Shakespeare & Swift: Tragic Flaws, Satire, Humanism, and Identity
Literary Analysis: Key Themes and Interpretations
Hamlet: Tragic Flaw and Humanism
Hamlet’s Tragic Flaw: Interpretations
- Indecision and Overthinking: Often identified as Hamlet’s primary flaw, leading to delays in avenging his father’s death.
- Goethe’s View: Goethe believed Hamlet is a sensitive and thoughtful character, too delicate and intellectual to handle the burden of revenge. For Goethe, Hamlet’s flaw lies in being overwhelmed by a task too great for his nature.
- Schlegel & Coleridge: Schlegel and Coleridge also highlight Hamlet’s introspective nature. Coleridge, in particular, emphasizes how Hamlet thinks too much and acts too little—his excessive reflection prevents action.
- Melancholy: A psychological reading suggests Hamlet suffers from deep sadness and a kind of depression that affects his willpower. His melancholy causes him to withdraw from action and become philosophical rather than decisive.
- Nietzsche’s Existential View: Nietzsche offers a more existential perspective. He suggests Hamlet has gained a deep awareness of life’s absurdity and futility after his father’s death, rendering all actions—including revenge—seemingly meaningless. His flaw, in this view, is not weakness but an acute perception of truth.
Shakespeare’s Humanism in Hamlet
Shakespeare’s humanism in Hamlet is evident through its deep exploration of human emotions, intellect, and moral dilemmas. Hamlet is a character who reflects on life, death, justice, and the human condition.
- “To be or not to be” Soliloquy: For instance, in the “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he questions the value of life and the fear of the unknown after death—showcasing humanist interest in inner conflict and reason.
- Moral Contemplation: He also contemplates morality, responsibility, and the role of conscience (“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all”).
- Complex Characters: Shakespeare presents characters as complex individuals, emphasizing free will, individual thought, and moral ambiguity—all hallmarks of humanism.
Gulliver’s Travels: Irony, Satire, and Allegory
Literary Devices in Swift’s Masterpiece
- Irony: Swift employs verbal irony (saying the opposite of what is meant), situational irony (where outcomes contradict expectations), and dramatic irony (where the reader knows more than the character). For example, Gulliver praises the rationality of the Houyhnhnms, but we realize their emotionless logic is disturbing—this is situational irony.
- Satire: The book primarily employs Horatian satire—gentle and witty—but at times shifts to Juvenalian satire, particularly in Book IV, where human nature is harshly criticized through the Yahoos. Swift satirizes:
- Politics (e.g., the war between Lilliput and Blefuscu over egg-breaking).
- Science (the useless inventions in Laputa).
- Human pride (Gulliver’s own arrogance).
- Allegory: Each voyage represents different aspects of human society.
- Lilliput symbolizes petty political conflicts (a critique of British politics).
- Brobdingnag represents moral clarity and a ruler’s wisdom.
- Laputa mocks impractical science.
- The Houyhnhnms embody a dangerous form of rationalism.
Examples of Satire in Gulliver’s Travels
- Lilliput’s Egg War: In Lilliput, the war over whether to break eggs at the big or little end satirizes religious and political conflicts in England. The issue is trivial, yet people fight and die over it, allowing Swift to mock the absurdity of such divisions.
- Laputa’s Impractical Science: In Laputa, Swift satirizes scientific impracticality. The scientists are so absorbed in useless research—such as extracting sunlight from cucumbers—that they neglect real-world needs. This serves as a criticism of abstract thinking disconnected from reality.
The Merchant of Venice: Shylock’s Identity
Shylock’s Jewishness and Human Depth
Shylock is heavily defined by his Jewish identity, yet Shakespeare also imbues him with human depth beyond mere stereotype. Venetian society treats him with disdain because of his Jewish faith, calling him names and spitting on him (e.g., Antonio’s abuse).
His famous speech—”Hath not a Jew eyes?”—defends his shared humanity, illustrating how his Jewishness is used by others to isolate him, even as he asserts a common identity. His insistence on justice and the bond can be seen as shaped by his outsider status, but his motivations also stem from personal grief and betrayal. Thus, while his Jewishness defines his social role, his actions arise from deeper emotional and human drives.