Messages in Shakespeare's Works

Messages in Shakespeare’s Works Many of Shakespeare’s plays give one of the main characters a soliloquy or a speech in which they deal with the play’s key issues. There are three particular speeches that have been spoken about for many centuries because of their underlying messages- Katharina’s final speech in The Taming of the Shrew, Portia’s speech in The Merchant of Venice, and Hamlet’s soliloquy in Hamlet. In The Taming of the Shrew, Katharina gives the final speech of the play. She speaks to all of her family and friends at the wedding and allows them to see the changes in her character. Katharina says to her sister and friends to wipe the frowns off their faces and stop rolling their eyes. The men in front of them are their lords, their kings, and their protectors. An angry woman is like an agitated fountain- muddy, unpleasant, and therefore lacking in beauty. And if this is the condition the women are in, no man, no matter how parched he is, will stop to drink from it. Katharina urges the women to remember that their husbands are their lords, their lives, their keepers, their head, and their sovereign- he will care for them and work hard to ensure that their lives are perfect. He stays awake during long, stormy nights and by day he endures the cold while they are safe and warm. In exchange for all that he does for her, he asks for love, kind looks, and obedience- payment that is too little for so great a debt. A woman owes her husband the same loyalty a subject would owe his king. When the woman is sullen, sour and disobedient she is loathsome, a rebel and an ungrateful traitor to her protector. Katharina is ashamed that women are foolish to declare war when they should be pleading for peace. They should not be seeking authority, supremacy and power but instead the obligation to serve, love and obey. Women’s bodies are soft and weak, unfit for all of the troubles of the world, and their hearts should agree with their extremities. She says her spirit has once been as proud as all of them and her courage was just as great but now Katharina sees that their weapons are like straws, they are weak. Be humble and place your hand underneath your husband’s foot, she says. It is a gesture of loyalty, their hands should be ready if he cares to use it, and may it bring him the comfort he desires.
Katharina is the older sister to Bianca and the oldest daughter of Baptista Minola, a wealthy man who is looking to wed off his daughters. She is strong willed, angry and abusive; both mentally and physically. She is forced into a marriage with Petruchio- a wealthy man from Verona who comes to Padua to find a wife- he is quick-witted, loud and eccentric just like Katharina. Petruchio wishes to tame her by pitting his angry temper against hers.
Many perplexed critics, audiences and students wonder if she truly had a transformation by the time she concludes her monologue about a wife’s duty to her husband. There are two possible options as to what Katharina’s speech actually entails. One option is that Katharina believes everything she says. Her transformation is a genuine enlightenment because Petruchio gave Katharina a dose of her own medicine. As Katharina is made aware of her behavior she can now be content and compliant to her husband. Petruchio implements shrew-taming tactics that can be considered torture devices such as sleep deprivation, starvation, manipulation, and intimidation. She has been brain-washed and now identifies with her abuser. From a medical standpoint, the proper term for her condition would be Stockholm syndrome which describes the psychological state of victims of domestic abuse/kidnapping who become loyal to their abusers. It is uncertain if this is the case with Katharina; she is certainly a good actress and puts on a great show.
There is also a second option- Katharina does not believe a word she says, but says everything to please Petruchio. There is evidence when Katharina finally goes along with Petruchio’s scheme of make believe, even though she knows what he says is not entirely accurate. Katharina has already proved to be a wonderful actress. It is the best theory because the entire play focuses on everyday life theatricality and the aspects of gender roles.
Katharina is bossy, mouthy and aggressive- Petruchio acts like a shrew to give Katharina a dose of her own medicine. On the way to Bianca’s wedding, Petruchio threatens to turn around if Kate does not agree to everything he says. She breaks down and plays along, submitting herself to him and obeying his every command. She becomes a submissive character as opposed to the dominant attitude she had before the marriage.
The speech itself has many issues that need to be addressed to audiences now and the audiences that will read The Taming of the Shrew in the coming years. One such issue is the idea of gender roles. Gender roles are taken for granted in Shakespeare’s society because they believed in the hierarchy that Kate supported enthusiastically in her final speech. These so-called gender roles dictate who holds the power and who does not. In the case of this play, Petruchio and any male characters hold power over their female counterparts. Her speech also stereotypes woman into being the weak species both physically and mentally. The idea of “right supremacy” comes into play which involves the complete suppression of the wife in her role as the woman. Feminist critics also take part in the discussion regarding Katharina’s final speech- their issue is in regard to her subservience. Feminists believe in the power of women and their rights and Katharina has taken that right and abandoned it for her the sake of her husband.
There are a couple themes to consider in The Taming of the Shrew. The ideas of marriage as an economic institution and the effect of social roles on individual happiness offer insight into the play’s themes. Marriage focuses on the relationship between men and women as they develop their affair from initial interest to the wedding. It offers a glimpse into the future lives of married couples exploring the social aspect of love. Economic considerations determine who marries whom. It is a social perspective rather than a perspective of love. This addresses the institutions of courtship rather than passion.
The Taming of the Shrew presents to readers multiple takes on Katharina’s final speech. It is not a simple understanding in regards to her monologue, but more of a complicated one. With her great acting skills, knowledge of manipulation, and the themes presented, Katharina has the power to take those three things and use them to her benefit.
In The Merchant of Venice, Portia gives one of the most thought-provoking speeches in Shakespeare. Her quality of mercy speech offers insight into the beliefs in Christianity and Judaism. She begins her speech by saying no one shows mercy because he has to. It happens, just as the way a gentle rain drops on the ground. Mercy is a double blessing. It blesses the one who gives and the one who receives it. It is strongest in the strongest people. Mercy looks better in a crown than his own crown atop his head. Mercy is higher than the scepter- it is enthroned in the hearts of kings- a quality of God. Kingly power can be compared to the power of God when the king mixes mercy with justice. Portia, disguised as Balthasar the law clerk, says to Shylock that although justice is his plea, consider that justice won’t save souls. We must pray for mercy and that same prayer will teach people how to show mercy to others.
Portia is a wealthy heiress from Belmont. She is beautiful and intelligent. She is bound by a clause in her dead father’s will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses the right correct casket. She falls in love with Bassanio who happens to pick the correct casket. Bassiano’s best friend Antonio lent him money to pursue Portia. For this to happen, Antonio had to borrow money from Shylock, a Jewish money lender. The two came to the agreement that if the loan was not paid in full, Shylock could claim a pound of flesh from Antonio as repayment. Since Antonio could not pay the loan back, there is a trial in which Bassanio fights to save his best friend’s life. Portia, Bassanio’s wife, disguises herself as a male law clerk to argue on behalf of the law and Antonio. She reveals her brilliant mind by appealing to Shylock’s meticulous mind. It is reasoning as opposed to sentiment.
Portia’s dialogue touches upon many important concepts such as Christianity versus Judaism, mercy, and justice. There are three important things to remember: the gift of forgiving the bond would benefit Shylock, it would elevate Shylock to a godlike status, and Shylock’s quest for justice without forgiveness may result in his own damnation. These three things refer to the polarizing issue between Judaism and Christianity. When Portia refers to the divine, it is an appeal to a Christian god- mercy typically comes from Christianity. The speech is an ultimatum- not necessarily an appeal. Human beings should be merciful because God is merciful. Mercy is an attribute to God himself and is therefore greater than power, majesty and law.
Portia’s understanding of mercy can be based on the way Christians understood both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament depicts God as requiring strict adhesion to rules and exacting punishment for those who have lost their way. The New Testament emphasizes awareness of the spirit rather than the letter of the law. It portrays a god who forgives rather than punishes and offers salvation to those who forgive others. Portia promotes a pro-Christian, anti-Jew mentality. The law is one of Shylock’s greatest allies and Portia turns the law against him. She has the opportunity to give freely of the mercy she advocates for. Shylock is backed into a corner which strips him of his bond, estate, and dignity. Mercy, as presented by Portia, never seems to be this sweet, selfless, or full of grace in real life.
Three important themes are made present in The Merchant of Venice through Portia’s “the quality of mercy” speech. The first theme is the idea of self-interest versus love. Bassanio and Antonio would be a good example, they are best friends that go back many years and they are bound to Shylock by a loan. Antonio is indebted to Shylock for failure to pay back a loan. Bassanio is the reason Antonio is in this catastrophe in the first place- all he wanted was to woo the beautiful Portia of Belmont. Another way to view this theme is Antonio and Shylock. Shylock lends money and charges a high interest whereas Antonio lends money out to those he loves free of interest. Portia and Bassanio’s relationship comes into play in this as well. Bassanio is in debt and needs money which is why he seeks Portia hand in marriage. However, they come to love each other as time progresses. Lastly, Shylock argues that Jews are just as much human beings as Christians. While the Christian characters of the play speak more of mercy, love and charity, they are not always consistent in how they display these qualities.
The second theme is mercy. All characters in The Merchant of Venice know that the law is on Shylock’s side but that does not defer them in their hopes that he will show mercy. A sixteenth century audience would not expect Shylock to offer mercy to Antonio because he is Jew but they would expect Christians to exercise mercy. Antonio could be considered merciful because he does not take Shylock’s goods as punishment but critics question whether it would be merciful to return Shylock’s belongings. Forcing Shylock to convert disables him from practicing usury which is the reason Antonio and Shylock quarreled. Antonio’s compassion can stem from not only the idea of mercy but also the concept of self-love.
The last theme is hatred. Shylock claims to be applying the lesson taught to him by Christian neighbors. This claim becomes apparent in his character both inside and outside of court. Portia questions him about what good a pound of flesh would do and he responds: “The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction” (III.i.60-61). He is practicing the concept of fighting fire with fire, what is done to him; he will do to others. Hatred is shown throughout the play through Bassanio, Antonio and Shylock.
The Merchant of Venice demonstrates the concept of mercy and how it can be shown multiple ways through different characters. It is through Portia’s “quality of mercy” speech we may understand what mercy truly means. The concept of suicide and the after-life is portrayed best in Hamlet. In Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy he discusses the importance of all things leading up to death and even after death. In Act three, scene one, we encounter a suicidal Hamlet who begins his speech by asking the question of whether it is better to be alive or dead. Is it nobler to put up with all nasty things that are thrown your way or to fight against the troubles by putting an end to them? Dying is sleep, sleep ends all the heartache and tragedies that life on earth troubles us with. To die and to sleep might be to dream. However, there is a catch: in death’s sleep, who knows what kind of dreams might come after we have placed all uproar behind us in the past life. It is that consideration that causes people to continue to suffer through life. Who would wish to suffer through life’s humiliations caused by arrogant men, heartbreak, the inefficiency of the law, the rudeness of people and the mistreatment of the good individuals- why take the bad when you could just call it quits. Hamlet questions who would chose to bear such an awful life unless they are afraid of something dreadful after death. Death is the undiscovered country from which no visitor ever returns, which makes us wonder about the answers to our many questions about the afterlife. Hamlet says that the fear of death makes us all cowards and our natural ability to be bold becomes weak with too much thinking. Actions that should be carried out at once get misdirected and stop being actions at all. He concludes his speech when he sees Ophelia coming towards him.
Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark and a student at the University of Wittenberg. Hamlet’s father has passed and his mother, Gertrude, has married Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. Hamlet is hostile and contemptuous. He is hateful towards his uncle, the new king and full of disgust for his mother. Hamlet is a character of many inconsistencies. He admires Fortinbras who is both passionate and violent but Hamlet himself is thoughtful, reflective, and philosophical. He can be wavering in his decisions and hesitant but also reckless and intense. Something to consider while reading Hamlet is Hamlet’s quality of mind. His passionate nature is complemented by a relentlessly logical intellect which overcompensates to find a solution to his never ending misery. Hamlet turned to religion but found it unsatisfactory in helping him to kill Claudius, therefore he then turns to a logical philosophical inquest and finds it just as frustrating.
His soliloquy is a logical and powerful examination of the theme of moral acceptability of suicide. He poses the problem in his “to be or not to be” speech. Hamlet weighs the moral ramifications of living and dying. Is it nobler to suffer life or to seek an end to it? Hamlet then considers the afterlife and the dreams that may come in the sleep of death. There is uncertainty in the afterlife which is what prevents all of humanity from committing suicide to end the pain of life. However, the dread of the afterlife leads to the excessive moral sensitivity that makes the act of suicide impossible. Hamlet never reaches the metaphysical, only the intangible.
Another theme in Hamlet would be the complexity of action. Is it truly possible to take effective and purposeful action? The question of how can be answered by considering the emotional, ethical and psychological factors. Hamlet does not trust the idea that it is possible to act in a controlled manner causing him to act instinctively, recklessly, and even violently. The other characters think much less about action than Hamlet and are much less troubled about acting. They act as they feel appropriate. Through their actions, they prove that Hamlet is right because their actions fail.
The last theme in Hamlet would be the mystery of death. Death surrounds the play and the characters on all sides. After King Hamlet’s death, his son is obsessed with the idea of death and its many forms. There are two forms to death that Hamlet is aware of- the spiritual and the physical. The spiritual is the ghost of his dead father. The physical is the skull of Yorick and the decaying corpses in the cemetery. Hamlet’s own death plagues him as well but through his “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he rationally concludes that no one would be afraid to endure the pain of life if they were not scared of what comes after death. It is the fear that causes complex moral consideration to interfere with the capacity for action.
Hamlet gives its audience many important themes to consider while reading the play. It is from reading this play that we receive a deeper meaning behind the distressed mind of the great Hamlet.
All three of these plays and these three characters with their unique speeches allow its readers a fuller understanding of Shakespeare’s main characters and their actions which resulted in some of the best literary works audiences have come to know and love.