Hamlet by Shakespeare
When I read Hamlet or when it was taught to us, I was not moved by any overwhelming feeling. But when I watched the celluloid version (Hamlet played by Lawrence Olivier) I was overwhelmed by the ringing resonance of Shakespeare’s diction and by the powerful presence of a noble human being fitted into a most uncharacteristic scheme of things. Since then I have tried to keep alive in my memory some of the memorable lines of the play and Shakespeare’s momentous tragedy has been an unfading presence. The emotion of awe and terror which starts rhetorically with the lines “Who’s there? Nay Stop answer me” and ends with the beautiful requiem of Fortinbras to Prince Hamlet “Let flight of angels sing thee to thy Heaven. Good Bye sweet prince” takes hold of the audience in the true spirit of tragedy. In between, the tragedy is a stellar document of the most fascinating poetry ever written in any language!
Don Quixote by Cervantes
The novel portrays the daring and adventurous escapades of El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote De La Mancha who would not rest until justice was served and truth rewarded and the weak protected. The novel portrays an old sentimental Don Quixote fighting his imaginary duels, running into comical, amorous interludes, declaring his passion for a certain lady and philosophizing with SanchoPanza. The novel evokes sorrowful humor; some kind of tragicomic tears. But the striking reality of an old man, full of old world ideals and chivalrous notions, far removed from contemporaneity evokes soulful compassion for a receding old world.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite novels. The novel is about a small town family in mid eighteenth century England; the family of Mr. Bennett. It has two very interesting characters; Mr. Darcy and Ms Elizabeth Bennett. Mr. Darcy cannot come out of his shell of self restraint and silence, and Elizabeth shall not revise her opinion about a proud and overbearing Darcy. The novel is about the very important pastime, of the ladies of the age: matchmaking. It is about love and innocence, pride of bearing, wickedness and foppishness.
Jane Austen’s portrayal of her characters is refreshingly real. She has absolute control over her characters and her words, and crafts a delightfully humorous novel, whose irony is suave and fine. The novel ends on a happy note and each of the characters has learnt a new lesson about how to bear themselves in the world. But did Jane Austen intend that? I would say no. The novelist’s concern is the structure of the novel and its effect of wonder, irony and elation which leave the reader in a state of puzzled satisfaction and hearty amusement in the end.
Tess of D’urbervilles
Tess of D’Urbervilles by Hardy deserves a very special mention. There is no novel which can equal Tess of D’Urbervilles for its representation of pure tragedy. The novel is the story of Tess, a simple village girl who is extraordinarily beautiful, perceptive and refined. She is endowed with more intelligence and awareness than her kin folk which proves to be her undoing.
The novel ends with the sentence “The President of the Immortals has finally ended his game with Tess. “ The tragedy of Tess evokes in us, a feeling of sheer frustration, shock, despair and agony. Tess’s struggle against a combination of factors, a hostile atmosphere and a malevolent will leave her enfeebled. The greatest courage that she can muster is inadequate in the face of a superior, whimsical destiny. It shocks us to see that many important incidents in life may perhaps be shaped by sheer chance.