Characters
This year the seminar's central theme is human character. Conversations have highlighted questions such as: What is character? What do we mean by the phrase "human character"? As a group we have decided that there is more than one way to think about character. A character is a person who speaks, who has lines in a theatrical performance or in a book. Our discussions in seminar also focused on Aristotle's description of character. He thought that it is something that embellishes the plot but the characters are not particularly necessary in the story, meaning that "faceless people" could deliver the plot. Shakespeare appears to think that the characters are more important than the plot. His characters' speeches reveal their traits, showing how they will act. They also indicate what the character wants other people to think of them versus what they really are. E.M. Forster 2 posits that in life we do not fully know others. We make guesses according to external signs. However, in a novel - or in this case a play - we can come to completely know the character - "their inner as well as their outer life can be exposed." 3 Soliloquies give special voice to a character's thoughts, giving us an opportunity to experience what Forster refers to.
A character analysis is a detailed examination of all aspects of a character. It refers to the methods that a writer uses to develop a character, such as a description of what the character looks like, what the character chooses to say or do, what other characters say about him. All of these things give us insight to what a character is like. Analyzing characters enables readers to better understand their actions, thoughts, conflicts, relationships with others, and appreciate how they may change throughout the course of the story.
The following section expresses a synthesis of the information I gained from readings and seminar sessions about the main characters in Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and King Lear. These aim to provide background knowledge regarding Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Brutus, King Lear, and Cordelia.
Hamlet
A central question is, is Hamlet is pretending to be mad or is he really mad? Hamlet appears to be very self-pitying. His whole world has been turned upside-down. He returns from his university studies in response to his father's death and suffers from extreme despair regarding his mother's marrying his uncle so quickly. The anguish and disgust that he feels over her marriage is expressed when he says, "My father's brother, but no more like my father/Than I to Hercules. Within a month,/Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears/Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,/She married. O, most wicked speed, to post/With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!/It is not, nor it cannot come to good./But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue." 4 Over and over, Hamlet brings up the idea that his mother has re-married too quickly and to an inferior person. Before the play begins he responds ironically to Ophelia's comment that his father has been dead for two months, "So long? Nay then, let the devil wear black,/for I'll have a suit of sables. O heavens! Die two/months ago, and not forgotten yet." 5
Melancholy is a word that is used to describe Hamlet by many critics. However, this could be viewed in two ways: he is melancholic by nature or he is melancholic by circumstance. The Signet introduction refers to A.C. Bradley's work, Shakespearean Tragedy (1904) in which he wrote that he believed Hamlet's melancholy is not the norm for him. This feeling was brought about by the murder of his father and the incestuous marriage of his mother to the killer. 6
He deliberates and hesitates constantly in regard to killing his uncle. On various occasions Hamlet speaks to his indecision about what to do - should he seek revenge and kill his uncle? Is he justified in committing such an act? He is in turmoil throughout the whole play. He wants undeniable proof that he should do what he has been charged to do by the ghost and is fearful that the ghost could be a demon in the disguise of his father. His action needs to be justifiable, as this could damn him for eternity. Indecision is evident when he comes upon his uncle praying, an easy target, yet Hamlet is unable to kill him, believing that at the moment his uncle would go to Heaven. Later in the play, after meeting up with the Norwegian heir-apparent, Fortinbras, who explains about his desire to fight for what Hamlet considers only a small piece of land, he finally is coming to terms with what he needs to do - kill his uncle. Later he tells his friend, Horatio, "Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon -/He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother,/Popped in between th' election and my hopes,/Thrown out his angle for my proper life,/And with such coz'nage - is't not perfect con-/science/To quit him with this arm? And is't not to be damned/To let this canker of our nature come/In further evil." 7
Hamlet is contradictory when it comes to his actions. He is concerned about making a wrong move in killing his uncle for his father's death and internally debates the morality of this action. Yet he stabs and kills Polonius behind a curtain, not even checking to see who it was. People are uneasy about Hamlet's erratic behavior. Ophelia is concerned. Their interactions cause her more alarm as he does not indicate that he returns her love. In fact, he states that she should get herself to a nunnery to avoid becoming a "breeder of sinners". 8 She continues to pray for his sanity to be restored as he denounces marriage. Erratic behavior is demonstrated again when the players are to begin their performance and he makes merry with Ophelia. One wonders at his highs and lows. He is playful with her at first and then in her company insults women in general when he also compares the brevity of the performance's prologue to a woman's love. Later, he answers in riddles when it comes to telling where he has left Polonius' body. "The body is with the King, but the King is not/with the body. The King is a thing-/ and ends with Of nothing. Bring me to him. Hide fox, and/all after." 9
Until the very end he is preoccupied with what he has done and wants others to know that he was correct in his actions. He speaks to Horatio about this[:] "Thou livest; report me and my cause aright/To the unsatisfied. 5.2 line 340. And, "O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,/Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!/If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile,/And in this harsh world draw they breath in pain,/To tell my story." 1 0 Hamlet's tortured self is still evident to the very end.
Julius Caesar
Caesar is the leader of the Roman Republic, yet our first view of him appears to be contradictory to what we might envision in a leader. We have a glimpse of him as someone who might be impotent and is publically blaming his wife. He tells Antony to be certain to touch Calphurnia, his wife, to rid her of the curse of sterility. "Forget not in your speed, Antonius,/To touch Calphurnia, for our elders say/The barren, touched in this holy chase,/Shake off their sterile curse." 1 1 His insecurity comes through as he mentions this to be certain that the public does not think that it is he who cannot have a child. Superstitious is another word to describe Caesar. He listens to his wife's recollection of her disturbing dream in which blood comes from Caesar. He gives in to her saying, "Mark Antony shall say I am not weu,/And for thy humor I will stay at home." 1 2 He does tell others of her dream and that he has chosen to stay at home as a favor to her. Decius, one of the conspirators, interprets Calphurnia's dreams for him in another way, not making it seem dangerous. His superstitions are eased and he is persuaded to go about his day and go to the Senate, telling his wife that he is ashamed at having listend to her. "How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia!/I am ashamed I did yield to them./Give me my robe, for I will go." 1 3 Does this type of behavior truly demonstrate a ruler's demeanor[?—] being easily swayed from one side to another? Furthermore, his infirmities are accumulating. His deafness is referred to in a few scenes: "Who is it in the press that calls on me?/I hear a tongue shriller than all the music/Cry 'Caesar.' Caesar is turned to hear." 1 4 Again there is reference to this: "Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,/And tell me truly what thou think'st of him." 1 5 Cassius also provides evidence, speaking about when they were in Spain and Caesar cried out for help when he had a fever, reminiscent of a "sick girl". 1 6 Casca explains that Caesar "swooned and fell down at it" 1 7when offered the crown three times. Casca follows up by saying: "He fell down in the marketplace and foamed at/ mouth and was speechless." 1 8 Yet despite all of this, he has done magnificent things for Rome. He has conquered many people and their lands bringing great wealth and power to the Republic. He did refuse the crown three times although Antony tried to give it to him repeatedly. Also, Antony mentions Caesar's will (after he has been murdered) in which he offers his gardens to be made public and, "To every Roman citizen he gives,/To every several man, seventy-five drachmas" 1 9, aiming to show that his heart was in the right place.
Brutus
Brutus, the play's most complex character, is Caesar's best friend who loves him dearly. Yet he is a true Republican; looking towards the good of the State above all else. Above all he is noble. Examples of this are seen throughout the play. From the beginning of the play he is worried about Caesar's aspirations and those of the Romans who revere Caesar to be more god-like than man. Brutus believes this is dangerous to the stability of the State. Brutus refers to an inner struggle or war with himself. He verbalizes these fears to Cassius: "I do fear the people/Choose Caesar for their king." 2 0 Later Casca states that the epileptic episode that Caesar suffered did not even matter to the people; they still supported and treated him as god-like. Cassius also states, "In awe of such a thing as I myself./I was born free as Caesar; so were you;/We both have fed as well, and we can both/Endure the winter's cold as well as he." 2 1 His comments support Brutus' dispassionate conviction that this situation is a matter of political principle. Not one man, who is like all men, should rule over others. Following these conversations, on a stormy evening, Brutus finds a "planted" letter by Cassius explaining that the Romans are not happy with Caesar's power. He continues to be tortured with the information that Cassius gives him and now by the letter. He tells this to Lucius: "Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar,/I have not slept./Between the acting of a dreadful thing/And the first motion, all the interim is/Like a phantasma or a hideous dream./The genius and the moral instruments/Are then in council, and the state of man,/Like to a little kingdom, suffers then/The nature of an insurrection." 2 2 Others persuade him that Caesar must die to preserve the Republic. While planning this undertaking, he demonstrates his nobleness by explaining why they should not kill Mark Antony and the manner in which they should kill Caesar: "Let's be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius./We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar,/And not dismember Caesar! But, alas,/Caesar must bleed for it. And gentle friends,/Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully./Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,/Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds." 2 3 Honor is also in the forefront when he speaks of his wife, Portia. Despite numerous pleas from Portia, Brutus leaves her out of a plan that has been hatched to kill Caesar to save the State. In her despair, Portia first wounds herself and later commits suicide. Brutus comments, "O ye gods,/Render me worthy of this noble wife!" 2 4 After her injury he indicates that he admires her and hopes that he can be just as strong, Although Brutus acts in the name of republican ideals, I can only imagine that when he participates in the killing of Caesar and Caesar says to him, "Et tu Brute? - Then fall, Caesar" 2 5 (line 85), Brutus must feel some remorse for his actions against his friend. At Caesar's funeral, Brutus speaks briefly to the crowd before Mark Antony begins his address. Brutus asks the crowd to remember that he too loved Caesar, honored him, but because of the danger he represented to the Republic, the act was necessary. At this point, he leaves. Why? In our seminar discussion, I was reminded that Brutus is noble. He believes that Antony will do the right thing; say the right thing. However, this does not happen. Brutus, once again, makes an error in judgment much like the ones before, when he decides to spare Mark Antony against the desire of the conspirators. At the end of the play when Antony speaks over the body of Brutus, he confirms that Brutus was not following the same path as the other conspirators with their personal grievances but that he did join and commit himself to the killing of Caesar in the name of political ideals. As was suggested in our seminar, the key to Brutus is his exaggerated, distorting devotion to what he thinks of as "reason".
King Lear
King Lear plans to divide his kingdom into three parts, giving each of his daughters a share. This is a strange plan. It goes against what a king should do, promoting the division instead of the unity of a kingdom. 2 6 He seems to want the "rewards" of a kingly position but none of the responsibilities. When dividing up the kingdom, he asks his daughters to proclaim their love for him, describing how much each of them loves him:
"Tell me, my daughters/(Since now we will divest us both of rule,/Interest of territory, cares of state),/Which of you shall we say doth love us most,/That we our largest bounty may extend/Where nature doth with merit challenge." 2 7 Although Lear begins with the idea that each daughter will inherit a comparable piece of terrain, this quote makes us think otherwise. He proclaims it a challenge and further indicates that the daughter with the most pleasing answer will be rewarded with more or the best land. He is most disappointed with his youngest daughter's comments, as he has loved her the most, and banishes her from the kingdom. His older two daughters to whom he has bequeathed everything do not care for him. In fact, they want to take away things from him that they determine are too costly and that he does not need. He faces numerous humiliations in which he is the selfish ruler wanting only more and more flattery from those around him, until he becomes an old man who realizes the truth of his youngest daughter's love. She proves this by fighting for his safety and enduring a needless execution in prison. Although his values have changed and he is transformed, he dies from the heartbreak of losing Cordelia.
Cordelia
When asked to flatter her father with words of her love she has none. She knows that she loves her father dearly and while she listens to her sisters speak she knows that their words mean nothing. She tells him, "I cannot heave / My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty / According to my bond; nor more nor less." 2 8 When urged by him she replies, "Nothing." Her words are not enough for Lear who banishes her from the kingdom. Cordelia's purity and the depth of her love for her father even after she has been banished from the kingdom are demonstrated when she asks her sisters, Goneril and Regan, to take care of their father: "Love well our/father./To your professed bosoms I commit him." 2 9 She is the opposite of her sisters, who embody pure hatred, selfishness, and evil: treating their father poorly, lusting after another man - the same man - although they are married themselves. Cordelia's purity is all the more noticeable in contrast to these two although she is not even in a large portion of the play. Her strength is demonstrated when she returns to Dover with an army to save her father who is wandering around insane. Her undying devotion to her father and the true love she feels for him are displayed when she says, "O my dear father, restoration hang/Thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss/Repair those violent harms that my two sisters/Have in thy reverence made." 3 0 Her sisters' armies defeat her own and she and her father are imprisoned. She exhibits her strength again when she proclaims, "We are not the first/Who with best meaning have incurred the worst./For thee, oppressed King, I am cast down;/Myself could else out-frown false fortune's frown." 3 1 True to a tragedy, word comes too late to save Cordelia, so she is hanged. Lear follows in death due to his uncontrollable sorrow.
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