Shakespeares literary devices - Essay Example

Shakespeare’s Literary Devices There are thousands of remarkable literary around the world but Shakespeare may be considered the best literary writer of all times. There are at least three reasons to support this claim. First, Shakespeare wrote a number of poems and plays that are considered today as classics and are still being studied in schools. Second, his plays have been used by many literary authors that succeeded him. Many stories are based on Shakespeare’s plot; some directly incorporate Shakespeare’s plays, making the work appear as a play within a play. Third, Shakespeare makes use of literary devices that could serve as models for other writers to employ. These literary devices include mistaken identity, story-within-a-story, and use of potions. Some writers use these as themes but Shakespeare employs them as literary devices that greatly affect the plot. Mistaken identity is recurrent in Shakespeare’s plays. Among these plays include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Comedy of Errors. According to Draper (41), the device of mistaken identity is common in many Latin comedies that Shakespeare was fond of. For Draper, Shakespeare (43) uses mistaken identity for merriment in his comedies. However, one can argue that Shakespeare does not just use mistaken identity to effect comedy. Rather, he uses it as a literary device that affects the plot. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the mistaken identity that Puck commits turns out to be the major conflict in the play. Because of this, the fate of the characters becomes intertwined, as Lysander falls for the wrong woman, and causes woe to his real love, Hermia. Puck’s mistake is cunningly designed to break free from the tragedy employed in the old tale. Its inclusion leads to other events, such as the confrontation between Lysander and Helena, confrontation between Lysander and Demetrius, and finally, the conversation among the four lovers. It also provides the play another conflict, that is, to bring back the love of Lysander to Hermia, which is pursued towards the end. Likewise, the device of mistaken identity causes other events to take place, which make the play more interesting. Due to the mistake committed, the story plot takes a different shape. It causes panic to the fairy in the play, who needs to correct the mistake committed. It also causes anxiety to the lovers, especially to Hermia and Helena. Through the mistake, the love that Hermia and Helena feel for each of their lovers is tested. In addition, it also tests the strength of their personality. In Hermia’s case, when Lysander makes a change of heart, she fights for her love despite the hurting words Lysander tells her. In doing so, Hermia projects a strong personality imbued by assertiveness and loyalty, as reflected in the way she fights for her love. In same way, the mistake Puck commits leads to a better exposition of Helena’s character. Through it, Helena’s love for Demetrius is tested, but unlike the other, we see a weaker type of woman as reflected in her lines, When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, That I did never, no, nor never can, Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, (Act 2, Scene 2) Additionally, Helena takes embarrassment in the affection the two male characters give her. Instead of being proud that the two guys fall for her in Act 3, Scene 2. Helena cannot believe the affection they offer. As such, the mistaken identity provides a better view of the characters. Moreover, the conflict caused by mistaken identity assigns importance to the fairies in the play. Through this, the presence of the fairies is justified, thus the audience cannot claim that they are only accidental or decorative characters. The twist in the plot, exposition of the characters and justification of other elements in the play demonstrate the significance of mistaken identity as a literary device and not just a theme. Mistaken identity is also very evident in A Comedy of Errors. Draper (43) claims that Shakespeare doubles the use of mistaken identity in this play as he assigns twin servants and twin masters who are repeatedly mistaken for each other throughout the play. The number of errors committed and the laughter derived from those errors make the play a farce. On one hand, the double identity is obviously conceptualized to make the audience laugh; on the other hand, it also serves as the core of the play that affects not just the plot but the exposition of other elements such as characters and theme. Another device that Shakespeare employs is the story-within-a-story, otherwise known in French as Mise en Abyme. This device is also employed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet. In the first play, Shakespeare uses the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe as the basis of his plot. Dramatizing the story at the beginning of the play is a form of foreshadowing. However, unlike the tale, the play ends happily. Although the play starts in the same way as the old tale, the unraveling of the plot is made different with the inclusion of the mistaken identity. Through this inclusion, the original design which is supposed to end tragically turns out to be a comedy. The death of the lovers that should have taken place is prevented, and unity is achieved at the end. Mise en abyme is also applied in Hamlet but instead of using a famous story to be incorporated in the play, Shakespeare creates another story based on Hamlet’s plot. Prince Hamlet produces a play that illustrates his uncle’s crime in order to observe his uncle’s reaction to the murder of a man by his own brother. The reaction of Claudius to the murder scene further convinces Hamlet of his uncle’s sin. Likewise, it supports the idea relating to Claudius’s crime, which in turn justifies Hamlet’s subsequent actions. Furthermore, like in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the use of mise en abyme in Hamlet adds interest to the play. The use of potions may also be considered a recurrent device in Shakespearean plays. This device is used in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet, among other plays. Although Shakespeare uses this device repeatedly, he never runs out of ideas to make distinctions in each use. In the first play, he uses a love potion for comedy, in Hamlet, he uses a poisonous potion to cause a tragedy, whereas in Romeo and Juliet, he uses a sleeping potion to illustrate the importance of freewill. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the use of the love potion is elemental in the plot of the play, especially in bringing about comedy. When the fairy king, Oberon hears Demetrius’ cruelty to Helena, he orders Puck to pour some love potion in the eyes of Demetrius to make the young lad fall for the poor Helena. However, Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius, pours the love potion into the eyes of Lysander, making the latter fall for Helena as expressed in these lines: “Content with Hermia! No; I do repent The tedious minutes I with her have spent. Not Hermia but Helena I love” (Act 2, Scene 2) Along with mistaken identity, pouring the love potion on Lysander’s eyes later results in a complicated plot and eventually in a comic turn of events. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the poisonous potion as an important element to establish the plot. Claudius uses the potion to murder his own brother and Laertes uses it to kill Hamlet, although he fails and suffers from his own misdoing. Clearly, the potion serves as a means to bring about the tragedy. Without it, the murder of King Hamlet would have been difficult. As such, it may likewise be conceived that Shakespeare uses the potion to demonstrate how a murder can be done in secrecy. Moreover, Shakespeare’s device likewise suggests the possibly rampant use of potions during his time. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare makes use of the sleeping potion to make a twisted ending. He uses the potion to compose neither a comedy nor a tragedy. Rather, he uses it to illustrate the values and judgment of the characters. Upon seeing Juliet dead (or sleeping), Romeo immediately decides to end his life. The death may have been prevented if he had known that Juliet only drank a sleeping potion. Nevertheless, it could also have been avoided if Romeo had a different set of values and view of life. In this regard, the use of potion by Shakespeare is not just a device to structure the plot but a way to portray people and the values that ruled during his time. Mistaken identity, story-within-a-story, and use of potion are just some literary devices that Shakespeare effectively uses to perfect his plays. As explained above, Shakespeare does not use these literary devices only for a single purpose. For instance, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream he uses all the three devices not just to bring about comedy but also to illustrate human weaknesses. The same is true in the other plays discussed. In Hamlet, he uses the potion to lead the characters to tragedy and even to show how a murder can be completed secretly with the use of a potion. Overall, Shakespeare’s use of literary devices is well-conceived; they serve not just to add interest to the play but to establish originality in plot and characterization. Works Cited Draper, John William. “Stratford to Dogberry: Studies in Shakespeare’s Earlier Plays.” NY: Ayer Publishing, 1970. Shakespeare, William. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” N.d. University of Virginia. Web. 24 October 2011. Shakespeare, William. “Comedy of Errors.” N.d. University of Virginia. Web. 24 October 2011. Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet.” N.d. University of Virginia. Web. 24 October 2011. Shakespeare, William. “Romeo and Juliet.” N.d. University of Virginia. Web. 24 October 2011. Read More