, surrounded by the empty sands stretching into the distance, a testament to the ephemeral nature of power and human achievements.
The document provides an overview and analysis of key themes in The Song of Roland, an 11th century French epic poem. It discusses the poem's form, including its use of laisses and assonance. It analyzes the symmetrical structure and parallel passages that reinforce themes. The main themes highlighted are:
- Good vs Evil, with the Franks representing pure good fighting the evil Saracens.
- Loyalty and vassalage, with heroism defined by feudal obligations of loyalty to one's lord.
- A benevolent God who intervenes and turns evil events into part of his plan.
Stephen Spender’s The Express glorifies the express train. The train here is a symbol of the modern industrial civilization. The glorious running of the train to its destination is vividly pictured by the poet. The movement of the train is like the majestic movements of a queen. The express speeding through the open country is then compared to an elegant ship on ocean.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. His sonnets talk about love, friendship etc.The sonnets to the young man express overwhelming, obsessional love. The main cause of debate has always been whether it remained platonic or became physical.The first 17 poems, traditionally called the procreation sonnets, are addressed to the young man urging him to marry and have children in order to immortalize his beauty by passing it to the next generation.Other sonnets express the speaker's love for the young man; brood upon loneliness, death, and the transience of life; seem to criticise the young man for preferring a rival poet; express ambiguous feelings for the speaker's mistress; and pun on the poet's name. The final two sonnets are allegorical treatments of Greek epigrams referring to the "little love-god" Cupid.
Visualizing the Unspeakable Illustrating the HolocaustMadilyn Pflueger
The document discusses how graphic novels portray the Holocaust through rhetorical and visual devices like omission and contrast. It provides examples of how graphic novels omit details and identities to convey indescribable trauma respectfully. They obscure scenes of violence and erase faces to avoid reducing real atrocities to cartoons. Blank spaces and pages also suggest erasure and hopelessness. Through these omissions, graphic novels engage with the genre of Holocaust literature in depicting rupture and fragmentation of memory where language fails.
The document provides an overview of the sonnet form, including its typical structure of 14 lines arranged in iambic pentameter with a rhyme scheme. It also summarizes some key aspects of Shakespeare's sonnets, including that they are addressed to a young man and "Dark Lady" and explore themes of love, betrayal, and lust. Finally, it analyzes the structure and themes of several sample sonnets by Shakespeare.
The Sonnet (Poetry) is a PowerPoint presentation that briefly talks about what a sonnet is and its different forms/ patterns. This PPP is perfect for your high school class. It is recommendable to use the 2010 version of PowerPoint for a smooth use.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets around 1598 during an enforced break from theatre. The sonnets can be categorized into three themes: Sonnets 1-17 focus on persuading a young man to procreate; Sonnets 1-126 are addressed to this young man; and Sonnets 127-154 concern a "dark lady". The sonnets explore themes of love enduring beyond physical changes, the inevitability of death, and present a more realistic view of love than other contemporary love poetry. The sonnets provide insight into Shakespeare's views on topics like religion, human nature, and his criticism of other literary works.
Troilus and cressida -william shakespeare - ebookLibripass
Other William Shakespeare Books : [ http://bit.ly/1vsyURY ]
Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1602. The play (also described as one of Shakespeare's problem plays) is not a conventional tragedy, since its protagonist...
William Shakespeare is cllaed the Bard of Avan.
Shakespeare's influence is summarized nicely by Thomas Carlyle.
This King Shakespeare does he not shine, in crowned sovereignty, over us all, as the noblest, gentlest, yet strongest of rallying-signs; indestructible; really more valuable in that point of view than any other means or appliance whatsoever? We can fancy him as radiant aloft over all Nations of Englishmen, thousand years hence. From Paramatta, from New York, wheresoever, under what sort of Parish-Constable soever, English men and women are, they will say to one another, 'Yes, this Shakespeare is ours; we produced him, we speak and think by him; we are of one blood and kind with him. (Thomas Carlyle, The Hero as Poet, 1841).
1) Macbeth is considered Shakespeare's most comprehensive portrayal of evil. It tells the story of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's ambition which leads them to commit regicide and other murders.
2) Ambition is the main driving force behind the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth's ambition is selfish while Lady Macbeth's is driven by love, but both passions ultimately lead them down a path of evil deeds.
3) The play depicts the contrast between light and darkness, good and evil, through its characters, imagery, and themes. It shows how Macbeth's initial goodness becomes corrupted by his unchecked ambition.
A true poet is defined as someone who uses their art to freely express themselves without concern for societal conventions or criticism. A true poet finds inspiration in even the dreariest of places and trusts their writing above all else. They nurture each word and discover new perspectives to envision a better future. A true poet is not bound by rules or identities, but seeks beauty and meaning through their sensitive and enchanting words. Above all, a true poet follows their heart and uses their gift to bless others.
This document discusses key literary terms: the three unities, tragedy, and chorus. It provides details on each:
1) The three unities refer to Aristotle's concept of unity of action, place, and time. Later critics added the unities of place and time. While important in some traditions, English plays by Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Jonson did not strictly follow the unities.
2) Aristotle defined tragedy as imitating an action that is serious and complete, evoking pity and fear to bring catharsis. A tragic hero is neither thoroughly good nor bad, and makes an error leading to a change in fortune.
3) In Greek theater, the chorus commented on the action
Prospero's "most auspicious star" and Shakespeare's message in a bottleMarianne Kimura
This document analyzes Shakespeare's play The Tempest and argues it contains allegorical references to Shakespeare's support for solar energy and opposition to fossil fuels. It claims Prospero represents Shakespeare, and his line about courting "a most auspicious star" refers to the sun. The storm that drives Prospero's enemies to the island represents an intellectual debate. The document provides a lengthy analysis exploring parallels between The Tempest and Hamlet, and arguing both plays contain encrypted predictions that the negative effects of fossil fuel use would one day enable audiences to understand Shakespeare's true message in support of solar energy.
Prince Hamlet is unmasked and shown to be a sun figure. This academic paper will be published in the March 2014 issue of the Area Studies Journal of Tsukuba University.
Please help support my research into solar energy themes in Shakespeare's other plays by buying my e-novel "Juliet is the Sun" (about $8 on Amazon). (Thank you very much!)
Edmund Spenser was an influential English poet born in 1552 who is best known for his works The Shepheardes Calender and The Faerie Queene. The Faerie Queene was a multi-part epic poem that used allegory to praise the Tudor dynasty and Queen Elizabeth I. Spenser worked as a poet for noble patrons and spent time in Ireland, where he wrote much of The Faerie Queene. He is considered one of the greatest English language poets of his time and a master craftsman of verse in the early modern period.
This summary provides an overview of 3 poems by Edmund Spenser from the document:
1) "Fair is my love, when her fair golden hairs" describes the physical beauty of a woman the author finds attractive, focusing on different parts of her appearance and body.
2) "Sonnet 34" uses a metaphor of the author feeling lost at sea without his lover's guidance, wandering in a storm until he hopes her light will shine on him again.
3) "Sonnet 26" lists several sweet but bittersweet things in nature, concluding that pleasures obtained with pain are more valued and desired.
1. The Duke of Ferrara addresses a visitor while showing him a portrait of his former wife, the Duchess, on the wall of his grand hall.
2. He recounts how the Duchess was too easily pleased and impressed, smiling at and thanking anyone for small favors or compliments. This displeased the Duke as he felt she did not properly value his high rank and gifts to her.
3. After the Duchess smiled at someone other than the Duke in the same manner, he grew angry and had all her smiles "stopped together", implying he had her killed so that she would smile no more. He then moves the conversation to discussing the visitor's business at hand.
The poem is a dramatic monologue spoken by an Italian Duke showing a portrait of his deceased wife, called his "last Duchess", to a representative of the Count. As he speaks, he reveals that he was possessive and jealous of his wife, believing she did not properly appreciate his high social status and wealth. He implies that he had her killed due to her friendly, appreciative nature which he saw as a fault. The ending reinforces the Duke's self-importance as he draws attention to another artwork, highlighting his wealth and power.
“He doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus”: Julius Caesar as the Sun...Marianne Kimura
This document analyzes Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar through the lens of hidden allegories and symbolism. It argues that Julius Caesar represents the sun and the renewable energy economy, while the conspirators who assassinate him represent the coal economy and fossil fuels. Several passages and lines from the play are cited as evidence, with references to ideas from philosopher Giordano Bruno. The document examines how the play portrays the transition from a sun-based economy to one powered by coal through its characters and plot.
The poem describes a traveler telling the speaker about the ruined remains of a statue found in the desert, featuring two vast stone legs and a shattered face bearing a look of cold command, along with an inscription boasting of the statue's subject, King Ozymandias. Though Ozymandias saw himself as the mightiest of rulers, all that remains of his once great works is that lone, decaying statue, surrounded by the empty sands stretching into the distance, a testament to the ephemeral nature of power and human achievements.
The document provides an overview and analysis of key themes in The Song of Roland, an 11th century French epic poem. It discusses the poem's form, including its use of laisses and assonance. It analyzes the symmetrical structure and parallel passages that reinforce themes. The main themes highlighted are:
- Good vs Evil, with the Franks representing pure good fighting the evil Saracens.
- Loyalty and vassalage, with heroism defined by feudal obligations of loyalty to one's lord.
- A benevolent God who intervenes and turns evil events into part of his plan.
Stephen Spender’s The Express glorifies the express train. The train here is a symbol of the modern industrial civilization. The glorious running of the train to its destination is vividly pictured by the poet. The movement of the train is like the majestic movements of a queen. The express speeding through the open country is then compared to an elegant ship on ocean.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. His sonnets talk about love, friendship etc.The sonnets to the young man express overwhelming, obsessional love. The main cause of debate has always been whether it remained platonic or became physical.The first 17 poems, traditionally called the procreation sonnets, are addressed to the young man urging him to marry and have children in order to immortalize his beauty by passing it to the next generation.Other sonnets express the speaker's love for the young man; brood upon loneliness, death, and the transience of life; seem to criticise the young man for preferring a rival poet; express ambiguous feelings for the speaker's mistress; and pun on the poet's name. The final two sonnets are allegorical treatments of Greek epigrams referring to the "little love-god" Cupid.
Visualizing the Unspeakable Illustrating the HolocaustMadilyn Pflueger
The document discusses how graphic novels portray the Holocaust through rhetorical and visual devices like omission and contrast. It provides examples of how graphic novels omit details and identities to convey indescribable trauma respectfully. They obscure scenes of violence and erase faces to avoid reducing real atrocities to cartoons. Blank spaces and pages also suggest erasure and hopelessness. Through these omissions, graphic novels engage with the genre of Holocaust literature in depicting rupture and fragmentation of memory where language fails.
The document provides an overview of the sonnet form, including its typical structure of 14 lines arranged in iambic pentameter with a rhyme scheme. It also summarizes some key aspects of Shakespeare's sonnets, including that they are addressed to a young man and "Dark Lady" and explore themes of love, betrayal, and lust. Finally, it analyzes the structure and themes of several sample sonnets by Shakespeare.
The Sonnet (Poetry) is a PowerPoint presentation that briefly talks about what a sonnet is and its different forms/ patterns. This PPP is perfect for your high school class. It is recommendable to use the 2010 version of PowerPoint for a smooth use.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets around 1598 during an enforced break from theatre. The sonnets can be categorized into three themes: Sonnets 1-17 focus on persuading a young man to procreate; Sonnets 1-126 are addressed to this young man; and Sonnets 127-154 concern a "dark lady". The sonnets explore themes of love enduring beyond physical changes, the inevitability of death, and present a more realistic view of love than other contemporary love poetry. The sonnets provide insight into Shakespeare's views on topics like religion, human nature, and his criticism of other literary works.
Troilus and cressida -william shakespeare - ebookLibripass
Other William Shakespeare Books : [ http://bit.ly/1vsyURY ]
Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1602. The play (also described as one of Shakespeare's problem plays) is not a conventional tragedy, since its protagonist...
William Shakespeare is cllaed the Bard of Avan.
Shakespeare's influence is summarized nicely by Thomas Carlyle.
This King Shakespeare does he not shine, in crowned sovereignty, over us all, as the noblest, gentlest, yet strongest of rallying-signs; indestructible; really more valuable in that point of view than any other means or appliance whatsoever? We can fancy him as radiant aloft over all Nations of Englishmen, thousand years hence. From Paramatta, from New York, wheresoever, under what sort of Parish-Constable soever, English men and women are, they will say to one another, 'Yes, this Shakespeare is ours; we produced him, we speak and think by him; we are of one blood and kind with him. (Thomas Carlyle, The Hero as Poet, 1841).
An Objective Evaluation of Shakespeare’s Universal Appealpaperpublications3
Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance; that you o‟verstep not the modesty of
nature. For anything so o‟erdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end both at the first, and now, was and is, to hold
as „twere the mirror up to nature, to show Virtue her own feature, scorn her own Image, and the very age and body of the
time his form and pressure.
- Hamlet: III.ii.17-24
William Shakespeare an English Writer 1564 - 1616Ali Soomro
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was the greatest dramatist of the Elizabethan era. As little is known about his life as a country boy from Stratford-upon-Avon who came to London, his dramatic achievements are remarkable given his lack of formal education. Endowed with extraordinary imagination and creativity, Shakespeare was able to breathe new life into old stories and infuse them with profound thoughts and emotions. His dramatic output from 1588 to 1612 spans 37 plays and includes comedies, histories, and tragedies, which are often divided into four periods based on genre and tone.
William Shakespeare was a renowned 16th century English playwright and poet. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Some of his most famous works include tragedies, comedies, and histories such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare's plays and poems have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than any other playwright.
English theater has a long history dating back to ancient Greek and Roman eras. Notable developments include William Shakespeare becoming one of the most influential playwrights in the English language in the 16th century. The theater genre was used to reflect society and culture through different periods. Key periods in the evolution of English theater include the Elizabethan era featuring playwrights like Christopher Marlowe, the Restoration period in the late 17th century bringing back moral comedies and heroic plays, and modern developments with playwrights like Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, and Caryl Churchill.
The document provides a detailed analysis and summary of Matthew Arnold's poem "Dover Beach". It begins by summarizing the poem's opening description of the beach at Dover and references made to Sophocles. It then analyzes various interpretations of metaphors and themes in the poem, such as the retreating sea representing the loss of religious faith. The document also discusses the poem's composition, influences on other works, and critical commentary on elements like structure, rhythm and symbolism.
William Shakespeare is considered one of the most influential writers of all time. His works such as Romeo and Juliet, Venus and Adonis, and The Rape of Lucrece explored themes of love, tragedy, and death. Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two young lovers from feuding families who fall in love and ultimately die to be together. Venus and Adonis depicts the love and seduction between Venus and the young Adonis, who is killed while hunting. The Rape of Lucrece focuses on the rape and suicide of Lucretia, which led to the downfall of the royal family. Shakespeare used these works to profoundly examine the human condition through profound poetry and literature.
This document provides an overview of the history and development of tragedy as a dramatic art form. It discusses the origins of tragedy in ancient Greek theater, including the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. It also covers the transmission of tragedy to Roman and Renaissance theaters, and theories about tragedy put forth by philosophers like Aristotle.
William Shakespeare was one of the most influential writers of the 16th century. His works such as Romeo and Juliet, Venus and Adonis, and The Rape of Lucrece explored themes of love, tragedy, and death. Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two young lovers from feuding families whose love ends in tragedy. Venus and Adonis depicts the goddess Venus pursuing the unwilling Adonis, who dies while hunting. The Rape of Lucrece focuses on the rape of a woman which leads to her suicide and political change. Shakespeare's exploration of these dark themes through poetry and plays demonstrated his profound creative genius.
The document provides an overview of British literature through the ages, divided into historical periods and monarchs. It mentions major authors from the 14th-17th centuries such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Donne, Milton and others. Their works ranged from medieval tales and morality plays to metaphysical poetry, revenge tragedies, and more. The 18th century saw the rise of satire, essays and novels. The Romantic period in the late 18th-early 19th century focused on passion, imagination, and nature.
T. S. Eliot's Sweeney among the Nightingales is a modernist lyric poem that first appeared in a 1919 Eliot collection entitled Poems. The collection was published in England by Hogarth Press, operated by writers Leonard and Virginia Woolf. As a modernist work, the poem presents its characters as mundane and vulgar rather than as romantic or heroic, like the characters in many poems of the nineteenth century.
This document provides an overview of the history and development of drama across different time periods and cultures. It begins with an explanation of Greek drama and its origins in dithyrambs honoring Dionysus. It then discusses the evolution of Greek tragedy and comedy and their influence on Roman drama. Medieval drama developed out of church liturgy in forms like mystery plays and morality plays. Renaissance drama was influenced by the rediscovery of Greek and Roman classics and varied across countries, with England producing great dramatists like Shakespeare. Realism emerged in 19th century drama alongside melodrama, influencing later playwrights across Europe.
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“Conceit deceitful”: the painting of Hecuba and the Trojan War in The Rape of Lucrece and its implications for Hamlet
1. “Conceit deceitful”: the painting of
Troy in The Rape of Lucrece and its
implications for Hamlet
After she is raped by Tarquin, Lucrece sends off a letter to her husband, Collatine, asking
him to return home. Her plan, which she later carries out, is to tell him about the rape, reveal
the name of her attacker to him and then commit suicide.
However, she must wait for a while before he gets home and she starts to get bored: “the
weary time she cannot entertain/ For now t’is stale to sigh, to weep and groan” (1361-2).
Lucrece, looking “for means to mourn some newer way” (1365), recollects the painting of the
fall of Troy hanging in her house and decides it will be the perfect way to pass the time:
At last she calls to mind where hangs a piece
Of skilful painting, made for Priam's Troy:
Before the which is drawn the power of Greece.
For Helen's rape the city to destroy,
Threatening cloud-kissing Ilion with annoy;
Which the conceited painter drew so proud,
As heaven, it seem'd, to kiss the turrets bow'd. (1366-1372)
The penultimate line in the stanza above, “Which the conceited painter drew so proud”, is
interesting because the word “conceit” can mean “proud” (a word that appears in the same
line) or it can also refer to:
an extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs a poetic
passage or entire poem. By juxtaposing, usurping and manipulating
images and ideas in surprising ways, a conceit invites the reader
into a more sophisticated understanding of an object of comparison.
Extended conceits in English are part of the poetic idiom of
Mannerism, during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth
century….Helen Gardner observed that "a conceit is a comparison
whose ingenuity is more striking than its justness" and that "a
2. comparison becomes a conceit when we are made to concede likeness
while being strongly conscious of unlikeness."1
Shakespeare liked conceits and wrote them often. For example, Romeo and Juliet is
referred to as “An Excellent Conceited Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet” on its original cover
printed in 1597 and as for its conceit, the play is an extended comparison between
mankind and the sun (through our long history on planet Earth) and two lovers named
Romeo and Juliet over a period of a few days in Verona, Italy.
Shakespeare’s works (all that I have examined anyway) are all such conceits, or
allegories: Macbeth, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, As You Like It,
Julius Caesar, Anthony and Cleopatra, Venus and Adonis, Measure for Measure, The
Merchant of Venice, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing,
Hamlet and The Tempest plus his Sonnets.
However, just seven stanzas after the line about the “conceited painter” occurs,
another instance of the word “conceit” occurs, and this one, “conceit deceitful”, is rather
interesting because this word “deceitful” implies that the artist may not have been totally
forthcoming:
For much imaginary work was there;
Conceit deceitful, so compact, so kind,
That for Achilles' image stood his spear,
Griped in an armed hand; himself, behind,
Was left unseen, save to the eye of mind:
A hand, a foot, a face, a leg, a head,
Stood for the whole to be imagined. (1422-1428) (my emphasis)
It’s a small clue that Shakespeare meant to hint that there was a hidden conceit in the
poem. My interpretation of the poem as a cloaked indictment of the burgeoning coal-fueled
economy that was putting an end to the organic sun economy can certainly be further
validated by this small clue. And if Shakespeare hints that he was deceitful and purposely
hid one allegory vilifying coal, it becomes more possible that he hid others in his other
works too.
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceit
3. Amid all his works, so full of conceit and deceit, it’s fascinating to find one long scene
where Shakespeare actually shows a character clearly interpreting a piece of art in an
allegorical fashion: Lucrece consciously engages in interpreting an artwork using a conceit
and knowingly explains this conceit.
This brings me back to the painting of the fall of Troy, which Lucrece spends 26
stanzas (182 lines) observing and contemplating. The conceit which she comes up occurs
near the end of these 26 stanzas. She finds a character depicted in the painting who
corresponds to herself―this is Priam who was too “credulous” (1522). Another character,
“perjur’d Sinon” (1521), corresponds to Tarquin, the man who has ruined her life (“For
even as subtle Sinon here is painted/ So sober-sad, so weary, and so mild,/ As if with grief
or travail he had fainted,/To me came Tarquin armed; so beguiled/ With outward honesty,
but yet defiled/ With inward vice” 1541-1546)) Finally, she compares the fall of Troy to her
own disastrous rape: “so my Troy did perish” (1547).
'For even as subtle Sinon here is painted.
So sober-sad, so weary, and so mild,
As if with grief or travail he had fainted,
To me came Tarquin armed; so beguiled
With outward honesty, but yet defiled
With inward vice: as Priam him did cherish,
So did I Tarquin; so my Troy did perish. (1541-1547)
Lucrece’s reaction to the painting, the process whereby she develops a “conceit” of her
own tragic story using the plot and characters of the painting, should be seen as revealing
of Shakespeare’s own aesthetic strategy to also develop his own conceits or allegories
using classical or historical plots and stories that were already in circulation. The Rape of
Lucrece was written in 1593-4, before all of Shakespeare’s major dramatic works, and in
my opinion, since he was still a younger artist, he was interested artistically in setting
forth his philosophy and approach in a rather formal way, and without worrying too much
that he would divulge his secrets.
Whereas Lucrece is interested in her own tragedy, Shakespeare was similarly
fascinated, throughout his career, with one topic: the loss of the sun economy due to
structural changes in the economy due to coal consumption. Actually, Lucrece’s rape and
4. death and the loss of the sun economy are one and the same (in that the first is a conceit
for the latter).
Besides the important notion of the conceit, Shakespeare introduces, in these lines
about Lucrece observing the Trojan painting, other aspects of his aesthetic philosophy,
including the motivation of the artist in the creation of art. The topic of artistic motivation
is formally taken up in the lines where Lucrece looks at Hecuba:
To this well-painted piece is Lucrece come
To find a face where all distress is stell'd.
Many she sees where cares have carved some,
But none where all distress and dolour dwell'd,
Till she despairing Hecuba beheld,
Staring on Priam's wounds with her old eyes,
Which bleeding under Pyrrhus' proud foot lies.
In her the painter had anatomized
Time's ruin, beauty's wreck, and grim care's reign:
Her cheeks with chaps and wrinkles were disguised;
Of what she was no semblance did remain:
Her blue blood changed to black in every vein,
Wanting the spring that those shrunk pipes had fed,
Show'd life imprison'd in a body dead.
On this sad shadow Lucrece spends her eyes,
And shapes her sorrow to the beldame's woes,
Who nothing wants to answer her but cries,
And bitter words to ban her cruel foes:
The painter was no god to lend her those;
And therefore Lucrece swears he did her wrong,
To give her so much grief and not a tongue.
'Poor instrument,' quoth she,'without a sound,
I'll tune thy woes with my lamenting tongue;
And drop sweet balm in Priam's painted wound,
And rail on Pyrrhus that hath done him wrong;
And with my tears quench Troy that burns so long;
5. And with my knife scratch out the angry eyes
Of all the Greeks that are thine enemies.
'Show me the strumpet that began this stir,
That with my nails her beauty I may tear.
Thy heat of lust, fond Paris, did incur
This load of wrath that burning Troy doth bear:
Thy eye kindled the fire that burneth here;
And here in Troy, for trespass of thine eye,
The sire, the son, the dame, and daughter die.
'Why should the private pleasure of some one
Become the public plague of many moe?
Let sin, alone committed, light alone
Upon his head that hath transgressed so;
Let guiltless souls be freed from guilty woe:
For one's offence why should so many fall,
To plague a private sin in general?
'Lo, here weeps Hecuba, here Priam dies,
Here manly Hector faints, here Troilus swounds,
Here friend by friend in bloody channel lies,
And friend to friend gives unadvised wounds,
And one man's lust these many lives confounds:
Had doting Priam cheque'd his son's desire,
Troy had been bright with fame and not with fire.'
Here feelingly she weeps Troy's painted woes:
For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell,
Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes;
Then little strength rings out the doleful knell:
So Lucrece, set a-work, sad tales doth tell
To pencill'd pensiveness and colour'd sorrow;
She lends them words, and she their looks doth borrow. (1443-98)
Lucrece is primarily motivated by righteous anger: “why should the private pleasure
of some one/ Become the public plague of many moe?” (1478-9) This situation can apply
6. to Tarquin’s rape of her, of course, but she is mainly characterizing Paris’ lustful
transgression as the event that started the Trojan War. However, “why should the
private pleasure of some one/ Become the public plague of many moe” can also describe
the situation surrounding coal consumption, whereby heat was enjoyed by the person
who lit the coal fire while the coal smoke was emitted into the air and caused health
problems for many.
Lucrece vows to give a voice to the voiceless, suffering Hecuba: “'Poor instrument,'
quoth she,'without a sound, I'll tune thy woes with my lamenting tongue” (1464-5).
Hecuba, a painted figure, of course makes no sound. However, the aesthetic implication
is that the artist should lend his voice to the voiceless, the oppressed whose voices have
been silenced by the situation that surrounds them.
Furthermore, Lucrece’s “sad tales” that she “doth tell”, along with the phrase that
she “set a-work”, imply that she takes on the workmanlike role (metaphorically) of a
creator-artist. She tells these sad tales to “pencill’d pensiveness and colour’d sorrow”, and
these phrases indicate the painting, sketched in pencil and then colored, but the word
“pencill’d” can’t help but slightly hint that Lucrece may need a pencil herself if her “sad
tales” require a hard copy.
So for Shakespeare, an artist is someone motivated by and inspired by, above all, a
sense of social justice―someone giving a voice to those who are suffering and have no
voice of their own, having been systematically silenced―and also an artist is someone
who may use allegories and conceits.
This label would exactly fit him.
Fossil fuels and the capitalistic market-based economy that they engendered brought
about many sufferers who had no voice. These would include indigenous people
everywhere, colonized and oppressed peoples whose lands were exploited to provide
resources to wealthy fossil-fuel-rich imperial countries, and also of course natural
creatures such as animals and plants whose habitat was exploited and ruined for the
sake of economic growth, and many others to various degrees. Of course, Shakespeare
also gave a voice to the ideas of Giordano Bruno who was executed by the Roman
Inquisition in 1600 and whose books were placed on the Codex (the list of banned books).
Bruno’s voice was very much silenced through his trial, his execution and following this
event, but Shakespeare publicly coded Bruno into many of his plays, in a disguised way
7. (again, using the concept of the conceit) in order to express solidarity with Bruno and in
order to defend him.2
Interestingly, the sufferers of the new fossil fuel order can also include the very people
who are the perpetrators of it. This should really be no surprise, since later
Shakespearean tragic heroes, who are all suffering (behind their conceits) from being
perpetrators of fossil fuels and against the sun economy (whom in allegory they kill or
reject), like Macbeth, Othello, King Claudius and King Lear, all are portrayed with some
sympathy.
Sinon, the character who cunningly deceives the Trojans, and to whom Lucrece
compares Tarquin, is described at length, for 6 stanzas (42 lines), and the description is
complex, deep and quite sympathetic, with the notion that Sinon is “bound”, not free but
somehow locked into his situation. Also the word “wretched” is used to describe Sinon, and
“full of cares”, “a humble gait” and “seem’d to welcome woe”, that is to say a person who
does not expect much good and has suffered a bit. Although Sinon is also described as “like
a constant and confirmed devil”, he is not only a devil, but one for whom the narrator feels
a certain amount of pity or compassion:
She throws her eyes about the painting round,
And whom she finds forlorn she doth lament.
At last she sees a wretched image bound,
That piteous looks to Phrygian shepherds lent:
His face, though full of cares, yet show'd content;
Onward to Troy with the blunt swains he goes,
So mild, that Patience seem'd to scorn his woes.
In him the painter labour'd with his skill
To hide deceit, and give the harmless show
An humble gait, calm looks, eyes wailing still,
A brow unbent, that seem'd to welcome woe;
Cheeks neither red nor pale, but mingled so
That blushing red no guilty instance gave,
Nor ashy pale the fear that false hearts have.
2 https://www.slideshare.net/Fantasia47/the-heretic-hiding-in-shakespeares-plays
8. But, like a constant and confirmed devil,
He entertain'd a show so seeming just,
And therein so ensconced his secret evil,
That jealousy itself could not mistrust
False-creeping craft and perjury should thrust
Into so bright a day such black-faced storms,
Or blot with hell-born sin such saint-like forms.
The well-skill'd workman this mild image drew
For perjured Sinon, whose enchanting story
The credulous old Priam after slew;
Whose words like wildfire burnt the shining glory
Of rich-built Ilion, that the skies were sorry,
And little stars shot from their fixed places,
When their glass fell wherein they view'd their faces.
This picture she advisedly perused,
And chid the painter for his wondrous skill,
Saying, some shape in Sinon's was abused;
So fair a form lodged not a mind so ill:
And still on him she gazed; and gazing still,
Such signs of truth in his plain face she spied,
That she concludes the picture was belied.
'It cannot be,' quoth she,'that so much guile'--
She would have said 'can lurk in such a look;'
But Tarquin's shape came in her mind the while,
And from her tongue 'can lurk' from 'cannot' took:
'It cannot be' she in that sense forsook,
And turn'd it thus,' It cannot be, I find,
But such a face should bear a wicked mind. (1499-1540)
9. All the conceits in Shakespeare’s works are deployed in the service of the sun, against
coal, and so it is no coincidence that as Lucrece first turns her gaze on the painting, the
word “coals” appears in conjunction with dead and dying bleeding bodies:
A thousand lamentable objects there,
In scorn of nature, art gave lifeless life:
Many a dry drop seem'd a weeping tear,
Shed for the slaughter'd husband by the wife:
The red blood reek'd, to show the painter's strife;
And dying eyes gleam'd forth their ashy lights,
Like dying coals burnt out in tedious nights. (1373-9) (my emphasis)
So the word “coals” importantly stands in the first stanza of the whole 26-
stanza-long Trojan painting passage and it does―though it is also a bit “deceitful”
because the word “coals” is just treated as part of a casual simile― announce the
topic as a theme of tragedy worthy of art, which it is, since the sun and human’s
relationship to the sun is also part of our relationship to the cosmos. At the end of
the passage, the topic of coals is again hinted at as “fire” is mentioned again and
again, with references to the way that coal burns (it burns in lightless way, that is it
gives off only a small blue flame unlike the rich yellow blaze of a wood fire):
'Look, look, how listening Priam wets his eyes,
To see those borrow'd tears that Sinon sheds!
Priam, why art thou old and yet not wise?
For every tear he falls a Trojan bleeds:
His eye drops fire, no water thence proceeds;
Those round clear pearls of his, that move thy pity,
Are balls of quenchless fire to burn thy city.
'Such devils steal effects from lightless hell;
For Sinon in his fire doth quake with cold,
And in that cold hot-burning fire doth dwell;
These contraries such unity do hold,
Only to flatter fools and make them bold:
So Priam's trust false Sinon's tears doth flatter,
That he finds means to burn his Troy with water.'
10. It is worth noting that this painting (naturally) is not in the original source material,
Ovid’s Fasti, Book II: The Regifugium3. The addition of this painting, 26 stanzas long, is then
Shakespeare’s own artistic decision and would later influence the way he wrote Hamlet.
Seven or so years after he finished The Rape of Lucrece, Shakespeare wrote Hamlet (1601).
Interestingly, in Act II, scene 2 of Hamlet there is a section about Hecuba and the Trojan
War. This section, of about 80 lines, shares some similarities with the 182 lines about the
Trojan painting in The Rape of Lucrece. First, the source material of both is Book II of Virgil’s
Aeneid. Second, both sections stand thematically apart as moments of respite from the main
action (the court at Elsinore, and Lucrece’s rape, respectively)ーthese sections don’t further the
main action in other words. Third, we can also say that both sections touch self-consciously on
the topic of aesthetics since one is about a painting while the other is seemingly a section of
text from a play.
Since the Trojan painting section in The Rape of Lucrece sets forth Shakespeare’s ideas
about art and the role of the artist, it is logical to wonder if the Trojan War play, also a sort of
separate ‘set piece’, in Hamlet does something similar. Or does its mere existence pay homage
to Shakespeare’s earlier artistic self, since Hamlet is an allegory all about Shakespeare’s own
artistic journey as a fighter for the organic sun economy against fossil fuels?4 To understand
the role of this section, we first need to look at it.
The whole passage is given below:
Hamlet: I heard thee speak me a speech once, but it was never acted;
or if it was, not above once; for the play, I remember, pleas'd
not the million, 'twas caviary to the general; but it was (as I
receiv'd it, and others, whose judgments in such matters cried in
the top of mine) an excellent play, well digested in the scenes,
set down with as much modesty as cunning. I remember one said
there were no sallets in the lines to make the matter savoury,
3http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/OvidFastiBkTwo.htm
4 https://www.slideshare.net/Fantasia47/hamletsun-26724500
11. nor no matter in the phrase that might indict the author of
affectation; but call'd it an honest method, as wholesome as
sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine. One speech in't
I chiefly lov'd. 'Twas Aeneas' tale to Dido, and thereabout of it
especially where he speaks of Priam's slaughter. If it live in
your memory, begin at this line- let me see, let me see:
'The rugged Pyrrhus, like th' Hyrcanian beast-'
'Tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus:
'The rugged Pyrrhus, he whose sable arms,
Black as his purpose, did the night resemble
When he lay couched in the ominous horse,
Hath now this dread and black complexion smear'd
With heraldry more dismal. Head to foot
Now is be total gules, horridly trick'd
With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons,
Bak'd and impasted with the parching streets,
That lend a tyrannous and a damned light
To their lord's murther. Roasted in wrath and fire,
And thus o'ersized with coagulate gore,
With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus
Old grandsire Priam seeks.'
So, proceed you.
Polonius. Fore God, my lord, well spoken, with good accent and good
discretion.
First Player. 'Anon he finds him,
Striking too short at Greeks. His antique sword,
Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls,
Repugnant to command. Unequal match'd,
12. Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide;
But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword
Th' unnerved father falls. Then senseless Ilium,
Seeming to feel this blow, with flaming top
Stoops to his base, and with a hideous crash
Takes prisoner Pyrrhus' ear. For lo! his sword,
Which was declining on the milky head
Of reverend Priam, seem'd i' th' air to stick.
So, as a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood,
And, like a neutral to his will and matter,
Did nothing.
But, as we often see, against some storm,
A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still,
The bold winds speechless, and the orb below
As hush as death- anon the dreadful thunder
Doth rend the region; so, after Pyrrhus' pause,
Aroused vengeance sets him new awork;
And never did the Cyclops' hammers fall
On Mars's armour, forg'd for proof eterne,
With less remorse than Pyrrhus' bleeding sword
Now falls on Priam.
Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune! All you gods,
In general synod take away her power;
Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel,
And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven,
As low as to the fiends!
Polonius. This is too long.
13. Hamlet. It shall to the barber's, with your beard.ー Prithee say on.
He's for a jig or a tale of bawdry, or he sleeps. Say on; come to
Hecuba.
First Player. 'But who, O who, had seen the mobled queen-'
Hamlet. 'The mobled queen'?
Polonius. That's good! 'Mobled queen' is good.
First Player. 'Run barefoot up and down, threat'ning the flames
With bisson rheum; a clout upon that head
Where late the diadem stood, and for a robe,
About her lank and all o'erteemed loins,
A blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up-
Who this had seen, with tongue in venom steep'd
'Gainst Fortune's state would treason have pronounc'd.
But if the gods themselves did see her then,
When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport
In Mincing with his sword her husband's limbs,
The instant burst of clamour that she made
(Unless things mortal move them not at all)
Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven
And passion in the gods.'
Polonius. Look, whe'r he has not turn'd his colour, and has tears in's
eyes. Prithee no more!
Hamlet. 'Tis well. I'll have thee speak out the rest of this soon.-
Good my lord, will you see the players well bestow'd? Do you
hear? Let them be well us'd; for they are the abstract and brief
chronicles of the time. After your death you were better have a
14. bad epitaph than their ill report while you live. (II.ii.433-526)
If this is an allegory, the question is who is Pyrrhus, and who is Priam? The most likely
answer is that Pyrrhus, who is associated with “night” and who has “sable arms/ Black as his
purpose” is coal, the usurper, or Claudius. Pyrrhus is also compared to a “painted tyrant”, not a
pleasant image, and it echoes the image we have of Claudius and fossil fuels. Priam would
then be the old order, the sun economy, (old Hamlet) and Hecuba is the queen who depends on
him, as Gertrude depended on old Hamlet.
As the First Player recites the lines about Hecuba’s suffering, Polonius remarks “Look
whe’er he has not turn’d his color and has tears in his eyes”, and soon after this everyone else
leaves and Hamlet, now alone, speaks. This is the famous “rogue and peasant slave”
monologue, and it is interesting that the word “conceit” occurs twice in it, right away:
Now I am alone.
O what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That, from her working, all his visage wann'd,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in's aspect,
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing!
For Hecuba!
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do,
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech;
Make mad the guilty and appal the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
The very faculties of eyes and ears.
Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing! (II.2.549-569) (my emphasis)
15. Knowing what we know about the importance of the word “conceit” in the lines about the
Trojan War painting in The Rape of Lucrece, we can guess that these instances of the word
“conceit” in Hamlet are clues that the Trojan War play, which has the same source and the
same theme, is also a conceit and by extension, Hamlet itself is another conceit, or allegory.
The First Player has apparently performed the lines with great emotion, and from this,
Prince Hamlet gives us a hint at how to understand the conceit of both the Trojan War play
and the one in Hamlet in general. As Lucrece becomes a sort of ‘artist’ giving a voice to Hecuba
in the Trojan War painting, the First Player is also a sort of artist, who stands in relation to
the characters he tells of as Hamlet does to his own family (Old Hamlet/Priam,
Claudius/Pyrrhus, Gertrude/Hecuba) situation: hence Hamlet asks rhetorically, “what would
(the player) do had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have?” Although these lines
seem to be some sort of spontaneous cry of emotion, they are actually revealing the conceit that
is present in the Trojan War play.
By extension, Shakespeare, the artist, stands in relation to the coal/usurper (Pyrrhus) and
to British society (Hecuba) and the sun economy (Priam) and he obviously felt that he did have
a “motive” and a “cue for passion”, as he watched the coal economy slowly, or rather quickly
even, killing off the sun economy. ‘Hecuba’ would have been not just society in general, but
particularly, the people who suffered as the new energy regime became dominant, the people
who suffered silently as the market economy took hold and as pollution increased quickly.
In The Rape of Lucrece as in the unnamed Trojan War play in Hamlet, Hecuba is that
silent group of suffering creatures, animals and people (fish, sparrows, swallows, bees, trees,
whales, dolphins, tigers, and many other species), those people who call for renewable energy
sources and oppose fossil fuels, those, in short, who need this artist, more than ever, to voice
our sorrows.