Soliloquies in Shakespeare

 

Soliloquies in Shakespeare

Soliloquy is ‘a discourse made by one in solitude.’ In other words, it may be defined as ‘thinking aloud’. It is not natural for a man to talk to himself but when the heart is surcharged with emotions, it naturally bursts into involuntary words. But the content of the words in which the overwrought heart finds its vent must be of confidential in nature, that does not admit of communication to anyone else except the speaker's own self. The use of soliloquy is justified only under these circumstances. Otherwise, it becomes childish, clumsy and unnatural.

Shakespeare has made frequent use of soliloquies in his plays and they include the soliloquies of Macbeth, lady Macbeth, Othello, and Hamlet. His soliloquies or set speeches of a soliloquial character are never futile or unnatural. Sometimes a soliloquy serves the purpose of giving information to the audience though the intention is disguised. Sometimes a soliloquy, especially, in the case of villains discharges, the function of explanation.

In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy discloses her inner world and exposes her guilt to the world. In Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth wrestles with his conscience about murdering King Duncan. He acknowledges the moral consequences and fears divine justice. This moment highlights his internal struggle between ambition and morality. Another significant soliloquy is the “Is this a dagger which I see before me” speech in Act 2, Scene 1. Here, Macbeth hallucinates a dagger leading him toward Duncan’s chamber. The vision reflects his disturbed state of mind, showing how deeply he is consumed by his murderous thoughts. These soliloquies trace Macbeth’s transformation from a hesitant murderer to a ruthless tyrant and, finally, a man disillusioned with life itself.

In Othello, lago's soliloquies explain to the audience, the real motives of his crimes. Soliloquies also add an air of idealisation to the play, as almost all the important soliloquies of Shakespeare are highly lyrical and poetic. They include some of Shakespeare's greatest writings. Thus Shakespeare's soliloquies generally discharge four functions: self-revelation, information, explanation and idealisation. Some soliloquies serve more than one function and it is rarely that a soliloquy combines in itself all the four functions.

Supernatural Elements in Shakespeare

 

Supernatural Elements in Shakespeare

The supernatural elements are the point of attraction even today. It includes all those phenomena which can not be explained by the accepted laws of natural science. In the days of Shakespeare, there was almost universal belief in the presence and power of the unseen. All classes of people, including the king, shared this belief. Most of the forms of the marvellous in which people believed were awe-inspiring. They had faith in demons, ghosts, witches and wizards. There was another category too, namely the fairies, which was conceived in a lighter vein. He freely used both the categories of the unseen and ghosts, fairies and witches appear and re-appear in one play after another. But his supernatural is not so crude and rough as that of the other contemporary dramatists. It is always invested with a deep moral and psychological significance.

Shakespeare invests his supernatural with all the circumstances and characteristic features of popular superstitions. So that it was readily accepted by his audience. In Hamlet, the ghost has far great powers but it fails to achieve its purpose. The witches in Macbeth have even greater potentialities for evil and wreck the human soul. The Hamlet ghost appears in weird circumstances, on a cold and dark night. It does not speak till it is spoken to. It inspires terror in the hearts of those who see it and it vanishes as soon as it is daylight. Similarly in Macbeth, the witches in their characteristics conform substantially to these of popular imagination and conception. They are poor and ragged, skinny and They are dressed like women bat grow beards which one like, Banquo, doubt their sex. They appear in foul weather when there is thunder, lightning and storms. They have gifts of prophecy can cast spells and raise apparitions.

The supernatural is ever brought by the dramatist in the closest relation with character and action. The witches of Macbeth integral to the plot. They shape the course of events and they are the motive power of the drama. They also serve in intensify the atmosphere of horror and dread in the plays. Similarly, the ghost in Hamlet, is not a meaningless apparition. The supernatual can only suggest a particular course of action, it can never compel a character to act in a particular manner. The ultimate responsibility lies with the human actors of a play and not with the superhuman.

"The Dreamy Kid" by Eugene O’Neill- An Analysis

 

The Dreamy Kid

-        Eugene O’Neill

Introduction

Eugene O’Neill (1888 –1953) is an American playwright.  He received Nobel prize for laureate in 1936. He is known for realism in his works. He was awarded Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1920, 1922, 1928, and 1957. His Dreamy Kid was first performed at the 52nd Street Theatre in 1925. It deals with the themes of old age, racial difference, Love, and American dream. The setting of the play is New York.

Language and Style

The language of the play is very complex. O’Neil uses the dialect Creole throughout the play. Creole is a natural language that develops from a mix of different languages like French, African American, European languages etc. Though the spelling is English, most of the words are unreadable. The playwright creates the world of the characters using the appropriate dialect specific to the region. Moreover, the inner world of the old woman Mammy Saunders is portrayed through her incomplete and fragmented sentences.  Further, the young world of New York is represented by the abusive language used by Dreamy and his girl friend Irene.

Mammy Saunder’s Life

When the play opens, Mammy Saunders, the old woman is on her bed. Her bedroom is in a house of Carmine Street, New York City. It is soon after nightfall of a day in early winter. The room is in shadowy half-darkness. There is a wooden bed, and a rocking chair in the room. The vague outlines of Mammy Sounders' figure lying in the bed can be seen through the dim light. The setting of the room brings the gloomy atmosphere on the stage.

The Anxiety of Mammy Saunders

Ceely Ann, a middle-aged friend is taking care of Mammy Saunders in her old age.  The conversation between them reveals the anxiety of the old lady. Mammy asks Ceely to light the lamp and says that she wants to see Dreamy before she dies. She believes that her grandson Dreamy is the most innocent boy in the world. She falls asleep and speaks in the sleep. She always utters the name of Dreamy in her sleep. This shows that she is obsessed with her grandson.

 

The Role of Irene

Irene, the girl friend of Dreamy enters and informs Ceely that if Dreamy comes, he has to go immediately. She is not welcomed by Ceely. Later, when Dreamy comes in secrecy, Ceely goes out taking a break. Later, Irene informs him that she saw the police were talking about him. Dreamy reveals that he has shot a white man the previous day. Dreamy forces Irene to leave the house to ensure her safety.

The Meeting between Mammy and Dreamy

The meeting between Mammy and Dreamy is very moving. She talks to him like a child. When she says that she is going to die, he says that she will outlive him to keep flowers on his grave. Dreamy is worried that the police may enter the house at any time. He keeps a chest of drawers behind the door and keeps his gun ready. He holds the hand of Mammy in one hand and keeps the gun on the other pointing at the door. Dreamy asks her not to speak aloud, but she keeps interacting with him.

Mammy claims that the only good thing that she has done in her whole life is raising Dreamy as a kid. She is very proud that she gave him the nick name “Dreamy” when he was a child. She asks him to kneel and pray for her. Though the situation was not favourable, he obeys her and prays for her aloud. Thus Dreamy fulfils the last wish of Mammy. The play has an open ending in which the gun shots are heard.

The Two Children

            In this play, both Dreamy and Mammy can be considered as children. Mammy is in her second childhood stage because of her old age. She longs to see her grandson and she feels elated when her dream is fulfilled. Her childish nature is very evident when she becomes talkative during her meeting with Dreamy. She ignores his warning of not making noise and continues to talk to him like a child. On the other hand, though Dreamy is aware that the police are looking for him, he takes the risk of meeting his grandmother in her house. This shows that he listens to the child in hum. For the society, Dreamy is a murderer, but for the family he is an obedient and loving human being. Hence, both Dreamy and Mammy can be considered as children at heart.

Conclusion

            Eugine O’Neil’s Dreamy Kid  is an interesting portrayal about the delicate relationship between a grand mother and grandson. It portrays the importance and the beauty of human relationship in the modern American life. 

Link for Video Lesson: https://youtu.be/CCtex5Qq9Hg