Annotated Bibliography: Death and Reconciliation in Shakespearean Tragedy

"Good Night, Sweet Prince": Death and Reconciliation in Shakespearean Tragedy

Although each of the deaths of tragic heroes contribute to the natural bleakness and pessimism of tragedy, they also add an element of hope to the end of the play because they provide an opportunity for reconciliation and redemption for the tragic hero as well as other characters within the play.

Foreman, Walter C., Jr. The Music of the Close: The Final Scenes of Shakespeare's Tragedies. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1978. Print.

Foreman goes through the final scenes of Shakespearean tragedies to explore the different forms of character deaths and how for most of them, death is both desirable and an art form that they can use to effect society even after they die. He focuses specifically on Hamlet, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, and King Lear. I'll use this in contrasting the differences between the three plays that I am using and also while talking about characters who use death to achieve their aims.

Hutton, Virgil. "Hamlet's Fear of Death." The University Review 37.1 (1970): 11-19. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Jennifer Gariepy. Vol. 74. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Criticism Online. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CFIVCVB428478382&v=2.1&u=byuprovo&it=r&p=LCO&sw=w>

Hutton discusses Hamlet's soliloquies and shows how his fear of death changes throughout the play from a very Christian acceptance of death at the beginning of the play, to a more logical fear of death and what follows, and finally to a more mature acceptance of death and its consequences by the end of the play. I will use this to show how Hamlet is able to reconcile and prepare himself for death.

Reid, B. L. "The Last Act and the Action of Hamlet." The Yale Review 54.1 (1964): 59-80. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Laurie Lanzen Harris. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1984. Literature 
Criticism Online. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CGQNKRS610713360&v=2.1&u=byuprovo&it=r&p=LCO&sw=w>

Reid goes through Act V of Hamlet and shows how Hamlet comes to be a hero to his society who sacrifices himself in order to rescue his nation from its diseased state. I'll use this in talking about how Hamlet's death benefits other characters within the play and allows them to have hope.

Ribner, Irving. "Othello and the Pattern of Shakespearean Tragedy." TSE: Tulane Studies in English 5 (1955): 69-82. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Mark W. Scott. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1987. Literature Criticism Online. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CEQXLGB483071877&v=2.1&u=byuprovo&it=r&p=LCO&sw=w>

Ribner discusses how Othello is related to medieval plays by explaining how Othello is essentially a good man who sins, but then repents and is redeemed through his suicide. I'll use this in explaining Othello's reasons for killing himself and how his suicide can be seen as hopeful and redemptive.

Stirling, Brents. "Reputation, Reputation, Reputation!" Unity in Shakespearian Tragedy: The Interplay of Theme and Character, 1956. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Mark W. Scott. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1987. Literature Criticism Online. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CKJKDVO171429994&v=2.1&u=byuprovo&it=r&p=LCO&sw=w>

Stirling discusses the theme of reputation in Othello and how Othello goes from having a normal view of honor and reputation to having an obsession with it and then at the end of the play, returns to having a normal view. I will use this in talking about how Othello commits suicide partially to maintain his honor and reputation.

West, Robert H. "The Christianness of Othello & King Lear." Shakespeare & the Outer Mystery. Robert H. West. University of Kentucky Press, 1968. 127-166. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Laurie Lanzen Harris and Mark W. Scott. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1985. Literature Criticism Online. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CBDEKZV867833121&v=2.1&u=byuprovo&it=r&p=LCO&sw=w&authCount=1>

West argues against critics who point out the pessimism in King Lear by pointing out themes of procreation, morality, love, and hope throughout the play and specifically in the ending. I'll use it in talking about the death of King Lear and how it is hopeful despite the fact that it is unexpected and a reaction to the death of Cordelia.