Tragedies of Characteristics,Fate or Society——An Analysis of some main characters in Shakespeare’s plays

●李偉華

（本文作者：陜西師范大學(xué)文學(xué)院比較文學(xué)與世界文學(xué)研究生）

Tragic drama has a long history.In Ancient Greek,three great tragedy playwrights have already emerged.Their tragic dramas mostly focus on the fate of human beings.Greek drama is called the tragedy of fate.From the works of Aeschylus,fate is a kind of sense that is irresistible not only overriding the power of human but also the god.Sophocles works show the unavoidable ruin in the fight against the evil destiny,meaning that fate can be resisted.Euripides’s works tell people fate is in the hands of human’s own.All the works of the three great tragedy playwrights makes it difficult to think that Shakespeare was not remembering them in writing his tragic dramas.Some scholars believe that Shakespeare’s tragedies portray the rise and fall of a man,who has great virtues but is ultimately undone by a flaw in his personality.In my opinion,the inner meaning of Shakespeare’s work is more than this.The tragedy he wrote is not only concerned about the social reality of that times,but also the key purpose of his exploration is on the fate of human.In Shakespeare’s tragic drama,the reason of the main characters’fate is not only horizontally because of the factors of society,but also vertically because of the inherent innate weaknesses of human beings.This paper attempts to understand the inner meanings of Shakespeare’s tragedies.At the same time,we will discuss and analysis the essential roots that lead to the three main characters’ lots of Shakespeare’s tragic dramas,and finally comes to the end of using these ideas to guide our lives in the years to come.

1.The features of Shakespeare’s tragic dramas

As society advances,the human free will in Shakespeare has made considerable progress,the conflict between the fate and human free will is more intense.We can say that in the history of Western classical literature,Shakespeare fully frees human from the aura of God.

Shakespeare’s tragedies always overall and deeply reflect the features and substances of the Elizabeth’s times.Shakespeare’s tragedies possess special sad but stirring flavors.He writes stories especially about the “ noble” heroes’lamentable destroy in face of the cruel reality.The noble qualities not only embody their class origins but also their characters.They mostly have positive qualities,and great characteristics and they are the figures rise above the common herd.However,in the complicated life stage,they drop from the position of eminence and even ruin their spirit and flesh.Their pains and sufferings,out of the common;their tragedies not only their own but also to a certain extent have universality which reflect the tragedies of the times and the society,and in result the stories are deeply moving and much food for thought.Instead of only paying too much attention to the plot of the drama,he excels in portraying the characteristics of person in the plays.In his tragedies he likes to put the leading characters that are noble minded person but have some weaknesses in a dilemma,and finally destroy themselves together with the vicious power.

(1)Contradictions between ideals and realities

Shakespeare thinks that drama is"a microcosm of the times”.He said,“ Since the beginning of the drama,the aim is to reflect the nature,and show the real face of good and evil,and let the times to look at the evolution of its own development model"His tragedy reached at the peak of realism that can be achieved at that time.In Shakespeare’s tragic dramas ideals and realities are always not fit,while almost every tragic drama is dealing with this same kind of situation.Ideals represent the fine longing of one’s life,which is closely related to one’s own life background,while the reality is delay or advance in the view of the people.This conflict is in fact the conflict between one’s own development and the society’s development,which can be called the tragedies of society,and it is unchangeable.

(2)External conflicts

Shakespeare’s tragedies mainly express the conflict between ideals and realities and the ruin of the ideals.In the plays,conflicts between people and people,conflicts between groups of people and conflicts between two powers in people’s inward are fully embodied.

The reason why Shakespeare’s tragedy is recognized as the representative of character tragedy lies in his digging for human’s passion and fully revealing of people’s human heart,conflict and mental distress.The Greeks believed the fatalism as earthshaking as the thunderbolt and as heaven and earth upside down.The modern man,especially Shakespeare,has found the most profound roots of human passion on the philosophy inevitability.Shakespeare is the first author to write mental distress extremely.External conflicts are repeatedly showed in the play.The conflicts are also inseparable with the first one but more obstinate which is not easy to deal with.It is the power that connected with the interest of certain groups of people;it is the derivation of the unkindly reality power which solidifies the contradictions between ideals and realities.In some way it is changeable because people are changeable.

(3)Inner conflicts

In Shakespeare’s works,the defect of the characters is not a shortcoming;it is this flawed characteristic that makes up Characters in rich,receiving a perfect performance.As the interwoven with personality and the plot Characters develop,more and more obvious,leading to the final tragedy.

The importance is that he follows in real life and concentrated on expressing the profound human impact arising from complex social conflicts in the late Renaissance.In particular,the inner conflict posed by the complex psychology of human contradictions. Shakespeare’s good at demonstrating the complex social contradictions through the inner conflict,personality conflict,his tragic drama is character tragedy,but also a social tragedy.The inner conflicts can be seen as the smallest element of the conflicts of the former two.Inward is in some way a mirror of the society,through which the whole conflicts of the world can be seen.It is also a reflection of one’s own time and always has a brand of the time which is inevitable.The form of one’s characteristics,both fine and flaw,can’t fully be controlled by oneself while this is can be changed by certain ways.The characters’ natures are complex who changing as the changing of the contradiction of the inside and outside,and finally all come to an end with the people of the evil group.

2.The inevitability of the tragedies

2.1 Tragedies of fate

Contradictions between ideals and realities&Oedipus the King by Sophocles

Fate is like an antinomy,a fallacy.In Oedipus the King by Sophocles no matter how great the efforts one has made to alter the evil lot that turn out to be in vein.The contradictions between ideals and realities are unchangeable.Just like the fate,one can’t choose the place and background of one’s life.People’s fate is somehow established when come to the earth.If one lives in the life of the King Lear,Hamlet or Macbeth it is a tragedy.Because that the survival of human is inseparable with the relationship among others.We were born in it,and live in it.We are enveloped in it.We are in the life and love of being parents,children,brothers and sisters,husband and wife etc.The huge net that enveloped us is flawless and boundless.When we talk something about virtue,patient,courage,happiness,we are talking the things that support us living.When we talk something about tyranny,lust and betray,we are talking the things which destroy the survival.

2.2 Tragedies of Society

External conflicts&Prometheus bound by Aeschylus

The tragedies of society are mainly seen in Prometheus bound by Aeschylus.In the play the power is of the most forceful things.One is controlled by the interest of one’s own.With the help of the power,Zeus punishes Prometheus cruelly.Only if the development of human society is advanced enough,can we hold our life in the hand of ourselves,and only if we fully understand it,and find our feet,can we succeed in living.The tragedy is not primarily because of the development his own contradictions and internal factors,but also the results of development of the contradictions of external social factors.It is the social relationship.It is the relationship between the human and the society.

2.3 Tragedies of Characteristics

Inner conflicts&Medea by Euripides

Tragedies of characteristics and the inner conflicts can be changed.Medea by Euripides is a family tragedy which is somewhat can be changed by the main characters.The fate is grasped in the hands of their own.The question is that one can’t correctly understand oneself.According to the authority that 80%of the auto gnosis are prejudices which is incorrect thus preventing one from pursuing one’s target.

3.Uncover the essence of the tragedy

Shakespeare’s tragedies are mostly written in his middle written period.At the beginning of 17th century,and also the last stage of Elizabeth’s times British is beset with numerous contradictions.In the rural areas the enclosure movement quickens its advance.Farmers who lose their lands are wanders here and there.In cities the situation of the common people are worsen.At the same time,the powers of the capitalist class and the upstart class are more powerful,thinking that the currently social system hinders the development of the economy.As Shakespeare understand the social reality more and more profoundly,he thinks that the contradictions between the development of the reality and the humanism’s ideal are bigger and bigger and in result the works are more critical.

Shakespeare’s tragedies always overall and deeply reflect the features and substances of the Elizabeth’s times.Shakespeare’s tragedies possess special sad but stirring flavors.He writes stories especially about the “ noble” heroes’lamentable destroy in face of the cruel reality.The noble qualities not only embody their class origins but also their characters.They mostly have positive qualities,and great characteristics and they are the figures rise above the common herd.However,in the complicated life stage,they drop from the position of eminence and even ruin their spirit and flesh.Their pains and sufferings,out of the common;their tragedies not only their own but also to a certain extent have universality which reflect the tragedies of the times and the society,and in result the stories are deeply moving and much food for thought.

(1)Hamlet

Shakespeare’s famous tragedy"Hamlet"is fact the profound thought of human destiny.In the conflict of fate and free will the endless human potential is fully tapped and mobilized.

Hamlet is a typical image of the humanism in the late of the Renaissance.He accepts the new ideas and opinions of the humanism and thinks that human is“ amazing masterwork”,who is“the essence of the universe! The prime of the all! ”After back home from school he suffers three heavy blow in succession.His father’s death,his mother’s remarry and his uncle’s usurp the throne.Under the brutal collide between the ideal and the reality;Hamlet’s former thought about the fine human and society are facing stern challenge,thus sinking into profound spirit crisis.Facing the harsh situation,his ideal vanishes into thin air.He falls into suffering explore.Nevertheless Hamlet does not grasp the opportunity to revenge but miss it because of delay,bringing about the delay in action.Hamlet’s hesitation has deep-going social reasons.In the process of the revenge he gradually realizes his action is not only for his father but also should be closely related to the fate of the whole country and the nation.He has the responsibility and obligation to reform the reality and reconstruct the country.By contrast,take revenge for his father is much easier.What he doubts is not what to do but how to do it.The second reason is that the vicious power is excessively strong and the limitation of the time and humanism decides that he is impossible to rely on and launch the masses,but he has to fight alone and finally embezzles by the pressure groups.In term of this point,Hamlet’s tragedy is not merely a tragedy of a person but also tragedy of humanism and the times.As a tragic figure and a humanist,hamlet’s significance is not whether he perishes the evil power or not but is that he reveals the distance between the ideal and reality,the contradiction between the advance and retreat and the necessary and urgent need to shorten the distance and solve the contradiction.

(2)Macbeth

The hero Macbeth is a famous general of the Scotland.One day he comes back victoriously from a battle,and meets three witches on his way back.What the three witches said stirs his ambition.And then goaded by his wife,he murders the king,and he becomes the new king.He is very cruel to the Scottish people and commits a lot of crimes during his reign.Finally,he is killed by the son of the murdered king.

In this play,Shakespeare’s condemns ambition.Macbeth’s fate is that of all the ambitious rulers,who are doomed to be defeated in the end though they are strong in appearance.The theme of the story is to express the evil of the ambition and greedy.If it can‘t be controlled,it will turn a kindhearted man into malice run into self destroy or even harm the people and the country.The tragic figure Macbeth is an epitome of this.The great talent and bold vision Macbeth should have be a man of being in favor with the general public,but once has the individual ambitious he heads toward the bloody crime road.Because his natural instincts have good part and bad part,his inner heart is full of nervous and complex contradictions.

(3)King Lear

King Lear,one of the British kings,wants to divide his kingdom into three parts and bestows each daughter a part.He hears and believes the eldest daughter and the second daughter’s blandishments and cancels the right of succession of kindhearted youngest daughter who dares to speak the truth,and he marries his daughter to French which is far away from him.He lives in his two elder daughter’s houses.They treat him very badly and make him suffer a lot in their hands.Finally the old king is driven out of their houses and lives in the fields.When the news is reported to the youngest daughter,she leads an army and comes back.She wages a war against her two sisters.But unfortunately she falls into the hands of her sister’s followers,and then is killed.The old king feels very sad after he has lost his dear child.Finally he dies of grief and sorrow.

King Lear is not only an ordinary story about devoid of gratitude of the children but also deeply reflects the turbulent social reality when the human relations in feudal society are about to breakdown.The transform of the opinion of the King Lear shows the triumph of the humanism thought.

3.Understand the tragedies

(1)Feel the fate

The tragic fate seems to be out of a series of contingency,which make us feel that the fate of character in the tragedy was controlled by some kind of manipulator.No matter how much struggle people make,they still can’t escape.However,if we carefully the Analysis hesitation and uncertainty of Hamlet’s and combine them with the historical status of British society,it is not difficult to see that as a feudal prince who has just accepted the new bourgeois ideology,the realization of humanism is very hard.

In a state where kingship,grade are regarded as the guiding principles,even civilians thinks them as a natural and reasonable context,Hamlet’s ideal of"born equal,natural rights"is easily to be seen as heresy.

The ultimate tragic fate is sure to be displayed by a series of"accidental".As Engels said:"This is a historical necessity and the tragic conflict between the requirements and the demands of virtually impossible to achieve”

The beginning of the tragedy determines the destruction of character is inevitable,but necessity and occasional are fusion of intertwined factors.If there are no chance factors,such necessity is impossible.The contingency and necessity of the plot interwoven,resulting in the tragedy of the character,led to the destruction of people.

From the above background of Shakespeare’s tragedies,we can see that tragedy is the mirror of society at that time,all kinds of ugly and disadvantages from glance.Therefore,the social significance of exposing and criticizing the reality is the most significant features of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Self-rescuer is the awakening of human consciousness,and the high-lift of rational spirit,which is the endeavor and struggle in order to prove the value and safeguard the dignity of the human race as the world’master.In the history of human spirit,there had been two self-rescuers shine through history.

The first attempt is that man is trying to break free from the slavery of nature,and say no to the slavery natural.The second is the human attempt to break free from the slavery of God and return to the lost consciousness.Macbeth’s tragedy is the tragedy of those who help themselves.Macbeth can be seen the giant of the Renaissance,who Breaking the yoke of feudal servitude and overlooking the entire strong individual.Obviously Macbeth is a self-conscious evil person.He is enticed by supernatural power.“ The wrong choice,refuse to realize one’s error,and intentional self –destroy” is Shakespeare’s way of show the inevitable of life by the way of accidental.Hamlet’s hesitation is not only because of his character weaknesses,such as weakness,indecision,and doubt,but also for some religious reasons and moral strength that prevent him from action.One is the religious prohibition of personal vengeance,and the other is God’s punishment of Regicide usurpation and the destruction of the divine order.It is for these two that cause the delay of him and lead to the occurring of the tragedy.

Through the tragedy of Hamlet,Shakespeare wants to express the idea that the divine right of kings can’t make improper interference by human.

In this sense,the usurper Claudius is the murderer who breaks the divine order,and once breaks the divine order,a disaster occurs.Conversely,if someone want to restore the divine order,that must wait for God’s will,any unauthorized person wishing to act as God’s“ fierce Device and the angels”get rid of Regicide usurper,will also be usurper and murderer with the crime.This is what Shakespeare performance in its history,the basic theme of the play repeatedly.

What Lear recalls people is horror and thought of human limitations.This limitation exists not only because the material can’t exceed a specific time and space,and death will isolate us with our loved ones in the world that will never communicate;it is also expressed that the people who is having a limited sense ultimately will not fully understand the fact of self.Although Lear does not really know himself,the passion and pain during his process of trying to know himself and the outside world make us regard him with reverence.Because his limitations are the limitations of us all,but his pain is not each of us can endure.

(2)Seize the life

According to the analysis above,all the tragedies have their reason.Through the tragedy he told people that human freedom is limited,and only the liberation of human desire and satisfaction is not able to lead people to the ideal world of freedom and equality.Humanity is not only reflected in the original desire but also in the power of reasonable.Therefore,human must make an accurate grasp of the natural desire of people and the moral and social precepts,desire and reason,individuals and groups,man and society,man and nature,and so on.

Human is not only controlled by the things they know but also block by the things they do not know.Every develop period is full of different kinds of challenges.They are the challenges from both the inside and the outside.Some are the limitations that intrinsic,for example,human can’t fully understand the world and themselves,more than 80%of human’s understandings of them are preconceptions,although they think they are right.Human are perceptual,and can’t precisely realize their faults and correct their action as soon as possible.In terms of the society,human’s understanding of the society is relying deeply on development of the human society.The laggings of the understanding of themselves are causing the laggings of understanding the world,and vice versa.All these limitation and laggings make human being’s lives are full of contingencies and necessities.

Only when we keep pace with the times and understand ourselves precisely can we hold our fate in the hands of ourselves.Life is only once for all of us,we should learn from the past,prognosis the future,and project the life to seize our life in the long run.At the same time,improve ourselves and try to reduce the misfortunes brought by the nature limitations.