English Literature

Soul of the age The applause, delight, the wonder of our stage (Hudson 67 2009)
This was the tribute given by Ben Johnson, a worthy rival as well as harsh critic to Shakespeare. Since Ben Jonsons age, an unbroken line of critics ranging over more than three centuries are doing the same. If one was to believe all of them, would be led to understand that Shakespeare was not a man but a phenomenon not amenable to any critical test whatsoever. He had deep insight into the human nature that made his characters lively with  abundance of psychological realism making them most convincing. In almost all the Shakespeare plays, we can see the development of the characters from the beginning to the end. The following essay would be the analysis of the growth, development and the self identity of the individual characters in his four plays A Midsummer Nights Dream, Henry V, Tempest and Hamlet and the way they have touched the cord of the human sensibilities in their varied roles and diversification.

    All the four above mentioned plays have the characters made to continuously discover and rediscover themselves through their own actions, or interference from the destiny or others. Ophelias dialogue in Hamlet, Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be (4.5.43), (Shakespeare  Thompson  Taylor 2007 377) is an idea to make the characters discover themselves is not what Shakespeare could go by easily as in his A Midsummer Nights Dream also, where he allows himself to make the characters discover themselves through their romantic farce. They are constantly finding themselves different than what they think they are and are sometimes more and sometimes less than they think to be. In the play, characters are controlled by the fairies as they play with their sentiments and romantic endeavors.

We can feel it is young Athenian couple who has to suffer from the loss of identity in their effort to discover themselves and to know who they are in reality and what exactly they feel. Almost all the characters are led into the mistaken identity, as the fairies are not able to make the humans apart, and even the fairy king and queen are not able to recognize each other. Also the working class ordinary people who are mocked at by the Shakespeare are taking part in the play of Pyramus and Thisbe, in which they have to display themselves as complete different characters. Even Lysanders imagination is devoid of reasoning power due to the Pucks mistake of identity correspondingly the false focus of his imagination, and of Demetrius imagination when he left Helena for Hermia, endangers personal identity. For the loss of identity, Shakespeare recurrent image is that of melting Helena uses it of Demetrius, speaking not only of oaths----showrs of oaths did melt- but of himself So he dissolvd. (Brooks 2007 ci) At the time when Lysander rejects his relationship with Hermia, she also feels outraged by hers as well as his identity when she says, Am not I Hermia Are not you Lysander (Brooks 2007 ci) These deviations of identity are transmutation of attitudes of the human beings which Demetrius has allowed to adopt but due to which Lysander has to suffer. The Nick words Man is a but a patched fool (4. 1. 208) is the Shakespeares efforts to make an assessment of the human identity, which is most difficult as no body in the play knows in reality who they really are this makes the human beings nature and character most complex of all. 

The development and complexity of the human character most profoundly can be seen of King Henry V in the play of Shakespeare of the same name. Through the sequences of the play, Shakespeare enables King Henry V to develop and grow as a king, both in his own as well as estimation of the others.

The Chorus proclaims that Henrys regality and kinship gets solidified with war Now all the youth of England are on fire,  And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies.Now thrive the armourers, and honours thoughtReigns solely in the breast of every man. (2, Prologue, 1-4) (Shakespeare  Craik 2005 152) All through the play, we can see King Henry Vs character developing from the reputation of an immature king towards a great political strategist and then rising himself to attain the glory and fame of a warrior and then finally being cherished as most unforgettable king, who can stay in the memory of the people for a long life. At the first part of the play, Henry transforms himself from the immaturity of his youthful deeds towards maturity which is evident by the dialogue between the two Bishops  Bishop of Canterbury and Bishop Ely about his youthful days. The courses of his youth promised it not..But that wilderness.seemed to die too (1.1.25-27). (Shakespeare  Craik 2005 124) This shows that the king had a reputation of a womanizer and a juvenile. To overcome this, Henry changes himself and attains not only maturity but also political shrewdness, which is shown in the scene where he handles the three traitors. We do deliver you. Get ye therefore hence,  Poor miserable wretches, to your death (2.2.178-179). (Shakespeare  Craik 2005 179) After this, he garners the love of his people by attaining warrior-ship and glory. He attains the qualities of true leadership whose overtures in France no doubt gain him victory but more than that his desire to take French Princess Katherine for his bride is fulfilled. In this process of development in his character, Henry V also juxtaposes as the person with the traits of a common man. To establish himself as a king, he even betrays his friend Falstaff and put his other friends to death. This paradoxical nature enables him to behold the qualities of a kingship though at the cost of the morality. This proves the depth and intensity in which human nature develops and shapes itself.

Hamlet is yet another king personified by Shakespeare in his play Hamlet with him as the emblem of the tragic figure on account of the fault in his own character. He is the King of Denmark and is most popular among his subjects and courtiers but the revelation of the death of his father and his mothers infidelity makes him insane to the extent that he could not determine what is right and what is wrong. He makes himself the most ambiguous character with the mixture of paradoxes. Although a great and righteous king yet he is not able to take quick decisions with result being that he keeps on delaying revenge only giving ample space for his enemy Claudius to hover over him. This is a proof enough to show how his character changes from a scholar, soldier, and courtier to a depressed and whimsical man, but this does not remain forever. Though we are able to catch the glimpse of the former self in the conversation with Horatio yet his depression continues, but by the end his composure gets returned. For his deeds, he shows his apologies to Laertes and treats Claudius with courtesy to the point when he comes to know from Gertrude about the treachery of Claudius, which compels him to take vengeance.

The last of the plays Tempest of Shakespeare is a struggle of protagonist Prospero with his own aptitude and nature. The most important element of the Tempest is the change in the personality Prospero goes through even before he is again able to accede himself as the lawful heritor of his own kingdom. Prospero indulges in playing with the spirits and then comes the moment when during the marriage ceremony of his daughter, he soon realizes the reality of all his actions and deeds with the spirits. The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself, all shall dissolve leave not a rack behind, We are such stuff  as dreams are made on, and our little life  is rounded with a sleep. (4.1.152-158). (Shakespeare, Vaughan  Vaughan 2007 254) He is so stunned by the truth in the magic ceremony that from the very moment when Mirandas marriage gets solemnized with Ferdinand, he is a changed man and all the negative forces which are responsible for his exile opens the doors for him to return.

    Before Prospero has to return to Milan, he accepted his responsibility towards Caliban, who is the symbolic of his lower self. While in the process of acceptance which seems to be contrary, he instead of punishing him declares that he accepts this creature of darkness. Prospero pleads with audience and asks for forgiveness as he said. As you from crimes would pardoned me, let your indulgence set me free (5.1.Epilogue 19-20). (Shakespeare, Vaughan  Vaughan 2007 286) These are also the last words of the Shakespeare as this was his last play.

Shakespeare has allowed each of his characters to experience various moments of their lives, changing with each situation and in colloquy with different persons. They are not obliged to sustain one attitude but have time to move and alter. This has proved in all his four plays- Midsummer Nights Dreams, Henry V, Tempest and Hamlet. The nature of the characters is seen changing with the change in situation and circumstances while many struggling to retain the essence of their main trait. While in Midsummer Nights Dream, it is characters lost of personal identity or in Henry V the development of character or the flaw in the nature of the King Hamlet or change of nature of Prospero in Tempest, all have but one trait, they are normal human beings and display the same with variedness and in different shades in their relationship with themselves, nature and surroundings.