Introduction
William Shakespeare is renowned as one of the greatest writers in English literature. He is the author of many famous plays, tragedies, and comedies that are still actively performed worldwide today. He wrote around 38 plays, including tragedies, comedies, and historical dramas.
His works were written between the late 16th and early 17th centuries and remain popular worldwide. Throughout his plays, Shakespeare employs various rhetorical strategies to engage and persuade his audience, such as Logos, Pathos, and Ethos. This essay will examine how Shakespeare uses these rhetorical strategies to showcase the destructiveness of ambition in a political arena fueled by jealousy.
Shakespeare’s Themes
Shakespeare was rapturously received as a writer, and his plays were composed with great insight and delicate taste. He was especially famous for his tragedies, in which he raised issues that troubled his contemporaries. Some of his most famous plays include “Romeo and Juliet,” “Othello,” “Hamlet,” and “Macbeth.”
In his writing career, Shakespeare also addressed the political issues of his time. He actively promoted the principles of equality and justice in his works (Gearhart 29). It is also interesting that despite many studies, the personality and origin of Shakespeare remain a mystery. Numerous theories suggest that Shakespeare was a collective pseudonym for a group of writers or that he was not the person that everyone thought he was.
The main themes in Shakespeare’s works were love, death, power, religion, and human relationships. He explored various aspects of human nature and showed its complexity and contradictions. Shakespeare lived in the age of Elizabethan England, which was a period of political and cultural prosperity. His works reflected the political events and ideologies of the time, including the monarchical structure and various views on religion.
He often used historical events, such as battles and bloody conflicts, to explore power and political leadership themes (Gearhart 37). In his works, he portrays political intrigues, struggles for power, and the destructive nature of ambitions, often fueled by envy. Shakespeare uses logos, pathos, and ethos to illustrate these themes and help the audience better understand them. Logos is a logical argument used to persuade the audience.
Logos, Pathos, and Ethos in Shakespeare’s Tragedies
Logos
Shakespeare used logos to show how political ambitions can lead to destructive consequences. In “Macbeth,” for example, the main character, Macbeth, kills the king to become king. His wife, Lady Macbeth, convinces him that achieving their goal is logically justified and necessary. However, this ambition leads to many people’s deaths and, ultimately, Macbeth’s downfall.
In “Richard III,” another of Shakespeare’s tragedies, the main character, Richard, also demonstrates ambitions on the political stage, using logical arguments to justify his actions (Gearhart 41). He kills anyone between him and the throne, including his close relatives, and then claims it is necessary to save the country from weak and unsuitable rulers. However, as in “Macbeth,” his ambitions lead to terrible violence and death, and Richard ultimately suffers defeat and dies.
These examples demonstrate how Shakespeare used logos to illustrate the destructiveness of political ambition. In both cases, the characters use logical arguments to justify their actions and achieve their goals, but their ambitions lead to the death of many people and their demise. This shows that logic is not always a sufficient argument to justify political ambitions, mainly when they are fueled by envy and the desire for power.
Pathos
Conversely, pathos is a rhetorical strategy that appeals to the audience’s emotions, using vivid imagery, metaphors, and storytelling to elicit an emotional response. Shakespeare employs pathos to highlight the emotional toll of ambition and jealousy on the characters in “Julius Caesar.” For instance, when Cassius convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy, he uses emotional appeals to stir up his friend’s envy and jealousy. He reminds Brutus that Caesar is hailed as a god, while they are merely mortal men and should not be subservient to him (Gearhart 78). Cassius’s emotional manipulation highlights the destructive power of jealousy and how it can cloud one’s judgment.
In his play “Othello,” Shakespeare uses pathos to highlight the emotional devastation caused by Iago’s jealousy and ambition. Throughout the play, Iago manipulates and deceives those around him, using emotional appeals to gain their trust and turn them against Othello (Gearhart 91). His ultimate goal is to destroy Othello’s reputation and bring about his downfall, driven by envy and desire for power.
As a result of Iago’s actions, Othello is consumed by jealousy and driven to murder his wife, Desdemona, whom he believes has been unfaithful to him. The consequences of this act are devastating, not only for Othello and Desdemona but also for those around them. Shakespeare’s use of pathos in “Othello” showcases the emotional toll of jealousy and ambition in a political arena. The play highlights the devastating consequences of unchecked ambition and warns audiences of the dangers of allowing jealousy and envy to consume them.
Ethos
Finally, ethos is a rhetorical strategy that appeals to the audience’s sense of credibility and trustworthiness, using the speaker’s reputation and authority to support an argument. Shakespeare employs ethos to showcase the moral ambiguity of the characters in “Julius Caesar.” For example, when Brutus debates whether to join the conspiracy, he appeals to his reputation as a man of honor and integrity.
He argues that he is not motivated by personal gain but by a desire to serve Rome’s greater good (Gearhart 107). However, his decision to join the conspiracy ultimately leads to the downfall of the Republic and the rise of tyranny. Shakespeare uses ethos to show that ambition and jealousy can corrupt even the most honorable and virtuous individuals.
Shakespeare uses ethos to highlight the importance of moral and ethical values in political leadership. Throughout the play, Hamlet faces a series of ethical dilemmas as he grapples with his desire for revenge and his sense of moral obligation. He is determined to avenge his father’s murder and restore justice to the kingdom, but he is also aware of the potential consequences of his actions. Hamlet’s internal struggle is a powerful example of the importance of ethical leadership in a political arena. His commitment to justice and moral values contrasts with the Machiavellian scheming of his uncle, who is consumed by ambition and jealousy.
Overall, Shakespeare’s use of ethos in “Hamlet” reminds audiences of the importance of moral and ethical values in political leadership. The play is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the importance of staying true to one’s moral principles, even in the face of adversity. Thus, Shakespeare used logos, pathos, and ethos to illustrate the destructive nature of ambitions in the political arena fueled by envy (Gearhart 128). He used these elements to show the audience how ambitions can lead to catastrophic consequences, undermine ethical and moral standards, and evoke an emotional response from the audience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using logos, pathos, and ethos in Shakespeare’s works helps showcase the destructive consequences of ambition in a political arena fueled by jealousy. Shakespeare warns his audiences about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the importance of moral and ethical leadership. His works remain relevant today, emphasizing eternal themes of human nature and the consequences of political power. Shakespeare remains a revered historical and cultural figure, inspiring generations with his profound thoughts on the human condition and the complexities of political power.
Work Cited
Gearhart, Stephannie S. Drama and the Politics of Generational Conflict in Shakespeare’s England. Routledge, 2018.