Henry James' The Turn of the Screw and Shakespeare's Hamlet. Comparison and Contrast - Essay Example

Similar Themes Serving Different Purposes: A Comparison and Contrast of Two Great Stories Introduction Two stories, Henry James' “The Turn of the Screw” and Shakespeare's “Hamlet” both deal with the themes of the supernatural and madness. However, these themes are given different treatments in each of these stories. While the themes of the supernatural and madness have negative effects for the characters of novel, they have positive effects for the characters of the play. This paper aims to prove the existence of these themes in both texts, and how the differences in their treatment affect the overall plot and moral of both stories. The Supernatural The supernatural theme is one of the guiding forces in these literary pieces. The difference lies in what these ghosts do in the stories. In “The Turn of the Screw,” the ghosts do not do anything tangible and seem to be existing only in the governess' mind. In fact, the governess, in one of her conversations with Mrs. Grose about the ghost, says excitedly, “I know, I know, I know” when Mrs. Grose asks her “But how do you know?” (James 25). Mrs. Grose's reaction is one of astonishment and anticipation, but not of belief. This is consistent throughout the novel. Also, the ghosts' identity are presented according to how the governess sees them. She is the only one who actually admits to encountering the ghosts, so it is impossible to really declare the veracity of their existence. This presents readers with the dilemma of distinguishing the governess' state of mind --- she could either be in desperate desire to protect the children, or she might merely be hallucinating. During Mrs. Grose and the governess' first conversation about the ghost, it is apparent that the former, despite acting in astonishment to the latter's tale, does not speak of having encountered the ghost in the house (James 21-26). Also, when the narrator starts to read according to the governess' personal notes, the narrative is filled with subjective statements such as “I remember,” “I recollect,” “I recognized,” and “I reflected” (James 7-9). This provides the possibility of reading the governess as either insane (antagonist) or overprotective (protagonist), and the children as either victims (protagonists) or just plain evil (antagonists). With these two opposing reading of the characters, the plot can then be looked at as a story where either the governess is the victim of the children's actions, or the children are the victims of the governess' mentality. It is worth remembering that during the 19th century, faith in the traditional teachings of Christianity is on the decline (Smith and Haas 26). The supernatural theme in the story could be a reflection of how people, during the Victorian period, try to seek for ways to accept and understand death (Smith and Haas 29). On the contrary, in “Hamlet,” the ghost instructs Hamlet to avenge his death --- a solid action. It is true that Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and widow of the former king, does not see the ghost in the closet scene, so it can be argued that the ghost is merely a product of Hamlet's imagination. However, Bernardo, Marcellus and Horatio witness the appearance of the ghost even before Hamlet does. Horatio, the level-headed friend of Hamlet, even says “At least the whisper goes so: our last king, / Whose image even but now appear'd to us (Shakespeare I.1.80-1). The ghost is Hamlet's father, the former King of Denmark. It can be said that Shakespeare maximizes the “power and magic” of the supernatural, where the ghost can choose who sees it. This creates the assurance that Gertrude is free from guilt regarding her ex-husband's murder, and leaves the audience with the question about the nature of Claudius and Gertrude's relationship. Letting Gertrude see the ghost alters the plot in some ways and turns her from protagonist to antagonist. Also, it would render her purposeless in assuring the rest of the characters that Hamlet is indeed insane (Knights and Knights 47). The difference of the supernatural theme in this play from that of James' novel is that in “Hamlet,” the ghost literally instructs Hamlet to plot a revenge against Claudius (former King's brother and now crowned King of Denmark) and Gertrude. The ghost's existence in the story reveals who the protagonists and antagonists are. For example, the current King dislikes the play that seems to talk about his guilt in murdering his brother. Claudius is shown to arise and walk away from the talk about the play (Shakespeare, III.2.250-4). The following scenes show Claudius plotting Hamlet's death upon reaching England. It is therefore the ghost that directs the general action and contributes to the tragic nature of the story. In a way, the supernatural theme here portrays how all things on earth can be influenced by spiritual entities (Knights and Knights 37). In particular, “Hamlet” shows how an ultimate power controls the world, and how this power can deliver divine justice that transcends death --- a concept that is parallel to the contemporary superstitions and Christian beliefs (Knights and Knights 58) during that era. Madness If one would look at “The Turn of the Screw” as a story of madness, the presence of the ghosts would definitely appear to be existent only in the governess' head and because of her fears. One of her obvious fears is the corruption of the children's innocence during the story's setting in the repressive Victorian era. This madness is perceived in her irrationalities and over-analysis regarding the ghosts' intentions to corrupt her ward. In one scene, the governess says “Little Miles! That's what he wants!” (James 25). On a deeper note however, it can be said that judging the governess as the only “mad” character in the novel is restrictive. The real madness here are the sexual ideals of the Victorian society that is strictly under repressive hierarchical framework. The real madness here is the constant fear of possible corruption that is felt throughout the story. This highlights the concept that innocent minds growing up in a repressive society can be damaging especially if these innocent people are exposed to corruption no matter how subtle. On the other hand, madness in “Hamlet” is something that is “used” by the characters to act out on their plans in disguise. For example, Hamlet is seen feigning insanity to avoid having Claudius suspect him of plotting a revenge. This is evident in the way Ophelia describes him: “Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd... / To speak of horrors --- he comes before me” (Shakespeare II.1.75-81). One can assuredly say that he is merely feigning madness because upon seeing the ghost of the former king, Hamlet seems to be in full control of his logic. He says then “Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd, / Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, / Be thy intents wicked, or charitable” (Shakespeare I.4.40-2). However, it is interesting to note that this madness distracts Hamlet from his very goal of revenge. After proving Claudius' guilt after staging the play “The Mouse Trap,” Hamlet appears to be disinterested in pursuing his goals and the instructions of the ghost that is his father. Also, Hamlet is not alone in this madness. Ophelia's insanity serves as a protection from Hamlet's advances. The difference, however, is that Ophelia's insanity sheds her of self-awareness and poise, while Hamlet's serves to increase his self-knowledge (Knights and Knights 51). Conclusion At first glance, both make the readers torn between believing it is all about either the supernatural or madness. Furthermore, both can only be taken as either a story circling around the theme of ghosts, or a story circling around the theme of insanity. The differences , however, are big. First, “The Turn of the Screw” is actually about madness, while “Hamlet” is about the supernatural. While the novel uses the idea of ghosts to cover up the obvious insanity of the character/s, the play uses the theme of insanity to cover up the impending tragedy in the story. Works Cited James, Henry. Turn of the Screw. S.l.: General Books, 2010. Print. Knights, L C, and L C. Knights. Some Shakespearean Themes: And an Approach to 'hamlet'. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1988. Print. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. New York: Puffin Books, 2011. Print. Smith, Elton E, and Robert Haas. The Haunted Mind: The Supernatural in Victorian Literature. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 1999. Print. Read More