VIII. CONTRAST. Shakespeare understood well the power of contrast, and used this device effectively. Contrast is absolutely necessary in Hamlet to relieve the mental strain on the audience. Too much bloodshed has a depressing effect, so the dramatist brightened his play by a change in mood. Contrast may be in the plot, as where a defeat is followed by a victory, or vice versa; or it may be in mood or tone, as when comedy follows pathos; or it may be in character, two persons being introduced who are opposites; again, there may be a contrast between the same person's actions on separate occasions. Note, for example, the contrast in character of Sir Launfal in Lowell's Vision of Sir Launfal before and after the dream. There may be contrast in description also. Closely allied to contrast is parallelism, or the introduction of similar characters and incidents. To illustrate, in As You Like It the characters in the subactions fall in love in the same manner that the characters in the main action do-it is a case of "love at first sight" in each case. Point out examples of contrast in Hamlet. Point out examples of parallelism, either in character or incident. OUTSIDE READING. For a brief biography of Shakespeare read Dowden's Primer, Chap. II (Amer. Bk. Co.), or Wendell's William Shakspere, Chap. II (Scribner's). For a more complete treatment, however, see Sydney Lee's Life (Macmillan). Hamilton Wright Mabie has written a delightful history of the great dramatist. For manners and customs, particularly theatrical, read Geo. Brandes' William Shakespeare, A Critical Study, Chaps. 1 to 4; also the first two chapters of Dowden's Primer. Recent magazine material: "A Daring Reconstruction of Shakespeare's Personality from his Plays," by Frank Harris, in Current Literature for Dec., 1909. "New Shakespeare Discoveries" in Harper's Magazine, Mar., 1910, by C. W. Wallace, Ph. D., University of Nebraska, contains some interesting material regarding Shakespeare's London life, of which so little is known. |