Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Hamlet (Legendary character); Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Hamlet; Treece, Henry, 1911-1966 Green Man; O'Brien, Hichael, 1965- Mad Boy; Thomas, Ambroise, 1811-1896 Hamlet;

Abstract

The "hero-as-fool" structure-model for the Hamlet-story proposed by William F. Hansen is modified into an "Amlethan" structure-model with five major elements: ( 1) the Usurpation; (2) the First Test (of the Maiden); (3) the Second Test (of the Mother); (4) the Third Test (of the Journey); and (5) the Revenge. The first and last elements emphasize the "avenging son" aspect of the story whereas the middle three elements emphasize the "hero-as-fool" aspect. The Amlethan structure-model is then re-applied to the two "essential" texts in the tradition, Saxo Grammaticus' narrative of Amleth (c. 1200) and William Shakespeare's play Hamlet (c. 1600). Several contrasting themes within the tradition (truth/seeming, moderation/excess, Christian/pagan) are explored, as is the recurring use of sea and growth-cycle imagery and the effects that these themes and imagery have on characterization. After brief introductions to several Hamlet-texts as they occur in narrative, dramatic, and lyric modes, the Amlethan structure-model and theme-analysis is applied more fully to three Hamlet-texts: Henry Treece's 1966 novel The Green Man; Michael O'Brien's 1995 play Mad Boy Chronicle; and Ambroise Thomas' 1868 opera Hamlet.

Year of Submission

2000

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Theatre

First Advisor

N. Harold Kaylor

Comments

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Date Original

2000

Object Description

1 PDF file (136 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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