ABSTRACT
This research proposal speculates how Shakespearean characters are representative of human nature and are related to the notion of mind. Shakespeare as a representative of the Elizabethan era presents before us the problems and conflicts present in human nature. He had an in-depth understanding of the psychology of man and his plays serve as a mirror of human life and mannerism. This research deals with the psychological aspect of Shakespearean characters and how they constitute cognitive learning while focusing on the main idea that his characters especially his tragic characters are representative of "deepest and darkest problems of human character and life" (Fletcher, 1919).
1. INTRODUCTION
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) by universal consent the greatest author of England, if not of the world, occupies chronologically a central position in the Elizabethan drama (Fletcher, 1919, p. 60). He was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist (Greenbelt, 2004). He had written about 36 plays that depicted human nature one way or another. Fletcher in his book "A history of English Literature" divides the full dramatic career of William Shakespeare into four categories i.e. the first period of experiment and preparations consisting of plays like Richard III; the second period of chronicle-history plays and happy comedies including Richard II and Henry IV and many plays like "Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Merchant of Venice", "Twelfth Night" and "Romeo and Juliet"; the third period extending consisting of the great tragedies of William Shakespeare including "Julius Cesar", "Othello", "King Lear", "Macbeth" and "Antony and Cleopatra" with its focus on "deepest and darkest problems of human character and life; lastly, the period in which he expressed the philosophy of life in plays like "Cymbeline", "The Winter's Tale" and "The Tempest" (Fletcher, 1919).
In each of his plays, he presents a different aspect of human nature and the problems associated with it. He especially in his tragedies deals with human nature and presents before us the problems and conflicts present human nature in his famous play Hamlet, he presents the struggle of a perplexed soul and the inner conflict of Hamlet; the ingratitude of daughters in King Lear; the corruption of soul caused by over-ambitious nature of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth; the material failure of Brutus even after killing Cesar in Julius Cesar.
Shakespeare was a playwright with an in-depth
understanding of the psychology of man. He through his characters presented
different questions posing on human nature. In his play Hamlet, he
presented the question of human consciousness and the internal dilemma of Hamlet;
his desire to take revenge from his father's murderer or to abide by his inner
conscious. Similarly, in his play Macbeth, he presents before us the
over-ambitious nature of Macbeth and how this leads to the corruption of the
human soul. His characters possessed human flaws and those particular human
flaws gave universal appeal to his works. His plays are mirrors of human life
and manners; presenting human flaws and dealing with human problems.
1.1 Statement of Problem
In Shakespearean plays, the characters often face
many issues due to either their actions or their conflict. According to
Shakespeare, the destiny of one is in his/her hand i.e. his flaws and failings
result in the completion of that destiny. These flaws and failings are a part
of human nature and serve to be a complex subject. Therefore, one may assume
that human nature and the notion of mind have a strong influence and impact on
the Shakespearean character and these characters are representative of such
notions.
1.2 Research Questions
The questions this research highlights are:
How Shakespearean characters are representative
of human nature?
How are Shakespeare's characters related to the
notion of mind?
1.3 Research Objectives
This research focuses on the basic two points.
Firstly, it deals with the psychological aspect of Shakespearean characters and
how they embody human nature and possess human flaws. Secondly, this research
deals with the question of how the tragedies of Shakespeare deal with the
human mind and provide a realistic depiction of the human mind and soul;
presenting the inner qualities, flaws, and conflict of human nature.
Scope and Limitations
Shakespearean characters are universal and have a
vast scope throughout the world. This research is however delimited to check
the influence of human nature on Shakespearean characters and how they give a
realistic depiction of human psychology.
Significance of Research
This research proposal deals with the study of human nature depicted in the plays by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare, as we know, is known for his realistic depiction and art of characterization after Chaucer and his depiction of vice and virtue so, through this research, one can know about the wide horizons of human nature and its complexity as depicted by Shakespeare in his plays. One can get an in-depth understanding of the human mind and heart.
As we read his tragedies the conflict and flaws present in one
character can help to arouse the feeling of "pity and fear" which
according to Aristotle is the reason for the elevation of one's mind and soul.
According to Noam Chomsky, these plays are significant as they tell about the
human mind and personality, "It is quite
possible—overwhelmingly probable, one might guess—that we will always learn
more about human life and personality from novels than from scientific
psychology" - Chomsky, Language and Problems of Knowledge: The Managua
Lectures, Lecture 5, 1988, S. 159.
Literature Review
William Shakespeare in his works focuses on the
notion of mind. Through his characters, he presents before us the thoughts,
mind, consciousness, conflict, guilt, flaws, feelings, and soul of human
beings; which are the product of one's mind. He, therefore, focuses on the deep
and darkest aspects of human life.
The playwright examines the struggle of the human
spirit out of the darkness of errors and sin, to discover truth and wisdom. He
uses Hamlet as a protagonist whose curiosity reflects the human quest for the
truth about the reasons that make the world corrupted. He also uses Macbeth to show
that dark thoughts and unconscious temptations cause a man who lacks the
strength of character to do terrible actions. Through soliloquies in Hamlet and
Macbeth and a reflective analysis of their human characteristics, Shakespeare
identifies the complexity of the human mind are a product of one's mind (Hassan
Abedi Firouzjaee and Dr.Omid Pourkalhor, 2014).
As Johnson argues his characters do not belong to
a particular frame of people or time but are universal. As he says,
"Shakespeare is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, and
the poet of nature, the poet that holds up his readers a faithful mirror of
manners and life" (Johnson, 1765).
Similarly, Plato in his book Phaedo argues that
every human being has two basic parts i.e. the physical body and the other one
is the mind; according to him the mind is the soul: the notion responsible for
the nature and personality of human beings (Plato, 380). Shakespeare in his
plays uses this notion of mind to bring to light human nature.
According to Montaigne perception is the guiding
force for action and fruit for the mind, as he argues, "If that which we
call evil and torment, be neither torment, nor evil, but that our fancy only
gives it that quality, it is in us to change it: and having the choice of it,
if none compel us, we are very fools, to bandy for that party, which is irksome
unto us" (Montaigne, 1811). Action as we know is influenced by our
perception. Similarly, in Hamlet, the ghost of King Hamlet which was perceived
by Hamlet became a fruit for his mind and later the reason for finding the
truth regarding his father's death.
3. Methodology
The methodology used in this research proposal is
the literature research methodology. In this type of methodology, one analyses
the pieces of literature to identify the attributes and defects of materials.
There are certain ways through which Shakespearean characters present human
nature and the notion of the human mind.
Shakespeare's dramas as one knows deal with the
faithful representations of humanity. His characters are not just the concrete
manifestation of society but also personalities. As argued by Bloom,
"Shakespeare's dramas are the wheel of all our lives and teach us whether
we are fools of love, or of time, or fortune, or of ourselves, or our
parents" (Bloom H., 1998).
Similarly, in his plays, he presents before us
human vice and virtues. In his play Macbeth and Hamlet, he presents before us
the inner struggles which are dominant throughout.
If we are to include the outer and the inner
struggle in a conception more definite than that of conflict in general, we
must employ some such phrase as 'spiritual force.' This will mean whatever
forces act in the human spirit, whether good or evil, whether personal passion
or impersonal principle; doubts, desires, scruples, ideas-whatever can animate,
shake, possess, and drive a man's soul (Bradley, 2006, p. 19).
Shakespeare in his plays presents before us the
darkest aspect of one's mind. According to Freud, there are basic three
features id, ego, and superego which play a significant role in molding one's
personality. Id according to him is the darkest part and prompts an individual
to take evil steps. Similarly, in the plays by Shakespeare, this darkness is
associated with evilness. As A.C Bradley claims, "Darkness, we may even
say blackness, broods over this tragedy... all the scenes which at once recur
to memory take place either at night or in some dark spot."
The problems and weaknesses associated with human
nature are a prominent part of Shakespeare's characterization. He in his plays
presents the notion that all humans are vulnerable to weaknesses that result in
causing destruction and corruption of the soul. In his play Othello, he focuses
on the negative traits such as jealousy, lust, and self-interest which corrupt
the soul of Othello and lead him to his tragedy. Harold Bloom compares Lago to
the devil because of his resentment toward not only Othello but to his wife
Desdemona (Bloom H., 2007).
Similarly, in his play, King Lear Shakespeare
explores the weaknesses of human nature such as frailty, betrayal, and deceit.
According to G. Wilson Knight, the problems presented in King Lear are
universal and present a certain aspect of the human situation; for him, King
Lear is "a microcosm of the human race" (Knight, 1930).
Conclusion
William Shakespeare through his characters
presents before us the notion of mind and human nature. In all of his plays
especially in his tragedies like Macbeth and Hamlet, he presents before us the
deep and the darkest aspects of human life; dealing with the inner conflict,
corruption of the soul, ingratitude, over-ambitiousness, material greediness,
misuse of power and evilness. Through the notion of mind, he presents before us
characters who are not individuals but are representative of masses
irrespective of time, place, and manner as claimed by Johnson in his Eulogy to
Shakespeare that "he was not of an age, but for all time"
References:
Bloom, H. (1998). Shakespeare: The Invention of
the Human. Riverhead Books.
Bloom, H. (2007). Modern Critical
Interpretations. Facts on File.
Bradley, A. (2006). Shakespearean Tragedy. Oxford
University Press.
Fletcher, R. H. (1919). A History of English
Literature. R. G. Badger.
Greenbelt, S. (2004). Will in the World: How
Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. Norton.
Hassan Abedi Firouzjaee and Dr.Omid Pourkalhor.
(2014). Revisiting Shakespeare: A Study of Human Nature. International Journal
of English, 214-221.
Johnson, S. (1765). Preface to Shakespeare.
Cambridge University Press.
Knight, G. W. (1930). The Wheel of Fire:
Interpretations of Shakespearian Tragedy (2 ed.). Routledge classics.
Montaigne, M. (1811). The Essays of Michael de.
London#.
Montaigne, M. (1811). The Essays of Michael de
Montaigne. London.
Plato. (380). Phaedo.
Read also, Shakespeare as a Great Dramatist
