The major tragedies

Author's name: William Shakespeare Publisher: Arab Foundation for Studies and Publishing Year of publication: 2000 Literary classification: Dramatic literature Book overview: "Hamlet," "Othello," "King Lear," and "Macbeth" are names embodied at the moment of their birth of the great tragedies in Shakespeare, but they left their time and even their place, wandering in critical and theatrical works in the world of global literature. These names were planted by Shakespeare in the fertile soil of his theatrical works to sprout ideas, studies, and theatrical works whose success echoes in the corridors of cinematic halls and on the stages of international theaters. These four theatrical works of Shakespeare come together in this book, expressed and shining with studies by Jabra Ibrahim Jabra. These are insights into each of these plays. First, let us consider the play "Hamlet": the character, which is one of the most famous characters since it was first seen more than three and a half centuries ago, on a stage in London, is not a noble character but a character created by the imagination of a poet, embodied in the imagination of civilization more than any man who lived and made history. This is the character of Hamlet, a character that cannot be exhausted no matter how much contemplators contemplate it, and remains alive, tempting contemplation, as if "Elsinore," the castle where Hamlet's tragedy took place, gathered symbols of an entire civilization— a civilization that magnifies thought and questioning, feels the beauty of the world and the beauty of man, but also feels the "poisonous fumes" that invade life, and the terrible mysteries surrounding man. It is no wonder that the play "Hamlet" is the most loved play in the history of literature and acting. It is Shakespeare's most polished tragedy, the most complete in form, and the most diverse and abundant. It seemingly relies on a simple, clear idea: will Hamlet avenge his father? But it begins in the darkness of midnight and moves through the darkness of the soul and mind, revealing to us innocent love that ends in madness and division, and corrupt love that makes its way through murder and treachery to power and then downfall with blood, and a youth of profound beauty and thought dragging steps toward the final tragedy, where in the revenge of the avenger, his death and the death of others occur. These are only the appearances of the play. It is movement flowing over a tide of symbols and meanings, and its secret always lies in these symbols and meanings. Regarding the play "Othello," it can be said without doubt that "Othello" is the tragedy Shakespeare wrote after finishing "Hamlet," and there are obvious indications pointing to this conclusion, supported by the similarity in style, diction, and structure between the two plays, as well as the echoes of phrases in "Othello" that appeared in "Hamlet." Furthermore, there is a certain resemblance between the two themes. There is no doubt that the protagonists of the two plays differ greatly from each other, so much so that each could, with ease, resolve the issue that led to the other's death, but both suffer the shock of terrible disappointment. What is the distinctive feature of "Othello"? What impression does it leave on us? The answer is that "Othello," without all of Shakespeare's tragedies including even "King Lear," is the most provoking of pain and horror. From the moment the hero's experience begins, the reader's heart and mind are drawn into a tight grip, suffering the utmost compassion and fear, the utmost violence and hatred, along with pure hope and terrible expectation. As for the play "King Lear," there was no disagreement about its greatness, as some considered it the greatest of Shakespeare's works, while others, like Tolstoy, accused it of triviality and foolishness. Whatever is said, Shakespeare's fingerprints in the masterpiece "King Lear" remain clear, expressive of his contemporary signs, and this is his amazing secret. It means that it has a renewed significance with each new concern that arises. If the twentieth century was one of the most intense periods in history regarding political issues and the most searching for political implications in artistic creativity, then Shakespeare's revival in it is evidence of its contemporary political meanings. In "King Lear," power becomes grand and the universe expands before the individual. But the individual is the ultimate test of all meaning. Fate, politically or historically, is the fate of man, the fate of all humanity, and the play "King Lear" discusses this fate. Initially, there was a file with a court and ministers; afterward, there are only four wandering beggars in the wilderness, buffeted by angry winds and pouring rains. The fall can be slow or sudden: King Lear first had a hundred men in his entourage, then fifty, then only one. And "You" is dismissed by the king with a scornful wave of his hand. However, the process of humiliation is always the same: all that distinguishes a person—title, social status, or even name—disappears. Names are no longer needed. Everyone has become a shadow of himself, a human being no more. As for Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, "Macbeth," it is said to represent the deepest vision of evil and the most mature at Shakespeare. The entire play can be summarized as a struggle between destruction and creation, victory over evil, and it is also a picture of a particular battle in a universal war. The battlefield, in Macbeth and his wife, is their spirit. From another perspective, it can be said that the play revolves around the idea of the curse that befalls its hero. To present a convincing image of language and its counterparts, Shakespeare had to describe and create the good that Macbeth sacrificed, and therefore no other could present evil with such force, nor is there another play that represents the opposite good with such conviction.