Shakespeare's Villians

QueenSusanofNarnia

QueenSusanofNarnia

New member
So, there's a thread for general Shakespearian shinanigans, but how about those amazing villians? I decided to make this thread for (civil) debates about his characters like Hamlet, the Macbeths, etc.

I've always wondered about what people think of Hamlet. Is he a villian? Or just a tragic soul, and his uncle the real villian? And what about Gertrude? Did she know all about Claudius' plans and play along, knowing it would ultimately lead to her demise?

Sooo...debate away, my pets. :)
 
I always understood Hamlet's uncle to be guilty as charged, so that Hamlet was not a villain for seeking to bring him down. On the other hand, his treatment of Ophelia does probably qualify him as an anti-hero.
 
i like copperfox' response, and personally i think hamlet is a tragic soul

queensusanofnarnia, you mentioned macbeth, and i love the witches even though they are fiesty trouble makers... what do you think about them? :)
 
Yes, I agree about Hamlet - his treatment of Ophelia is unjust and is obviously what leads to her death.
The witches are interesting, though. I think that, for one, they aren't excactly...bad, really, you know? They don't kill anyone. But they're confusing.
 
They personify the self-fulfilling prophecy. If they hadn't told MacBeth he would become King of Scotland, he would never have become so ambitious as to listen to his wife's evil suggestion.
 
I only really know Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of Venice, and Much Ado of all the Shakespeare plays. Of the ones I know, definitely Shylock is the worst villian. His wanting a pound of flesh was gross and creepy. I loved the way that the two girls (posing as judges) handled it.
 
~Lava~ said:
Of the ones I know, definitely Shylock is the worst villian. His wanting a pound of flesh was gross and creepy. I loved the way that the two girls (posing as judges) handled it.
Click to expand...

I completely agree! I just finished the book last night and it was actually quite good, but Shylock was freaky! But yes, the way Portia and Nerissa handled the situation was quite great.

~Sfz
 
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