How far, and in what ways, do you agree that the story Essay

critical point is a r take d acceptge disaster a genre in the pop issuening developed by tends such as The Spanish T warmthdy by doubting Thomas Kyd from 1585-1590. The genre is faceized by the cellular inclusion of death, murder, betrayal, madness, poi news, surveillance and the supernatural in the news report themes that all frequently occur in juncture. only to what result does the humbug of Polonius, Ophelia and Laertes correct to this idea of a revenge disaster and more broadly, how does the yarn of the family conform to the genre of disaster as a whole?One issue is how to find a catastrophe Thomas Heywood wrote Comedies begin in trouble and end in peace tragedies begin in ease and end in tempest, confession for encounterors, 1612. By this definition, tragedy generally potbelly be summarised as a period of events that lead to the destruction of the absolute majority of its characters. In this sense, the story of Polonius and his family conforms to the ba sic skeleton of a tragedy by the end of the summercater Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia are dead. However the familys story does not conform as only to other definitions of tragedy.Tragedy would tactile property with a questioning eye at what was happening in the world around, M. Mangan (1991). Tragedy would look with a sceptical eye implies that tragedy has the role of both viewing and criticising friendship. This creation can be applied to Polonius, a character remarkably similar to king Elizabeth Is grassmaster, Sir Francis Walsingham. Shakespeare spent the majority of his life under Elizabeths ordinance hence the Elizabeths gentry whitethorn shake up aided Shakespeare in creating his constructs. Polonius is characterized by his long, rambling speeches, for utilisation in trifle 2 Scene 2 each for tragedy, comedy, history, agricultural, pastorical-comical, historical-pastoral, sad-historical, sadal-comical-historical-pastoral unlimited The absurd repetition of the run-in tragedy, comedy, history and pastoral emphasize the loquaciousness of Polonius, but is perhaps also mocking Sir Francis Walsingham. Shakespeare is crafting a stereotype that spymasters are loquacious, obsequious characters. Perhaps Shakespeare is criticising society society does not require spymasters spawning hollowness and deceit. If so, Shakespeare is using satire as a tool to portray this viewpoint.Polonius may be utilize by Shakespeare as a means to act as such a sceptical eye on society, conforming to Mangans concept of the relevancy of tragedy in real life. Aristotle was a key look in define tragedy, and stated in his Poetics that a regular(prenominal) tragedy consisted of a noble protagonist, with a hamartia (tragic flaw), whose peripeteia (reversal of fortune) is brought about by an anagnorisis (moment of recognition). However it would be unwise to scratch that Aristotles Poetics, written in c. 335 BC would still be completely pertinent to Shakespearean tr agedy, written some both thousand years later.However some(prenominal)(prenominal) aspects of Aristotles tragedy can be applied to Polonius and his family. Polonius has his tragic flaw his obsession with sensing. He tells Reynaldo before departing to France to spy on Laertes By indirections find directions out (Act 2 Scene 1) Not only does this propose his unnatural interest in his sons affairs, so often that he is willing to send a spy to observe his sons possible hedonism in capital of France but it also shows that he is experience as a spymaster. Such advice is roughly liable(predicate) to be learned from several years of manipulating people to his advantage.Essentially what he is saying is the most direct manner of finding the truth is through world indirect, which holds to be true as we turn back later in the run into with crossroadss The Mousetrap a fill within a play which exposes Claudius abuse through indirect and subtle methods. furthermore on the topic of hamartia Laertes has his tragic flaw of overreaction a stark line of credit to settlement whose tragic flaw is procrastination. When asked by Claudius what he will do when Hamlet returns to Denmark to avenge his fore perplex in Act 4 Scene VII, he replies To omission his throat i the church. This directly mirrors the church scene, where Claudius is vulnerable yet Hamlet refrains from playacting out his revenge. This displays Laertes as a tralatitious revenger, willing to act, un same Hamlet who considers the legitimacy of the ghosts claims before even considering revenge. Laertes does not take much persuading from Claudius. However it is this over-willingness to act that is the cause of his death. In his rage at the death of both his father and sister, he plots with Claudius to kill Hamlet a move which kills him as he himself is poisoned by the sword intended for Hamlet.Over-willingness to act is Laertes hamartia and so Laertes also conforms to this tragic skeleton laid o ut by Aristotle. However perhaps more tragic, although not conforming to Aristotles works, is the question why is Laertes so willing to act? His father was voyeuristic, deceitful and loquacious he used Ophelia as a tool to derive favour with the king, and spied on Laertes to ensure his pick up was not tarnished. He was a off the beaten track(predicate) from noble man, his life summarised accurately by his death behind an arras spying on someone. In this regard, it is soi-disant whether Laertes glitz in relation to revenge is justified.From the aspects of Polonius character seen in the play, it does not appear that he was a good father in fact he seems villainous at eons for example when he disallows Ophelia to pack her love for Hamlet, then makes her feel to rouse when Hamlet puts on his antic disposition. It is questionable whether Polonius deserves to be avenged. Hamlet seems to simply gesticulate off the murder of Polonius, noting of what the little worthy he was when referring him simply as vertebral column. This could be seen as tragic, as the slowness of Polonius character implies that Laertes died for naught.One explanation is that Laertes may have been inclined to act out revenge with such little survey payable to the fact Polonius was all he and his sister had. Since Hamlet put on his antic disposition, Ophelia lacked a love interest, as did Laertes assuming he did not have a lover in capital of France moreover they were not allowed to have a love interest due to Polonius condole with too much about his catch than the wishes of his children. With no love interests, and apparently no motherly figure, they were left with no figure of authority but Polonius, which may be the cause for Laertes brash attitudes towards revenge.Also likely is the concept of family honour driving Laertes revenge, a concept which an Elizabethan audience may have empathised with. The death of Ophelia in a neo day sense is considered tragic, like any suspect ed suicide. However during Elizabethan sentences her death would be considered on a more religious stand the priest comments on the questionable nature of her death, and whether it would warrant a Christian burial. This is an example of how the definition of tragedy shifts over time even Laertes does not seem as shaken by the announcement of his sisters death compared to his fathers, perhaps due to the nature of her death.Ophelias death is considered a tragedy in a youthful day sense, but at the time her death not so much tragic, but rather symbolised the death of white in the play, as part of the manufacture up to the climatic deaths in the final exam act. However, Ophelias death is an example of how Hamlet is able to transcend traditional ideas on tragedy, and can hold relevance to modern day interpretations of what is considered tragic. In the 21st century, a tragic event is where an individual or group suffers to a greater extent than they are perceived to deserve.It could be argued that but you spin the story of Polonius and his family, they will continuously conform to this modern interpretation of tragedy, as wellhead as the traditional tragedy theorised by Aristotle. Ophelia is being perpetually commanded and tell throughout the play by the portentous characters in her life first Laertes, when he displays his disapproval of her intimacy with Hamlet, and Polonius when he conducts his own play within a play, ordering her to talk to Hamlet bandage he observes behind an arras.She has little to no freedom, despite the fact she has done nothing wrong unlike her brother who had enjoyed the primrose path of dalliance while in Paris, and the voyeuristic indulgence of Polonius. The death of Ophelia to a modern audience is tragic, so in this sense the story of Polonius and his family is a tragedy. I agree that the story of Polonius and his family should be considered a tragedy within a tragedy. Their story contains many of the frequently occurring as pects of a tragedy death, love, murder, revenge and surveillance.As well as this, the family conforms to the concept of a tragedy as laid out by Aristotle. Finally, the story of Polonius and his family conforms to what is considered tragic in the present, as the tragedy has transcended the period in which the play was written.References Primary Text Shakespeare, W (1600) Hamlet capital of the United Kingdom Penguin (2005) Secondary Texts Aristotle (350 BC) Poetics London Penguin (1997) Heywood, T (1612) An Apology for Actors New York Scholars Facsimiles & Reprints (1999) Mangan, M (1991) A Preface to Shakespeares Tragedies London Longman.