This presentation is for the students who are initiating in the wonderful world of Shakespearean drama

1. Shakespearean Tragedy
with special reference to
Hamlet
Ketan Pandya
Associate Professor
M. B. Arts & Commerce College,
Gondal
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2. Constituent elements of Tragedy
• plot (mythos)
• character (ethos)
good –appropriate–consistent
• thought (dianoia)
• diction (lexis)
• melody (melos)
• spectacle (opsis)
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3. Aristotle’s Concept of Tragedy
• “Tragedy is serious”
• “It is in action and not narration”
• “Plot is the soul of tragedy”
• “Elements of anagnorisis and
peripeteia.”
• “Death of the protagonist.”
• “In embellished language”
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4. •“Function of Tragedy
is Catharsis”
Catharsis means
purgation or
purification .
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5. •“Cause of tragedy is
hamartia”
Hamartia means tragic
flaw in the protagonist
which becomes the cause
of his downfall.
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6. William Shakespeare
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7. Shakespearean Tragedy
• Hero is a noble man, of high status –
a king or a prince
• A tale of hero’s suffering
culminating in his death
• Tragedy issues from character.
Character is destiny?
• Supernatural elements
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8. • Profound sense of fate
• Conflict: Internal as well as external
• Lack of poetic justice
• Final sense of reconciliation and
hope
• An essentially moral world.
• Mingling of tragedy and comedy
• Use of blank verse
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9. Shakespeare’s Hamlet
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10. Character’s in Hamlet
• Claudius - King of Denmark
• Hamlet - Son of the
former, and nephew of the
present King
• Gertrude - Queen of
Denmark, and mother to
Hamlet

11. Character’s in Hamlet
• Ophelia - Daughter to
Polonius whom Hamlet loves
• Horatio - Friend to Hamlet
• Laertes - Son to Polonius
• Rosencrantz, Guildenstern -
Courtiers, friends to Hamlet
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12. Character’s in Hamlet
• Ghost of Hamlet's Father
• Fortinbras - Prince of Norway
• Gravediggers - A sexton and a
clown
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13. Themes
• Revenge
• Incest
• Treachery
• Death
• Deception
• Moral corruption

14. Characteristics of Revenge Tragedy
• Revenge as a theme
• Supernatural elements: a vengeful
ghost
• A play within a play,
• Scenes of madness or insanity
• Melodramatic and gory scenes
• Onus of taking revenge on the hero

15. Hamlet as a revenge tragedy
• Hamlet’s father’s ghost reveals that
he was poisoned by his brother
Claudius
• The Ghost demands: "Revenge his
foul and most unnatural murder“
• Play within play: Hamlet is sure that
Claudius is the murderer
• Gets a chance to murder Claudius but
refrains as Claudius is praying

16. • Hamlet kills Polonius mistaking
him for Claudius from behind the
curtain.
• Claudius sends Hamlet to England
• Plans to assassinate him in England
• Hamlet returns to Denmark safe
• Dual between Hamlet and Laertes
• Hamlet kills Claudius and dies
himself due to poisoned sword.

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18. Hamlet’s character
•Rises above the stock
figure of avenger
•A noble and sensitive
man

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21. Ophelia
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22. The famous
grave diggers
scene
Shakespeare’s
mingling of
tragic and
comic. This
scene occurs
immediately
after Ophelia’s
tragic death.
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