How does the transformation of Stoppard's Hamlet reveal a change in ideology? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Stoppard's transformation of Shakespeare's Hamlet changes your values and worldview from the original. These changes are the result of the change in context between the two texts. The Elizabethan worldview was that of an ordered universe, where reality could be expressed through language and where known law/logic was applicable. On the other hand, Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead reflects a more contemporary ideology, where the universe is inexplicable and the audience has no sense of certainty. According to this worldview, language is a confusing expression of reality and there is no logical existence. It is this difference in context between the two works that contributes to the change in ideology. Language serves as a source of meaning in Hamlet. This is evident in the conflicted dialogue between Hamlet and Gertrude: Gertrude: Hamlet, you have your father much offended. Hamlet: Mother, you have offended my father greatly. Gertrude: Come, come, answer with an idle tongue. Hamlet: Go, go, ask with evil tongue. Here Hamlet mocks the pace and words of Gertrude's reproaches. By echoing the rhythmic structure of Gertrude's language, Hamlet manages to shift the accusatory finger from his own behavior to that of his mother, thus taking control of the confrontation through the use of language. Hamlet's reaction towards Ophelia further proves this point. The sound of his words upon seeing her immediately - "sweet... nymph... prayers..." - suggest a gentle feeling towards her. However, once Ophelia speaks in the forced, formal tone recommended by her father, Hamlet appears frustrated that her impersonal language blocks any proper communication between them, saying, “Are you honest?…can it be you who speak in so empty?" ?" This reflects the ideology that there is a universal means of communication, an ultimate expression of truth that, when broken down, causes disturbance and chaos. In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, language interferes with meaning rather than enhances it. Repetition which characterizes much of the dialogue makes it evident; the conversations keep returning to the starting point, as here:Guil: It doesn't matter... we'll talk about it like a nightingale at a Roman festivalRos: You'd be speechlessGuil: Like a mute in a monologueRos : Like a Nightingale at a Roman Feast Guil: Like a Star on a Banner Ros: Like a Nightingale at a Roman Feast This ping-pong of ideas, in which every concept is thrown back and forth, suggests lack of direction and lack of progress. uselessness of language also appears in Rosencrantz's and Guildenstern's frequent alterations of clichés, as shown when Rosencrantz confuses the metaphor "This will put the sticks between their spokes", declaring instead "This will put the sticks between their spokes" and thus impoverishing the statement of meaning. In another case Guildenstern states "Of course not. If you want", contradicting his statement and thus highlighting the subversion of language. The ideology that drives this play is based on an arbitrary and confusing world in which nothing is certain. Shakespeare presents the universe as an orderly place, disrupted by "most disgusting, strange, and unnatural" events such as the killing of a king. Hamlet sees himself as a "scourge and minister" whose duty is to take revenge on his father. This aim of revenge influences his actions to some extent. For example, he decides not to kill Claudius while his enemy is praying; doing so would make Claudio go.
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