Hamlet and the Man in the Iron Mask Essay

The Man in the agitate Mask, by Alexandre Dumas, and hamlet, by William Shakespeare, twain follow similar plot lines and relate to separately other through their themes. Shakespeare and Dumas both discuss themes of family, referee and judgement, lies and deceit, trueness and the consequences of retaliation. These study themes bl obliterate seamlessly in the stories of Shakespeares crossroads and The Man in the push Mask. The themes are uniform throughout the play and the book, ultimately addressing the search for rectitude and umpire in each of the protagonists situations.Although a soma of similarities exist between the two stories, they approach the subject of loyalty distinctly. What Shakespeare and Dumas obligate discussed in their stories demonstrates a similar challenge, the search for the the consecutive behind the lies. juncture and Philippe suffer mentally as they consider the consequences of their actions and inaction. As other characters commence tied to their reactions, they too pay a price for their involvement. First, in both books there are themes about the consequences of revenge.The principal(prenominal) theme is that revenge leads to goal instead of solving the problem, ultimately escalating the primary problem further. Both forms argue justice and judgement in the revenge displayed towards the mightinesss. In the play of village, the principal(prenominal) character is con seeed with the ghost of his arrest who reveals that his conclusion was non an accident only when a bump off. As critical point fulfils revenge, other peck flummox snarly and a unit of ammunition of revenge for goal takes place. In order to come across what he live ons as justice, small town uses sound judgement as he takes revenge, both physically and emotionally, on those around him.In the Man in the Iron Mask, the musketeers want to take their own revenge on the top executive for the lack of food for the starving people in the villa ge and his hardness in general toward his people. Vengeance in this book turns into a cycle as the three musketeers take revenge on the powerfulness the fag later takes revenge onto his people. The son of the recently deceased king is know to us as a young man named critical point. The truth of the death of his bring forth becomes known to Hamlet when his fathers ghost appears to him, explaining that he was murdered with embitter at the hand of his own brother, Hamlets uncle.This method of death by poisoning foreshadows the death of the main characters later in the play. Prince Hamlet then devotes himself to avenging his fathers death, but delays the physical death of his uncle in order to torture him psychologically. The people involved enter into a cabalistic melancholy and madness as Hamlet lets go of his closest relationships, perspicacity family and friends for their disrespect toward his dead father. Hamlet psychologically tortures his uncle by arranging for a play nam ed Mouse Trap. Hamlet syllabuss it so that it parallels his fathers death, in an effort to view Claudius, Hamlets uncles, reaction.Claudius goes through physiological melancholy as he begins to wonder if Hamlet knows the truth behind the death of his father. Claudius then runs out of the theatre in order to pray for forgiveness. Hamlet follows and begins to draw his s joint as this becomes the ideal moment to enact justice onto his uncle. However, Hamlet takes nonice that Claudius get the better ofed his father while his fathers sins were unforgiven. nance Hamlet had no time to repent due to the fact of his murder and was left to the divine to judge him. Hamlet decided to kill Claudius other time, perhaps when the king is drunk, angry or in the middle of an vicious act.This way, there would be no uncertainty about whether Claudius would go to booby hatch or non. Hamlet admires his father to the extent that he is placed not only to kill Claudius but in ein truth case to make him suffer the angriness and judgement, sending him to a similar by and bylife in Hell. (Shakespeare pg. 85 recreate III, ikon 3). As Hamlet goes to his mother in anger, he is determined to inflict pain on her emotionally, using his own judgement once more(prenominal) to enact justice. Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stew in corruption, h aneying and making love Over the nasty sty. (Shakespeare pg. 89. Act III, ikon 4).As the queen mole rat cries out for help, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, Claudius adviser, as he thrashes his sword into the curtain in hopes that it is Claudius. This causes Ophelia, Polonius daughter, great distress as she rapidly becomes psychologically distressed and senseless. And will a not come again? And will a not come again? No, no he is dead, Go to thy deathbed, He neer will come again. (Shakespeare pg. 109. Act IV, snap 5). In this state of mind, she dances to the river and falls in, drowning to her death. Laer tes, Ophelias brother and Polonius son, arrives from his travels.He is angered and takes revenge for the death in his family. great power Claudius takes this opportunity to turn Laertes against Hamlet as he devises a plan with Laertes so that they both foot take their revenge on him. Again poison is used for the death. toxicant is placed in a cup of water that is offered to Hamlet during a sword fight. Furthermore, Laertes places poison on his sword before the duel. This scheme radically backfires on the King as his new wife, Gertrude, drinks out of the cup, and Laertes and Hamlet shell stabbed with the poison. In the end Claudius is forced by Hamlet to drink the poison and all four major characters run low to poison. Shakespeare pg. 140 Act X, Scene 2). Fortunately, before his death, Hamlet was finally successful in his revenge as the details surrounding the death of Hamlets father become revealed to the crowd of people watching the dual. Therefore, by taking revenge, it leads the avengers to their own ending as they took justice and judgement into their own hands and accomplished what they had promised. In The Man in the Iron Mask the theme on the consequences of revenge in justice and judgement are similar to that in Hamlet, as it begins a cycle of death.In this novel, justice is whatever King Louis cardinal says it is. This explains how the system of government worked in France during the 16th and 17th century. At the send-off of the novel, Paris is starving but King Louis XIV is more arouse in economic gain and seducing women. Madame de la Valliere becomes the woman after whom the king is lusting and sends Raoul, her finance to war. As Raoul begins to become depressed from his upturned heart, he is displace off to battle. According to the kings orders, he is sent to the front lines and all men are to abandon him. Raoul inevitably dies in battle.When Athos, Raouls father, hears about the death of his son, he becomes enraged at the king. Athos fo rcefully criticized the King for his behaviour regarding La Valliere and the death of his son. Aramis, Athos and Porthos band together with a plan to replace the king (Alexandre Dumas, chapter 10. pg. 79). This plan involves the replacement of King Louis XIV with his play off brother. The three musketeers free the imprisoned Philippe who has been behind prison doors for six age and placed in an iron pretend. In the end, all three musketeers die and Philippe is placed back in prison hidden, forever beneath the mask of iron.Although all of the characters in the novel seek out revenge, their efforts fall short(p) of being truly successful. The Man in the Iron Mask and Hamlet show the consequences of revenge depicted in each of the characters struggles to take justice into their own hands. Their revenge ultimately results in a cycle of death. The main difference between the play Hamlet and the novel The Man in the Iron Mask is the theme of loyalty. In the play, loyalty remains consi stent as Hamlet is loyal to his father and his vengeance. However, in The Man in the Iron Mask, loyalties are continually being changed as the characters are match against each other.The characters in the novel are expected to always be loyal to King Louis XIV however, this requirement in the kings subjects conflicts with loyalties between friends, family, and the self-interest of the musketeers. This main theme demonstrates that the search for the revelation of truth comes at the price of either breaking loyalties or staying true to loyalties, and go about death in the process. In Hamlet, there are several different characters that portray loyalty continuously throughout the novel. The main character, Hamlet, shows his loyalty to his father, maturation angry at the fact that he was murdered by his uncle.When his father asks Hamlet to take revenge on Claudius, Hamlet becomes enraged and his willingness to take revenge becomes revealed. Ghost Revenge his foul and most unnatural mu rder. Hamlet Murder? Ghost Murder most foul, as in the best(p) it is But this most foul strange and unnatural. Hamlet Haste me to knowt, that I, with wings as swift, As meditation or the thoughts of love, May dangle to my revenge. (Shakespeare pg. 29 Act I, Scene 5). Hamlet stays loyal to his fathers memory through the whole novel, seeking revenge on Claudius until he is able to kill him, accomplishing this task as he dies on base Claudius.Loyalty is besides shown by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, courtiers and former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg. They are summoned by the new king, Claudius, to discover the cause of Hamlets strange, negative and ghoulish behaviour. Their loyalty to the king causes them to lose Hamlets friendship and respect. As Hamlet discovers this, he arranges their death, making them pay for their betrayal to him with their lives. Loyalty is also shown in Act I, when Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo reveal to Hamlet what they see of ghost of his father. T hey also swear to keep silent about the event, which remains kept cryptic throughout the novel.Again, Horatio shows loyalty to Hamlet as he watches the reaction of the king during the play Mouse Trap performed by the players. He later tells Hamlet about the facial reactions of the king as he watched the performer kill the fake king, revealing his guilt in the murder of Hamlets father. However, in The Man in the Iron Mask, loyalties change continuously, most notably demonstrated in the ending of the famous friendship of the three musketeers. The broken loyalties within the earth break the trust of all characters through scandals and lies. For xample, the queen gives her loyalty to Philippe but sacrifices Philippe for her governmental stableness. Also, Aramis demonstrates betrayal in his disloyalty to the new prince Philippe. At the beginning of the novel, Aramis praises Philippe through his love, respect and service however, he leaves Philippe to fend for himself without a backwar d glance. Aramis chooses his career advancement over his friendships and loyalties. This is revealed to us by his discourse of Porthos and Philippe, when he suggests Porthos be killed to preserve the secret of Philippe.Another example of disloyalty is when Aramis, one of the main three musketeers shows true and loyal feelings to Philippe, but chooses political stability gain over faithfulness to Philippe. A friends word is the truth itself. If I think of touching, even with one finger, the son of Anne of Austria, the true King of this legitimatem of France if I have not the firm object of prostrating myself before his throne if, according to my wishes, to-morrow here at Vaux will not be the most glorious day my King ever enjoyed, whitethorn Heavens lightning blast me where I stand Aramis had pronounced these course with his face turned towards the alcove of his bedroom, where dArtagnan, seated with his back towards the alcove, could not suspect that any one was lying concealed. The earnestness of his words, the studied retardation with which he pronounced them, the solemnity of his oath, gave the Musketeer the most complete satisfaction. (Alexandre Dumas, chapter 14. pg. 104) Later on in the novel it is clear that Aramis no longer feels any real loyalty to Prince Philippe. Warn the Prince, and then- do what? Take him with me?Carry this accusing witness about with me everywhere? War, too, would follow,- civil war, implacable in its nature And without any resource- alas, it is impossible What will he do without me? Without me he will be utterly destroyed Yet who knows? let destiny be finish Condemned he was, let him remain so, then (Dumas, chapter 21 pg. 231) By the end of the novel, King Louis XIV has obtained absolute power, where his word is law, accepting no unlikeness to what he says. Aramis desires to have influence and power alongside of King Louis XIV. Soldier, priest, and diplomatist gallant, greedy, and cunning Aramis took the good things in t his life as steppingstones to rise to good-for-nothing ones. Generous in mind, if not noble in heart, he never did ill but for the sake of shining a little more brilliantly. (Alexandre Dumas chapter 6. pg. 34). In order to live and have power, loyalty needed to be kept to the king. Philippes friends chose loyalty to Philippe and they were killed as a result. In the end, after the death of his friends, Aramis retreats to a Spanish estate in his glorious riches.The butt, however, wants the kingdom to succeed and she sees that the only way to do so is to listen to the people. The people beg for food and help from the king. However, King Louis XIV shows no mercy towards his people and is only interested in personal pleasure. For the sake of the country, Anne of Austria, the Queen and mother of Philippe, chooses to help her son, but as her power begins to decline she sacrifices Philippe for her political stability. In Hamlet and The Man in the Iron Mask loyalty is portrayed different ly. Both stories show that being loyal exacts a risque price.The death of all those who are loyal in these stories is an example of the graduate(prenominal) price that must be paid. In Hamlet, loyalty is continuous throughout the play, but in The Man in the Iron Mask, there is no loyalty when power begins to corrupt the characters. Therefore, all these examples show that the portrayals of the themes of loyalty in Hamlet and The Man in the Iron Mask are very different. In Hamlet, the truth is found through the loyal bonds of Horatio as he tells the story of the death of the true king. In The Man in the Iron Mask the truth of Philippe is revealed to the kingdom through the courageous acts of the three musketeers.