Sem 1: Main characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedies.

[Dilip Barad]

Main Characteristics of Shakespeare's Tragedies:-
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Shakespeare wrote 10 tragedies: Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens and Titus Andronicus, out of which the four dark tragedies, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear are the most admired.
Shakespeare wrote the majority of his tragedies under the rule of James I, and their darker contents may reflect the general mood of the country following the death of Elizabeth I.

The Shakespeare tragedies often focus on the fall of a nobleman. By presenting the audience with a man with excessive wealth or power, his eventual downfall fall is more tragic than the common person. E.g. Hamlet is a Prince of Denmark and King Lear is a King of Scotland.

Heroes are all fundamentally flawed. It is this weakness that ultimately leads to their downfall. Examples of tragic flaws in Shakespearean tragedy are: Macbeth's obsession with power, Othello's jealousy, and Hamlet's lack of decision making on the right time.

Super-natural elements are common characteristic of Elizabethan drama. Supernatural powers contribute to the fate of the protagonist of Shakespeare's Heroes. However, they are not responsible for the downfall of the hero; it still lies in the deeds/actions of the hero. If Macbeth had not met Three Witches or Hamlet had not seen the Ghost of his dead Father then there would have been no tragedy.

We can also find the theme of revenge in the tragedies of Shakespeare, as Hamlet wants to kill his uncle just for taking the revenge of his Father's death.

Shakespeare's tragedies shows the paradox of life, the calamity and suffering experienced by the tragic hero are contrasted with the previous happiness and glory. This paradox is very clear in Macbeth. Initially, Macbeth is portrayed as the most brave and loyal soldier of the nation and is rewarded by king Duncan for his bravery and love for the nation. However, Macbeth is not satisfied with whatever he gets and desires more. This desire or over-ambitious nature leads him to think evilly, which is the end of his real personality.

We find the Heroes of Shakespeare struggling with inward and outward struggle, the conflict represents the struggle of thoughts in their mind. The result of this struggle, many a time is that the hero goes mad (as in King Lear, the king becomes mentally ill).

Pity, fear, and other such emotion are evoked in the audience's mind after watching tragedy on the stage and the audience feels sympathy for the character and empathize with his/her sufferings. We can find Catharsis in many of Shakespeare's tragedies. For example, when Othello kills his Beautiful Wife just because of Iago's plot. Audience do feel pity for poor Othello.

Dilip Barad, Ph.D.
Prof & Head, Dept. of English
M.K. Bhavnagar University
Gujarat - India
9898272313 / 9427733691
(Excuse typos -Sent from smart phone SN2)