William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Rasa interpretation

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Rasa interpretation

Introduction

The present topic reports a critical study that aims at analyzing Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the Rasa theory. The Rasa theory propounded by Bharatmuni in his compendium Natyasastra states that “Vibhavanubhava Vyabhicaribhava Samyogad Rasanispattih:” i.e. Rasa is accomplished by the conjunction of Vibhava (determinants or the objective condition), Anubhava (physical gestures) and Vyabhicaribhava (transitory mental states) and essentially deals with various kinds of emotions and directly communicated to the mind of readers or Saharadaya through the work of art. The Sthayi Bhava or the permanent emotions such as Rati (love), Hasya (laughter), Soka (sorrow), Krodh (anger), Utsaha (heroism), Bhaya (fear), Jugupsa (disgust) and Vismaya (wonder) evokes the eight Rasa are  Srngara, Hasya, Karun, Raudra, Vira, Bhayanak, Bibhtasa and Adbhuta respectively. Later Abhinavagupta added the ninth Rasa Santa with Sama (serenity) as its Sthayi Bhava.

Keywords: Bharatmuni, Emotions, Hamlet, Rasa theory, Shakespeare.

Shakespeare has universal appeal and their characters are not of one age and country but of all ages and countries. Shakespeare is more popular on account of his tragedies like Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth are few to name them. The Hamlet is primarily the tragedy of Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark. As tragedy invokes the feelings of pity, naturally it comes under the category of Karun Rasa. According to Bharatmuni Karun Rasa arises from the permanent mood of sorrow, and this sorrow results from curse, calamity, separation from relatives, loss of property, murder, defeat, disease and ill-luck. At the backdrop of this, an attempt is made in this report to study Karun Rasa is in center or not?

Critical Observation:

Sengupta considers the emotion of aversion as the primary one, I differ from him that this emotion is not aversion, but courage.  

Act 1

The opening scene of the play arouses a feeling of wonder (Adbhuta Rasa) and then strikes fear (Bhayanaka Rasa) in the audience at the mention of the apparition:

Marcellus: […]Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us.

     Therefore I have entreated him along

                 With us to watch the minutes of this night,

That if again this apparition come (25-28)  

        The feelings of fear and wonder are intensified at the appearance of the Ghost:    

Horatio: Most like. It harrows me with fear and wonder.  (44)

Running parallel to wonder, there is a trace of Vira Rasa at the sight of the Ghost, which had   appeared in the form of the deceased king, in all his knightly armor:

Marcellus: Is it not like the King?

Horatio: Such was the very armour he had on

  When he th’ ambitious Norway combated;

  So frowned he once when, in an angry parley

                          He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice.

                          ’Tis strange. (58-64)

    In scene ii, reveals Hamlet’s instinctive distrust towards Claudius and his utter disgust

the Sthayi Bhava of Bibhatasa Rasa for the queen for her hasty marriage with her brother-in law, a union he calls “incest”. The intensity of his disgust is artfully exhibited throughout the scene as in the following lines:

Hamlet: […] frailty, thy name is woman—

A little month, or ere those shoes were old

With which she followed my poor father’s body

Like Niobe, all tears, why she, even she—

O God, a beast    that wants discourse of reason

Would have mourned longer! -married with my uncle,

My father’s brother, but no more like my father

Than I to Hercules- within a month,

Ere yet the salt    of most unrighteous tears  

Had left the flushing of her galled eyes,

She married. O most wicked speed, to post

With such dexterity to incestuous sheets. (146-157)

In scene III both Polonius and Laertes try to give some sound advice to Ophelia warning her not to succumb to Hamlet’s advancements and proclamations of love. This scene reflects a transitory feeling of suspicion (Vybhicaribhava) regarding Hamlet’s fidelity as a lover. The feeling of doubt is an associate of the emotion of love the Sthayi Bhava of Srngara Rasa.

Scene IV again evokes the emotion of Utsaha the Sthayi Bhava of Vir Rasa at the reentry of the Ghost. There is a strong feeling of suspicion as to the real identity and intention of the Ghost:

Hamlet: Why, what should be the fear?

      I do not set my life at a pin’s fee,

              And for my soul what can it do to that,

      Being a thing immortal as itself?

      It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it. (64-68)

    In scene V again evokes the Sthayi Bhava of Vir Rasa in the mind of Saharadaya through the discussion between Ghost and Hamlet.

    Hamlet: Speak, I am bound to hear.

     Ghost: I am thy father’s spirit. […] Revenge his foul, as in the best it is,

                 But this most foul strange and unnatural.

                […], the serpent that did sting thy father’s life

                       Now wears his crown.

Hamlet: My uncle?

                        […], Nay but swear’t .

                        Upon my sword.

                Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

    Ghost: Swear.

Hamlet: Rest, rest, perturbed spirit. So gentlemen,

                 With all my love I do commend me to you,

                 And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

                May do t’express his love and friending to you,

        God willing shall not lack. Let us go in together,

        And still your fingers on your lips I pray.-

        The time is out of joint: o cursed spite,

        That ever I was born to set it right.-

        Nay come, let’s go together.

Act II

In the first scene of the second act, we are confronted with the emotion of sorrow  or Soka Sthayi Bhava  of Karun Rasa expressed by Hamlet and interpreted by Polonius as “the ecstasy of love” (104) and the second scene introduces an element of humour and brings out Hasya Rasa in the audience. The Uddipana Bhava of this Hasya is Polonius’ buffoonery, which is convinced of Hamlet’s love-sickness and vehemently believes that to be the cause of his madness. In further lines Hamlet’s Jugupsa leads to Bibhatsa Rasa in the mind of Saharadaya. The Vybhicaribhava of dejection and world-weariness expressed by Hamlet. His disgust comes to the surface at his referral to the king and queen as his “uncle-father” and “aunt-mother” (358). However Karun, Bibhatasa and Hasya Rasa is only a minor Rasa the dominant Rasa is Raudra Rasa.

Act III

    In the first scene of the third act the king and queen discuss the cause of Hamlet’s lunacy with Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius. Claudius views Hamlet’s madness with suspicion. The king’s suspicion stems from his guilt that builds up a sense of insecurity from the fear the (Sthayi Bhava of Bhayanak Rasa) of his crime being found out.

Next we come to those famous lines in the play:

Hamlet:  To be, or not to be; that is the question-

Whether’ tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And, by opposing end them. To die, to sleep- (56-60)

Hamlet’s mental confusion and sorrow evokes Karun Rasa in the audience. For Claudius, this is a clear signal of a forthcoming danger. A guilty man, constantly aware of the crime he has committed and he plans to dispatch Hamlet off to England. So, in this scene, we notice the transitory feelings of suspicion and dejection. There is the major emotion of fear, which becomes overpowered and hence doesn’t rise to the status of the main Rasa. Hamlet, the character has become dominated by sorrow and as a whole produces Karuna Rasa in the audience.

In scene II the play is staged before the royal couple and other courtiers. Before the play begins, Hamlet gives instructions to Horatio to observe Claudius’ reaction to the murder scene. Behind Hamlet’s apparent inaction and confusion lies a rational thinking mind. He wants to set a trap for Claudius to test his guilt. He doesn’t take the Ghost’s words to be true without evidence. And he couldn’t kill anyone without proper justification. Once Claudius’ guilt is out in the open, Hamlet wouldn’t hesitate to slay him and avenge his father’s death. This is a truly heroic trait in his character which evokes Vira Rasa in the mind of spectators and readers.

    In the third scene, the king plans to send away Hamlet immediately to England, becoming aware that his dangerous secret is out. He asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany Hamlet in this “speedy voyage.” Claudius acts purely out of fear from Hamlet’s wrath. His fear has turned into panic when he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern:

Claudius: Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage

For we will fetters put upon this fear

Which now goes too free-footed. (24-26)

When the king kneels in prayer, Hamlet enters and finds a golden opportunity to slay him. But his over analytical mind steps in between. He doesn’t believe his father’s death will be avenged if he kills his murderer at prayer, for to take a man in the purging of his soul would only send him to heaven. By slaying Claudius now, he would undoubtedly follow the Ghost’s command but its purpose would be lost. Hamlet plays like Dhirlalit and Dhirodatt types of the hero which are explained by Bharatmuni.

    In scene IV of this act Polonius is slain by Hamlet. The purpose of killing Polonius is however, not clear. It could be that he mistakes Polonius for the king and slays him. Or it could be that Hamlet considers Polonius to be a prying nuisance and a danger to his motives and takes the opportunity to do away with him.  After getting rid of Polonius, Hamlet proceeds to stimulate his mother’s conscience, to make her realize her gross mistake in forgetting her first husband and remarrying so hastily. In a rhapsody of words he praises his father and condemns the evil Claudius. It is his aim to prick his mother’s conscience and make her see her own folly. Despite his contempt for Gertrude, he doesn’t see her beyond atonement. He wants his mother to be cleared of all sins. In true repentance would her sin be atoned which is Hamlet’s goal at the moment. Hamlet succeeds in his efforts when Gertrude begins to see her folly.

Hamlet: […], Confess yourself to heaven,

Repent what’s past, avoid what is to come,

And do not spread the compost o’er the weeds

To make them ranker.

Gertrude: O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain! (140-147)

In justly turning away Gertrude from Claudius, Hamlet secures his first triumph over the murderer. Also in killing Polonius, he removes one thorn from his path. This success of the hero generates Vir Rasa in this scene.

Act IV

In the first scene after the Polonius’ death it is now the king’s turn to be shocked. Completely aware now of Hamlet’s wrath, he realizes he might well have been the victim instead of Polonius. The transient feeling arising out of his fear is deception when he talks of his love for Hamlet. This is deception at its worst as in reality he is designing the murder of Hamlet, whom he considers his arch enemy at the moment. Losing no time he plans to ship off Hamlet the very next morning along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Shaken to the roots, Claudius exclaims that his “soul is full of discord and dismay” (40). The dominant Rasa in this scene is Bhayanaka Rasa intensified by the Vyabhicaribhava of shock and deception.

    In this scene the king reveals his wicked designs of getting Hamlet executed in England. He is shrewd enough to realize that killing or imprisoning Hamlet in Denmark would only bring about his own downfall. This action of an evildoer, who doesn’t recoil from committing one crime after the other, which evokes Raudra Rasa from the audience.

In the fourth scene Karun Rasa evokes through Hamlet’s pitiable condition. He believes himself to be a coward compared to Fortinbras who can march with pride with his vast army and has no compunction in laying down twenty thousand lives for the sake of a piece of land. In truth it is Hamlet’s higher sensitivity and compassion and his regard for human life that stands in his way. But Hamlet calls this conflict within his heart and mind as cowardice. His dejection is the source of Karun Rasa in the audience.

The fifth scene of this act is a prolific exhibition of Ophelia’s anguish in the form of madness. Plunged in sorrow at Hamlet’s rejection of her and her father’s sudden death, she has gone mad. Her songs are clearly expressive of her longing for Hamlet Vipralambh Srngara and her grief at her father’s death. Ophelia’s mournful distraction fills the heart with pity and fear and evokes Karun Rasa.

Laertes brings in the emotion of anger the Sthayi Bhava of Raudra Rasa. Believing Claudius to be the cause of his father’s death, he bravely confronts him swearing for vengeance. Seething with rage he challenges Claudius with the following words:

Laertes:  How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with.

To hell allegiance! Vows to the blackest devil,

Conscience and grace to the profoundest pit!

I dare damnation. To this point I stand,

That both the worlds I give to negligence,

Let come what comes. Only I’ll be revenged

Most thoroughly for my father. (130-136)

Laertes’ uncontrolled rage and fearless challenge are also signs of bravery. Here, Raudra Rasa shifts to Vir Rasa.

In scene VI, the sailors deliver Hamlet’s letter to Horatio, where he expresses his

wish to meet him as soon as possible.

In scene VII, Claudius is back in his own element, cunning and tricky, contriving Hamlet’s death at the hands of Laertes. Very tactfully, he tries to instigate Laertes against Hamlet, goading his conscience towards performing his filial duty of avenging his father’s death:

Claudius:  Laertes, was your father dear to you?

   Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,

   A face without a heart?  

Leartes: Why ask you this?

    Claudius: […], Hamlet comes back; what would you undertake

   To show yourself in deed your father’s son in deed

   More than in words?

Leartes: To cut his throat i’th’church. (106-125)

Claudius’ wickedness evokes Raudra Rasa in the audience. This Raudra Rasa is interrupted by sorrow or Karun Rasa at the news of Ophelia’s death. Her death while deepening Laertes’ grief, gives the wind to the fire, intensifying his Krodh the Sthayi Bhava of Raudra Rasa.

Act V

In the first scene, Ophelia’s death emerges Karun Rasa. A funeral scene particularly that of the innocent Ophelia, naturally culminates in Karun Rasa. Laertes attacks Hamlet believing him to be the cause of his sister and father’s death. So the emotion of Soka shifts to the emotion of Raudra Rasa.

The second scene introduces more intrigue into the play. Hamlet, constantly suspicious of Claudius’ motives accidentally discovers the latter’s evil designs of doing away with him. Very cleverly, Hamlet foils his plans and sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to the gallows instead. Hamlet, thoroughly fed up with their smooth talk feels they deserve no better end.

Any friend of the king, who is now Hamlet’s sworn enemy, becomes an enemy too. From this viewpoint Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who are Claudius’ friends are Hamlet’s enemies and have been disposed off one after the other. It is unfortunate that Polonius happened to be the father of his beloved, but his constant interference and contriving had made him a formidable enemy. So he had to die. Gradually removing from his path, one thorn after the other, Hamlet seeks to reach his ultimate enemy, his final target.

Hamlet: Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon-

    He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother,

    Popped in between th’election  and my hopes,

    Thrown out his angel for my proper life,

    And with such cozenage- is’t not perfect conscience

    To quit him with this arm? And it’s not to be damned

    To let this canker of our nature come

    In further evil? (63-70)

The final scene of the play is a heroic one the Sthayi Bhava of Vir Rasa. Hamlet clearly displays his bravery in this scene. Not enraged by Laertes’ violent attack on him in the cemetery, Hamlet acknowledges the injustice he has done to Laertes and fully understands the furor in his mind:

Hamlet: It will be short. The intrim’s mine,

    And a man’s life’s no more than to say ‘one’.

But I am very sorry, good Horatio,

That to Laertes I forgot myself,

For by the image of my cause, I see

The portraiture of his. I’ll court his favours.

But sure, the bravery of his grief did put me

Into a towering passion. (73-79)

Without any hesitation, Hamlet accepts Laertes’ challenge for a duel, in spite of being aware of the latter’s ingenuity in sword fighting. Throughout the combat Hamlet shows his skill and courage. He commits his final act of heroism in slaying the king, fulfilling the task of the Ghost and his duty towards his father.

Karun Rasa is obviously generated at the death of the hero. The play ends with a final homage to Hamlet’s nobleness and bravery complementing the atmosphere of Viratva or Virgati.

    Fortinbras: Let four captains

Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage,

For he was likely, had he been put on,

To have proved most royally; and for this passage,

The soldiers’ music and the rites of war Speak loudly for him.

Take up the bodies. Such a sight as this

Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss.

Go bid the soldier shoot. (374-382)

Exeunt marching, after the which a peal of ordnance are shot off

At the end of the play after the death of Hamlet, he gets the salute of guns. It is the sign for the heroic or noble person’s death which generates Vir Rasa rather than Karun.

Conclusion:

According to the Sanskrit canon a play must have a single dominant emotion which is important for the unity of impression although it may have a number of transitory ones. Hamlet is filled with a string of emotions such as Vismaya, Jugupsa, Srngara, Karun and Vir but it is Sthayi Bhava of Vir Rasa that reigns throughout the play.