What is the difference between Hamlet’s madness and Ophelia’s? Is there a marked difference in their behavior and speech? The theme of madness is one of the main themes in the tragedy Hamlet. Hamlet pretends to be mad and Ophelia is driven to actual madness and even suicide. Hamlet starts to act as a madman to avenge the death of his father by his uncle.
"Boyce talks of the jealousy and hate that drives Iago to deceive the moor to "show how a noble man can lose faith and go in a frenzy caused by the loss of trust." (Boyce 570). Othello is tricked into believing all the wrong things which causes him to lose his sanity. Over his web article critic Christopher Baker says that Iago's only reason for all of his evil plans to infect Othellos mind with lies were because he wanted revenge for not being promoted. He thinks that all the tragedy that takes place "shows the true means of physcological derangement."
Provoked by anger, Tiresias tells Oedipus he is the murderer. The king criticizes Tiresias’s powers and insults his blindness, but Tiresias only responds “so,
It is the type of irony you notice almost as soon as you read it. The first example of verbal irony in Oedipus Rex Act _ Scene _ is when Oedipus demands that the evil man who murdered King Laius be cruelly punished without realizing that the man who murdered him is none other than himself. This is verbal irony because Oedipus does not realize that he has actually condemned himself. Another example of verbal irony is when Oedipus accuses Creon of framing him for the murder of Laius so that Creon would become king. Creon states that he is not interested in being king as he is contented with his present position of wealth and power.
The first example is that Oedipus’ anger helps show how ignorant Oedipus is and how he even makes false accusations towards others. Oedipus sent Creon to find the city’s seer, Tiresias, and Oedipus then asked Tiresias who killed the previous king. Tiresias would not give Oedipus a valid answer and Oedipus grew angry. “Indeed, since I am so angry, I’ll pass over none/ of what I understand. Know that I think/ you, too, had your hand in this deed and did it,/ even though you did not kill with your own hands./ But if you could see, I would think the deed yours alone” (l. 364-368).
There is much evidence in the play that Hamlet deliberately feigned fits of madness in order to confuse and disconcert the king and his attendants. His avowed intention to act "strange or odd" and to "put an antic disposition on" 1 (I. v. 170, 172) is not the only indication. The latter phrase, which is of doubtful interpretation, should be taken in its context and in connection with his other remarks that bear on the same question. To his old friend, Guildenstem, he intimates that "his uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived," and that he is only "mad north-north-west." (II.
He suspects Creon of murder, and concludes that the prophet had colluded with Creon in an attempt to undermine him. So then they argue vehemently and eventually Oedipus dismisses Tiresias. However, when he leaves, he continues muttering: murderer is right here before him - a man who kill his father and marry his mother, a man who can see now but will leave in blindness in the future. Then Creon enters to face Oedipus's accusations. In spite of Creon’s protestations of innocence, the King
Vanity is also displayed by Sophocles through Oedipus. ‘Taunt me for the gift of my brilliant mind. That gift is what makes me great.’ This is extremely ironic as we suspect that Oedipus’ mind is not great at all as he fails to resolve the riddle set for him which leads to obsession and ultimately insanity as he discovers the truth and physically punishes himself. The love test also reveals selfish side as he decides to divide his kingdom and thus rid himself of all responsibility and forcing it upon his daughters as he wishes to ‘crawl
As the play progresses and the King goes to visit Goneril and Regan, he realizes that he was unjust in his actions for what had been done to Cordelia. He then comes to the sad realization that the world is full of hypocrites and that it is not right for men to pass judgment upon each other. When he encounters Gloucester he says “Look with thine ears: see how yond justice rails upon yond simple thief. Hark, in thine ear: change places, and handy-dandy, which is justice, which is the thief” (IV vi 143-145) The King also says “Through tattered clothes great vices do appear; Robes and furred gowns hide all…” He states this because he realizes that sometimes wrong can only be seen in those that don’t attempt to hide and that others hide it well. The injustices committed by characters in the play are brutal and filled with awful human cruelty.
Othello and Desdemona’s marriage is sabotaged by Iago’s deceit, which in the end succeeds in deteriorating Othello’s mentality to the point that he murders his own wife Desdemona despite her innocence. Iago’s malignant, misogynistic persona is unveiled in his Soliloquy when he declares “I hate the Moor”. His resentment in Othello and women as well as his inner torment is seen when he envisions to “…make the net that shall enmesh them all” leading to the act of evil, Iago also claims that he had “Never found a man who knew how to love himself,” which further emphasises and suggests his narcissistic and misogynistic personality. Despite being a flawed character himself Iago highlights the flaws in other characters and exploits them for his own desires. Othello, despite his noble characteristics and valiant conduct, is shown to have weaknesses vulnerable to Iago’s hidden agenda.