Analysis Of Shakespeare s King Lear, Hamlet, Othello And...

English 3.7: Achievement Standard 91478 Introduction Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. Through analysing four tragedy texts by Shakespeare, I have noticed he uses the fall of the main character as the primary focus in his tragedies as this creates good suspense and climax as an added attraction for the audience. A Shakespearean tragedy, is a five-act play and they usually revolve around a similar idea of conflict. This is the Internal and external Conflict within the character. The four plays I have chosen to analyse are; King Lear, Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth. I chose these plays specifically because they all have universal themes which depict human emotions. They contain very important messages about internal and†¦show more content†¦King Lear’s pride and anger, and Hamlet s inability to act. These personality flaws lead to tragic ends for the characters. Although fate can play a role in these plays, the downfall of each protagonist is most likely due to some personal error of judgement. Also kno wn as hamartia (the Greek word). In the situation of Macbeth, we see a Scottish general who told by a trio of witches he was to be King of Scotland in the near coming future. His desire for power and position to be king was more important than anything else as he wanted to get possession of the throne. One important key issue in Macbeth and Othello is how at the beginning they have a good reputation as a soldier. The results of war however, bring out negative emotions such as anger and violence. And in some cases, the downfall of a character is his inability to control the emotions that surface their exterior, especially anger and greed. The traits which make Macbeth an effective soldier, particularly his ambition and need for violence, also lead him to seek and keep the crown through violent and selfish ways. The positive traits of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes often become the dark forces which drive them. The contrast with Hamlet’s rationality in his â€Å"to be or not to be† speech, and his anger in the scene inside Gertrude’s closet,Show MoreRelatedOthello Character Analysis1555 Words   |  7 Pagesinherent weakness lies in his linguistic capabilities, the very same capabilities Othello uses to win over Desdemona, and to defend himself during his tr ial in front of the duke. In Smith’s reading, Othello only reverts to his barbarian state when experiencing extreme pressure, as he lacks the other means to express the futility of what is felt, which results in violence. 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