LITERATURE
PROSE
1. Hamlet & Macbeth – William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He lived in the 16th century (26 April
1564 – 23 April 1616). He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire, England). When he was 18,
he married Anne Hathaway. They had three children together (Susanna, Hamnet and Judith). Between
1585 and 1592, he began a career in London and joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (or ‘King’s men’), a
playing company. He died in Stratford, at the age of 49. Little is known about his personal life. He wrote
around 39 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems and some other verses. Some of his most famous
works are ‘Hamlet’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Othello’, ‘King Laer’, and ‘Macbeth’. For some of his works,
people are unsure whether Shakespeare wrote them himself or not. However, he is regarded as the
greatest writer in the English language, as well as the greatest dramatist. He is also known as ‘England’s
national poet’ and ‘the Bard of Avon’/’the Bard’. His work has been translated into every major language
and is studied by students all over the world.
1.1. Hamlet
Summary Hamlet:
Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, had to go home to Denmark to attend his father’s funeral. When
he arrives, he finds out that his mother Gertrude is already remarried, to Hamlet’s uncle
Claudius. Hamlet is furious, and even more so when he finds out that Claudius had himself
crowned King, despite than Hamlet was his father’s heir to the throne. One night, the ghost of
Hamlet’s father visits the castle. Hamlet suspected that there was foul play, and now he is
certain. The ghost of his father says that he cannot find rest, because he was murdered. The
ghost tells his son to avenge his murder, by killing the new king Claudius. Hamlet tries to
avenge the murder of his father, and Claudius, in turn, devises plots to kill Hamlet. The play
ends with a duel. Hamlet’s uncle, Hamlet and the Queen are all killed.
Summary fragment:
A ghost appears in the castle. Hamlet is confused and urges the ghost to speak. The ghost says
that Hamlet has to listen carefully to what he has to tell him, but that he must be ready for
revenge. The ghost explains that he is the ghost of his father, The King of Denmark. He is
doomed to walk the earth at night until he has done penance for his sins. The ghost tells
Hamlet that he needs to take revenge for the horrible murder of his father. When the King
died, they told everyone that he was bitten by a poisonous snake, but that was a lie. The ‘real
snake’ (who murdered him by pouring a vial of henbane poison into his ear) is now the King,
Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius. After the King was murdered, he married his wife and crowned
himself king. The king had no time to repent his sins, so Hamlet must do this now. However,
he is not allowed to harm his mother. The ghost exits with “Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember
me.”.
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,Notes:
• Hamlets father appears as a ghost, was killed by his brother. Brother wanted to become
king. He wants to be avenged.
• soliloquy: speech shared by one character that no one else (character) can hear
→ watch clips
Characters:
Hamlet • Prince of Denmark
• protagonist
• 30 years old
• son of Queen Gertrude and late King Hamlet
• nephew of present King Claudius
• indecisive and hesitant, impulsive
Claudius • King of Denmark
• Hamlet’s uncle
• villain
• calculating and ambitious
• married to Gertrude
Gertrude • Queen of Denmark
• Hamlet’s mother
• shallow and weak
The Ghost • Hamlet’s murdered father (Hamlet, King of Denmark)
• calls upon Hamlet to avenge his murder
1.2. Macbeth
Summary Macbeth:
Macbeth is the thane (head of a clan) of Glamis. He is related to the king of Scotland (Duncan), to who
he has been faithful. After he returns from a battle, he comes across three witches. They bring a
prophecy and tell him that he will become the thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Since that,
they, Macbeth and his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, become obsessed with power. They desperately
want Macbeth to become king, so they decide that they need to kill the current king (Duncan) and his
two sons (Malcolm and Donalbain), the next time they visit them at their castle. Macbeth kills the current
king and becomes the new King of Scotland. Out of paranoia, Macbeth kills more people. Civil war breaks
out to overthrow Macbeth, which results in even more people dying. At the end of the play, Macbeth’s
head is brought to Malcolm, as proof that Macbeth has been overthrown. They also mention that Lady
Macbeth has committed suicide. Malcolm, Duncan’s son, is now the king of Scotland.
Summary fragment:
Macbeth has a vision of a dagger in the air. He is on his way to kill Duncan, the king of Scotland, so he can
become the king himself. He talks to the dagger, and the more he talks, the more his courage decreases.
Then, a bell rings. Macbeth says to himself that the bell is telling him that it is time to kill Duncan. He even
says that he shouldn’t listen to the bell because that moment will decide whether he will end up in
heaven or hell. Macbeth exits the stage and Lady Macbeth enters. Lady Macbeth hears an owl shrieking,
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,and compares it to a “good night” sound, just like bells sound when they ring before people are executed.
That could only mean that Macbeth was killing Macbeth. Duncan’s servants are sleeping, instead of
protecting their king. Lady Macbeth has drugged their drinks. When the servants wake up, Lady Macbeth
worries that Macbeth failed to kill Duncan. Then, Macbeth enters with a bloody dagger. He has killed
Duncan. At first, Macbeth regrets what he has done. Lady Macbeth calls him a coward. They are both
responsible for the murder, Lady Macbeth says that some water will wash away all the evidence of their
guilt. Macbeth very clearly feels guilty, the fragment ends with his words: “Wake Duncan with thy
knocking. I would thou couldst.”
Notes:
• starts with the prophecy of 3 witches → Macbeth kills king
o he will become king → becomes eager for power
o driven by Lady Macbeth
• influence of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth was hesitant to kill
Characters:
Macbeth • Scottish general and thane of Glamis
• prophecy of the three witches (thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland)
• brave, powerful, no virtuous
• easily tempted into murder
• responds to every problem with violence and murder
Lady Macbeth • very ambitious, lust for power and position
• stronger and more ruthless than Macbeth
• commits suicide
The three witches • spells, charms and prophecies
• prompt Macbeth to murder Duncan
• servants of Hecate
King Duncan • King of Scotland
• murdered by Macbeth
• death: symbol for destruction of an order in Scotland → only solved
when Duncan’s line occupies the throne
Malcolm • son of Duncan
• restoration to the throne
Hecate goddess of witchcraft
Donalbain Duncan’s son, Malcolm's younger brother
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, 2. Boyhood – John Maxwell Coetzee
John Maxwell Coetzee is a South African novelist, essayist, linguist and translator. He was born on 9
February 1940 and is 80 years old today. He moved to Australia in 2020 and became an Australian citizen.
He lives in Adelaide. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003, as well as many other awards
(Booker Prize, CAN prize, Jerusalem Prize, etc.). He is known as “one of the most critically acclaimed and
decorated authors in the English language.” He was born in Cape Town, South Africa to Afrikaner (ethnic
group that descends from Dutch settlers who arrived first in the Cape of Good Hope) parents. His early
childhood in Cape Town and Worcester were the basis for his fictionalised memoir “Boyhood”.
Summary:
Boyhood focuses on J.M. Coetzee’s youth, how he grew up in South Africa.
In chapter 2, we read about a young boy (a fictionalised version of Coetzee) at school. His fellow pupils
all get flogged by the teacher, except him. He describes the canes, and how much he wishes that he
would get beaten as well, to belong to the group. On the other hand, he is scared of the possibility that
he might get beaten, and tries to be an impeccable pupil. There is another boy, Rob Hart, who never cries
when he gets beaten, and the young boy is envious of him. He realises that he is different than everyone
else in school. He does not get beaten by his parents, he is allowed to address adults by their first names,
church is not obligatory and they wear shoes. When he has P.E., they play tennis on their bare feet.
Because the young boy is used to wearing shoes, he gets blisters. His mom keeps him home to recover
from the blisters, and the other boys at school laugh at him when he returns.
In chapter 8, we read about the young boy who is on his way to the circus with his mother. He runs into
a boy of colour and describes him. To him, this boy resembles freedom. He asks himself many questions
surrounding the topic of status and race.
Notes:
subtitle: Scenes from a provincial life
city: metropolitan life VS the country: provincial life
→ provincial:
o less sophisticated, educated
o calm
o community feeling
o less diverse, more homogenous
EXCERPT 1:
motif: beating, caning, flogging (switch)
• protagonist and beating:
o fears it
o is ashamed of that fear
o because it sets him apart from his classmates
• Rob Hart: opposite of protagonist → antagonist
o never cries
o weak vs. strong
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