How
does suffering affect
one's actions? Do
different types of
suffering affect one
in different ways?
This paper seeks
to determine how
William Shakespeare's character's
respond to various
types of suffering.
Suffering can be
defined in two
ways; physical suffering,
in which the character
is inflicted with
physical pain and
trauma, and emotional
suffering, where the
character suffers an
emotional trauma or
loss.
In
The Tempest, the
physically traumatized characters,
are Trinculo and
Stephano. They are
chased by dogs
but their physical
trauma has not
induced any sign
of remorse or
guilt. Ferdinand, on
the other hand,
is overcome by
emotional suffering at
the "loss" of his son.
In King Lear, Lear is
plagued emotionally. He
feels that he
has lost the
love of his
favorite daughter Cordelia,
and he feels
the harsh hatred of
his two evil
daughters. At the
conclusion of the
play, his sanity
is restored but
he has suffered
tremendously in an
emotional manner at
the hands of
Regan and Goneril. In
Othello, Brabantio goes
through emotional suffering
when he must
succumb to his
daughter's wishes. Desdemona
also goes through
emotional suffering when
she is accused
by Othello of
cheating on him
when he is convinced of
this by Iago.
In
The Tempest, the
theme of purification
through suffering can clearly be
seen. Prospero, in his long
exile from Milan,
has more than
attoned for whatever
mistake he might
have made while
he ruled. Ferdinand
must suffer through
Prospero's hardships and
laborious tests before
he can win
Miranda's hand. Most
significantly, Alonso must
undergo the suffering
that Prospero has
designed for him
before he is
forgiven.
Prospero, who
is the real
Duke of Milan
was overthrown 12
years earlier by
his younger brother
Antonio. Prospero was
driven out of
the island along
with his daughter
Miranda; the two
were cast out
to sea. His
suffering has occured
in a physical
and a non-physical
way, he is
deeply hurt from
losing his kingdom
and from being
cast out to
die. Despite this,
he is generous
in forgiving. He
is not only
in control of
those around him
but he punishes
the guilty and
demands repentance.
When
Ferdinand meets Miranda,
they instantly fall
in love with
each other. "I might
call him...a thing
divine; for nothing natural...I
ever saw so
noble." ( Tempest, I, ii, 417-419).
He is perfect
for her in
that he is
pure and appreciates
her innocence and
purity. To make
sure that Ferdinand
is worthy to
marry Miranda, Prospero
makes him endure
heavy labor. "The
mistress which I
serve quickens what's
dead and makes
my labors pleasure." (Tempest, III, i, 6-7)
Alonso,
Sebastian, and Antonio,
who are denounced
as "men of
sin" (Tempest, III,, iii, 53)
are driven by
Ariel into a
frenzy of madness.
Alonso is deeply
affected, he believes
the "death" of
his son to
be punishment and
he confesses his
guilt and seeks
to atone for
it. He is
purified through the
trial and reconciled
with Prospero at
the play's end.
Neither Antonio nor
Sebastian, who are
equally guilty, is
affected in this
way. They remain
impenitent. Their incapacity
for remorse is
punished, Ariel suggests
by a "ling' ring perdition,
worse than any
death." ( Tempest, III, iii, 77)
Stephano,
the King's butler,
and Trinculo, the
jester, plot to
overthrow Prospero. Their
trial and suffering
take form in
a physical way.
They are submerged
in a horse
pond and then
hunted by Prospero's
dogs.
King
Lear allows one to
see how physical
suffering can bring
on emotional suffreing.
This can be
seen in the
two main characters
of each subplot.
Lear, King of
Brittain, is described
as "a very
foolish old man,
fourscore and upward."
His fatal flaw
of rashness causes
his suffering. The
Earl of Gloucester
lacks Lear's capacity
for wrath but
shares his fatal
flaw of rashness.
Like Lear, he
is made to
suffer greatly by
his children before
he gains true
insight. Cordelia, Lear's
daughter, suffers emotional
pain. She is
disowned by her father
but in the
end, she survives
to comfort him
and proves her
own selflessness.
King
Lear is the
epitomy of suffering.
"His suffering includes
a sense of
guilt for misusing
his past powers." (Bloom, 80). He
endures a parents
worst nightmare. First,
he is outraged
by his daughters
lack of love for
him. "Love and be
silent" (I, i, 69). "I
am sure my
love's more ponderous
than my tongue." (King Lear, I, i, 78-79). Because
of this, he
ends up banishing
her from his
kingdom and cutting
her from the
inheritance. He splits
the land in
two leaving her
with nothing. to
his dismay, Lear
discovers that life
with his two
other daughters is
no joy. He
is outraged by
their cruel behavior, a "Sharp-tooth'd unkindness" (King Lear, II, iv). Lear
is thrown out
by his two
daughters to rage
against natures harsh
elements. "To be
thrown from being
king of Brittain
to a fugitive
in the open,
pelted by merciless
weather, and betrayed
by ungrateful daughters
is indeed an
unpleasant fate." (Bloom,
1). Lear
has now completely
gone mad from
exposure to the
storm and the
anguish he has
suffered at the
hands of his
daughters.
"Gloucester must
go through intense
suffering before he
can identify with
the deprived." (Bloom,
74). He
is convinced that
his son is
secretly planning to
kill him. His bastard
son Edmund convinces
Gloucester that Edgar,
his natural son,
wants to kill
him. Edmund then
convinces Edgar to
flee from his father's
wrath." My father watches. O, sir, fly
this place,...Fly, brother,-
Torches, torches!- so farewell." (King Lear, II, i, 20,
31-32). Gloucester's suffering
continues as he
attempts to help
his friend Lear
and his followers,
but is betrayed
to Cornwall and Regan
by Edmund. As
punishment, Gloucester is
blinded and sent
to rage the
storm with Lear.
"...I would not
see thy cruel
nails pluck out
his poor old
eyes" (King Lear, )III,iii, 58-59)
"Let's follow the
old earl, and
get the bedlam
to lead him
where he would.
His rougish madness
allows itself to
anything." (King Lear, III, iii, 105-106).
Cordelia's
suffering begins when
she tells her
father the truth- "I love your
majesty according to
my bond, no more
nor less." (King Lear, I, i,
93-94). He then
banishes her and cuts her
from his will.
Despite all that
has happened to
her, She still
loves her father
and is there
when he needs
her. When she
hears word of
his treatment, she
returns to help
him. Lear's sanity
is restored with loving care
on her part.
"From his vision
of universal guilt,
Lear moves to
a vision of
universal suffering, the
basis for a
different kind of
mutuality." (Bloom, 90).
His final suffering
is at the
end of the
play. He enters
carrying Cordelia's body.
As he weeps
for her, he
is surrounded by
the bodies of
Goneril and Regan, the survivors
can only stare
in respect.
In
Othello , the suffering
comes about through
emotions. Othello is
suffering because he
feels that his
wife has been
unfaithful to him.
Brabantio suffers because
he feels that
his only daughter
has been kidnapped
and seduced. Desdemona
suffers because her
father disapproves of her
marriage
and she is
plotted against by
the evil Iago,
making her husband
think that she
has been disloyal.
Othello represents how
jealousy, particularly sexual
jealousy, can bring
on corruption, suffering
through ones emotions.
Brabantio,
a Venetion Senator,
is terrified that
his only child
has been kidnapped
by Othello and
has been seduced
with drugs and
potions. " It is
to' tree an
evil, Gone she
is,...O, unhappy girl!-... O,
she deceives me,...O,
treason of the
blood!... is there not
charms by which
the property of
youth and maidhood
may be abused?" (Othello, I, i, 178-195). When
he learns that
Desdemona is in
love with the
moor he is
bitter and resentful.
"At each house
I'll call. I
may command at
most.- Get weapons ho!
and raise some
special offices of
the night." (Othello, I, i, 203-205). He
accepts the defeat
but not graciously; he will
not allow Desdemona
to stay in
his house while
Othello is at
war. Despite his
harsh reaction, Brabantio
is not a
villain, he is
only a hurt
father, hurt by his daughter's
deceptions, that she
married behind his
back. He is
so wounded that
when he dies,
it is probably of
a broken heart.
Desdemona,
a young Venetian
woman, has lived
a sheltered life
in her father's
home. She falls
in love with a
man several years
older than herself,
from a foreign
land and of
a different race.
Fearing her father's
disapproval, she elopes
with Othello and
goes with him
to the war
zone. Desdemona is
portrayed as a
lovely, gentle woman, deeply
in love with
her husband. Unfotunately, being
so delicate causes
her vulnerability to the
terrible plot
and accusations brought
on by Iago.
"Desdemona is helplessly
passive. She can
do nothing, she
can not retaliate,
even in speech."
(Bloom, 80). Although Othello
finds her unfaithful,
there is no
room in her
world for the
things he has
accused her of.
It is her very innocence
that makes her a victim.
Othello's
sexual jealousy is
one of the
most corrupting and
destructive emotions; it
is the cause
of Desdemona's pain.
Desdemona goes from
a state of
vulnerability to a
state of suffering.
Iago's contribution to
Othello's jealous rage
also affect her
suffering. "The marriage
might have succeeded
had it not
been for the
evil character, Iago."
(Jorgenson, 59). Iago tries
to convince Othello
that Desdemona is
having an affair
with Cassio. When
Desdemona goes to see her
gentle, loving husband,
she finds him in an
overwrought emotional condition.
When she tries
to soothe him by
stroking his head
with a handkerchief,
he becomes irritated
and throws it
to the side.
"Are you not
well?... Let me but
bind it hard;
within this hour
it will be
well." (Othello, III, iii, 325-329). Later,
Iago uses the
same handkerchief to
incriminate Desdemona. Together,
Othello and Iago
agree that Desdemona
should be put
to death. Out
of rage, Othello
smothers Desdemona in
bed and kills
her. "She must
die, else she'll
betray more men."
(Othello, V, ii, 6).
In
conclusion, there is
evidence that Shakespeare
designed his characters
to be affected
by different types
of suffering in
different ways. The
characters who underwent
emotional suffering, usually
ended up purified
or at least in
a better state
of mind. On the other
hand, those who
only underwent physical
suffering did not
change from their
past behaviors and
did not repent.
Evidence
of this can be
seen in the
following ways: Ferdinand
in The Tempest,
is struck by
emotional pain. Because
of this, he
is purified through
his trial and
he repents. In
Othello, the
main character is
caught in an
emotional battle- who is
he to believe- his
loyal servant or
his new bride?
Unfortunately, Othello does not
realize the truth
until it is
too late and
has already killed
Desdemona. In King
Lear, Lear becomes
temporarily insane from
the pain and
turmoil he endures
from his daughters.
He does not
come to terms
about his mistake
until, like Othello,
it is too
late and Cordelia
has already been
killed.
No comments:
Post a Comment