Literary Analysis: Hamlet’s Flaws, Renaissance Drama, and Piers Plowman
Hamlet’s Character Flaws and Impulsivity
At the beginning of the play, Hamlet makes a statement concerning mankind, which also refers to himself. This context suggests that Hamlet should not be blamed entirely for his faults, as he may have been born with inherent flaws that often prevent him from controlling his actions.
Hamlet’s fundamental flaw is his inability to act. This major defect reveals other faults in his character, including:
- Impulsiveness: Acting rashly despite his usual hesitation.
- Overthinking: He may be accused of thinking too much about the consequences and never getting around to doing anything.
- Callousness: His final most significant flaw is his callousness, particularly directed towards Ophelia.
However, we see clearly that he loved Ophelia when he argues fiercely with Laertes about her during the grave scene.
English Drama: 16th and 17th Centuries
The dramatic output of this era is typically divided into three periods:
Elizabethan Period
Covering most of the reign of Elizabeth I. Main playwrights include the “University Wits,” Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare.
Jacobean Period
Covering the reign of James I. Main playwrights include William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, George Chapman, Thomas Dekker, John Marston, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher, Francis Beaumont, William Rowley, and Philip Massinger.
Caroline Period
Covering the reign of Charles I. Main playwrights include Philip Massinger, John Ford, Richard Brome, and James Shirley.
The Alliterative Revival and Middle English Poetry
In Anglo-Saxon poetry, alliterative verse was the main metrical resource. The Alliterative Revival marked a return to this style.
Key characteristics of Middle English poetry:
- Rhyme took the leading role in poetry written in the South of England.
- Middle English poetry relied exclusively on rhyme in many regions.
- The main representative poets of the North were William Langland and the Gawain-Poet.
William Langland and Piers Plowman
Langland’s Life
- He was likely born in the West Midlands.
- In the poem Piers Plowman, he offers some autobiographical information about himself: he had a wife and a child, and he was tall.
- He seems familiar with the neighborhoods of London.
- He must have been a cleric of the minor class.
Piers Plowman: A Dream Vision Allegory
- The Vision of Piers Plowman is a verse allegory in the form of a dream vision described by the narrator, the Dreamer.
- Dream visions were popular in the Middle Ages because dreams were believed to describe a real event or a truth.
- This work is divided into a number of “passus” and exists in three versions (A, B, and C).
- This work follows the literary fashion of the Alliterative Revival to perfection.
A) The Prologue: The Field of Folk
- The narrator is critical towards the Church, often accused of corruption.
- A moderate anti-clerical feeling links the author to the philosophy of Wyclif and the Lollards.
- This work had a great influence on the rebels of the Peasants’ Revolt.
B) Social Criticism: An Estate Satire
Langland uses the “A Fair Full of Folk” prologue to describe the social panorama of 14th-century England from a critical perspective. In the narrator’s dream vision, he remarks on some chosen members of society, but offers many negative commentaries on most of the others. The narrator speaks what he sees in his sleep.
- Among the innocent characters are the workers who work hard.
- Langland blames the Church and the secular classes because they do not live according to Jesus Christ’s precepts.
- Immoral members of society include lawyers and sergeants-at-law.
- Secular characters also deserve the author’s criticism for their various sins and are criticized for their inefficiency.