Before getting into Hamlet, I would like to talk about looking at all the stories we were required to read from the Canterbury Tales. We have read about infedelity (with a reversal of gender roles), about Allison getting away with it while her suitors were all... suitably punished. We have read about powerful women for their time (the wife of bath and how "differently" she views marriage than a "normal" woman would). We have read about hypocrites and ironies (the Pardoner) and we have read moral stories (greed=death).
My question is... what was the purpose of the Canterbury Tales? Was it a moral series of stories? Was it a way to twist the conventional into something that was different and surprising for its time? Was it about irony, that things will turn up different than we expect?
The types of stories are so vast, I found it difficult to find a common theme.
My comment for Hamlet is that I honestly believe Shakespeare's plays were not meant to be so vigorously studied and interpreted, but enjoyed and to provoke thought in the form its meant to take, as a play. Nonetheless, I shall analyse for the purpose of this class. The characters of Gertrude and Claudius to me, are despicable and not very realistic. Even IF Gertrude lusted for Claudius and wished to remain Queen, and is power hungry, still doesnt explain her lack of understanding that her SON is MOURNING the death of his FATHER and that doing so takes more than a few months. So I find them a bit unrealistic to be so unempathic towards the death of King Hamlet. Did Claudius hate his brother so much that he does not even feel a tiny spark of sadness and regret for the unreversible thing he has done?
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1 comment:
i agree with you! Sometimes i feel like we try to analyze and interpret literature too much. did these authors really try to work ALL of that symbolism and meaning into their writing? i doubt it
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