The racial undertone in Othello is quite obvious, especially in the first Act. Othello is introduced through references to his skin color, anatomical features, and his inferiority to the other Europeans. Shakespeare differentiates Othello from the white Europeans by calling him a "black ram" and "thicklips" and "the Moor, " all names that separate him from higher society, which was caucasian.
In Elizabethan England, there was an idea of racial superiority. Many North Africans were in England, many working class, and there was a feeling of anxiety surrounding these immigrants. Shakespeare was playing on these anxieties when introducing Othello. However, he turns all those fears on their heads by portraying Othello as the opposite of the stereotypes. He is a refined gentleman that is a far cry from the "beast" that he was called. Shakespeare uses the audience's prejudices to form an opinion of Othello before he appears on stage. By flipping the prejudices around, he makes the audience question their own opinions on the foreign immigrants in England.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Mean Girls = Julius Caesar
While watching the movie "Mean Girls" the other day, I noticed a lot of similarities between the movie's plot and the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar. Both plots revolve around hatred, jealousy, and backstabbing.
The powerful group in the movie is the Plastics; they are three girls that rule the school and define what is popular or not. The relates to the senator group in the play, the senators define what is okay in Roman society and what is not. Regina is the leader of the Plastics, just as Caesar is at the top of the senators; they are both powerful and power hungry, but in a way that leads to their downfall.
The theme of jealousy is prevalent in both the movie and the play. Pompey and Caesar's jealousy over a fling with Cleopatra and Regina and Cady's jealousy over the senior Aaron Samuels. Cassius' jealousy of Caesar's power leads to Caesar's demise. Cassius basically employs Brutus to help in killing Caesar and sways him to believe that Caesar is using his power wrong. In the movie Cady is jealous of Regina's popularity and sways Gretchen to her side. Gretchen begins to see that Regina uses her power to control others. She also makes a speech about Julius Caesar in her class, pretending to be Brutus:
"Why should Caesar get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet. Whats so great about Caesar huh? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar. Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, and people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar. And when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh? Because that is not what Rome was about! WE SHOULD TOTALLY JUST STAB CAESAR!!"
This shows how Gretchen's character is supposed to equal Brutus'. In the end Regina cannot fall from popularity without Gretchen's help, even though Cady and her friends did most of the plotting. Julius Caesar could not be taken over without help from Brutus, even though Cassius was behind most of the plotting.
The powerful group in the movie is the Plastics; they are three girls that rule the school and define what is popular or not. The relates to the senator group in the play, the senators define what is okay in Roman society and what is not. Regina is the leader of the Plastics, just as Caesar is at the top of the senators; they are both powerful and power hungry, but in a way that leads to their downfall.
The theme of jealousy is prevalent in both the movie and the play. Pompey and Caesar's jealousy over a fling with Cleopatra and Regina and Cady's jealousy over the senior Aaron Samuels. Cassius' jealousy of Caesar's power leads to Caesar's demise. Cassius basically employs Brutus to help in killing Caesar and sways him to believe that Caesar is using his power wrong. In the movie Cady is jealous of Regina's popularity and sways Gretchen to her side. Gretchen begins to see that Regina uses her power to control others. She also makes a speech about Julius Caesar in her class, pretending to be Brutus:
"Why should Caesar get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet. Whats so great about Caesar huh? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar. Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, and people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar. And when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh? Because that is not what Rome was about! WE SHOULD TOTALLY JUST STAB CAESAR!!"
This shows how Gretchen's character is supposed to equal Brutus'. In the end Regina cannot fall from popularity without Gretchen's help, even though Cady and her friends did most of the plotting. Julius Caesar could not be taken over without help from Brutus, even though Cassius was behind most of the plotting.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Lion King and Hamlet
Shakespearian themes and motifs can sometimes be lost on younger generations, but with the premiere of the Disney movie The Lion King, Shakespeare was brought into children's minds without them knowing the Shakespeare was the mastermind behind the plot. The Lion King is very closely related to the play Hamlet, and while the ending is not totally the same (this is Disney after all) a lot of the main action in the movie is the same as in the play.
The prince, or Hamlet, is portrayed by Simba. Simba's father is killed early in the movie and Simba is made to feel guilty for this and he runs away from his duty as prince of the Pride Lands. Similarly, Hamlet's father is killed and he goes into a severe depression and runs away from his right to be king of Denmark. They both avoid vengeance for the death's of their fathers and become old in their depression. Hamlet Sr. and Mufasa both appear to their sons through an apparition or ghost-like appearance. They let their sons know that something must be done about the current ruler of their kingdom (Claudius and Scar) and the nation needs to go back to the peaceful rule it once had.
Timone and Pumba (my favorites) relate to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in that they are almost a relief to the tense nature of the plot as well as catalysts for Simba and Hamlet to return to their home/castle and seek revenge on Scar and Claudius.
The Twelfth Night and comedic drama.
Initially, in The Twelfth Night a love triangle is introduced. Viola loves Orisno, and Orisno loves Olivia. Olivia does not want anything to do with men after the death of her brother, until she meets Caesario (who is actually Viola dressed as a man. So at that moment it is a tri-pointed love situation.
Then we know later that the love 'triangle' is actually a lot bigger. Sebastian, Feste, and Malvolio are interested in Olivia as well as Viola. These men also have friendships with each-other, as well as with Antonio and Sir Toby; these friendships are possibly more than just platonic friendship. All of these bonds between the characters have an aspect of friendship and trust, but a lot of it seems to be physical attraction.
The problem of almost all of these romances is that nothing can come of them, none of them can really lead to marriage.
Orisno cannot marry Olivia because she does not have an interest in him.
Viola cannot marry Orisno because he loves Olivia and Viola is masquerading as a man as well.
Olivia cannot marry Caesario because Caesario is actually a woman (Viola).
The men that questionably like each other more than friends, cannot marry because they are all men.
Mary and Fest cannot really marry because they continually out-wit each other, and are not of the same class.
Malvolio and Olivia cannot marry because they are of different classes and Olivia does not love Malvolio.
The plot of this play revolves around social relationships and how complicated they always are. No relationship (friend or more) is free of drama or problems and that seems to be the point that Shakespeare is trying to get across. All human relationships have problems and different facets, but when you step away and look at it as a play, the relationships become comic, our problems and dramas are actually funny and not as dire as we think when we are within the relationship.
Then we know later that the love 'triangle' is actually a lot bigger. Sebastian, Feste, and Malvolio are interested in Olivia as well as Viola. These men also have friendships with each-other, as well as with Antonio and Sir Toby; these friendships are possibly more than just platonic friendship. All of these bonds between the characters have an aspect of friendship and trust, but a lot of it seems to be physical attraction.
The problem of almost all of these romances is that nothing can come of them, none of them can really lead to marriage.
Orisno cannot marry Olivia because she does not have an interest in him.
Viola cannot marry Orisno because he loves Olivia and Viola is masquerading as a man as well.
Olivia cannot marry Caesario because Caesario is actually a woman (Viola).
The men that questionably like each other more than friends, cannot marry because they are all men.
Mary and Fest cannot really marry because they continually out-wit each other, and are not of the same class.
Malvolio and Olivia cannot marry because they are of different classes and Olivia does not love Malvolio.
The plot of this play revolves around social relationships and how complicated they always are. No relationship (friend or more) is free of drama or problems and that seems to be the point that Shakespeare is trying to get across. All human relationships have problems and different facets, but when you step away and look at it as a play, the relationships become comic, our problems and dramas are actually funny and not as dire as we think when we are within the relationship.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Hamlet's Women: Evil and Skanky.
There are only two female characters in Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia. While both women are not blatantly mistreated in the play, they are not treated with respect. This is clear in how all the men refer to women as either evil, whorish, and/or stupid.
Gertrude, the queen and Hamlet's mother, is never by herself, she is either with Claudius or Hamlet; therefore it is implied that she does not have a thought of her own. Hamlet sees his mother as a slut for marrying his uncle so soon after his father's death. Not only did Gertrude move on quickly from his father, she is basically committing incest by marrying her dead husband's brother. Claudius and Hamlet both view her as a pawn, just an uneducated woman that knows nothing of political affairs.
Ophelia is introduced as a young and flirtatious girl, innocent and usable. She is specifically used by her family and the king and queen to see if Hamlet is really crazy in Act III, scene i, where everyone observes her and Hamlet's conversation. When Ophelia ends things with Hamlet, he takes back all his feelings for her and calls her a sinner and a whore. He begins to view her as and evil, wonton girl that uses make-up and pretty words to cover up the reality of the situation. Ophelia's brother, Lartes, also believes that she is a silly, slutty girl. Before he leaves for France, he asks her to stop her foolish behavior, controlling the way she acts.
Both women are small pieces in the larger political puzzle. Hamlet sees them as impure and wonton; sinners that do nothing to stop the evilness around them. In the end, both women die without proper Christian rights (confessing and last rights), which is the whole reason the ghost from earlier is in purgatory. Both women die as sinners without the chance of redemption, which strengthens Hamlet's view of the women.
Gertrude, the queen and Hamlet's mother, is never by herself, she is either with Claudius or Hamlet; therefore it is implied that she does not have a thought of her own. Hamlet sees his mother as a slut for marrying his uncle so soon after his father's death. Not only did Gertrude move on quickly from his father, she is basically committing incest by marrying her dead husband's brother. Claudius and Hamlet both view her as a pawn, just an uneducated woman that knows nothing of political affairs.
Ophelia is introduced as a young and flirtatious girl, innocent and usable. She is specifically used by her family and the king and queen to see if Hamlet is really crazy in Act III, scene i, where everyone observes her and Hamlet's conversation. When Ophelia ends things with Hamlet, he takes back all his feelings for her and calls her a sinner and a whore. He begins to view her as and evil, wonton girl that uses make-up and pretty words to cover up the reality of the situation. Ophelia's brother, Lartes, also believes that she is a silly, slutty girl. Before he leaves for France, he asks her to stop her foolish behavior, controlling the way she acts.
Both women are small pieces in the larger political puzzle. Hamlet sees them as impure and wonton; sinners that do nothing to stop the evilness around them. In the end, both women die without proper Christian rights (confessing and last rights), which is the whole reason the ghost from earlier is in purgatory. Both women die as sinners without the chance of redemption, which strengthens Hamlet's view of the women.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Hamlet: Emo? Crazy? Both?
A reoccurring plot through out Hamlet is Hamlet's intensifying madness. Hamlet is emotional and depressed because of his father's death and his mother's apparent betrayal by marrying Hamlet's Uncle. While Hamlet is nearly middle-aged, he acts like a troubled teen through out the play. He goes on tangents and is seriously depressed. He curses his mother because her new marriage is disgusting to him. His mother betrayed him by marrying his father's brother soon after the King's death.
Hamlet leaps from depressed and emotional to possibly crazy after he "sees" his father's ghost. He speaks in ways that don;t make sense, but is being critical of everyone around him. He pursues Ophelia, but goes behind her father's back, and sneaks to her room one night, frightening her. Hardly the way a normal guy would try and date a girl! Hamlet is the only that can see the ghost while in the closet with his mother, which leads us to believe more in his insanity. However, Hamlet himself implies that his crazy rants are just acting, and that he has another motive for acting the way he does. While he is confusing with his words, Hamlet is always making a point to the person he is talking to. He questions them using round about ways, but is successful in doing so because he gets his point across.
While Hamlet feigns madness while speaking with others, his actions can be construed as mad. While Hamlet is acting crazy, he is also dealing with the loss of his father and the betrayal of his mother. Under this emotional stress, Hamlet begins to slip from faking madness to acting truly mad, killing Polonius which does not prove his sanity to those around him. Hamlet starts to slip deeper and deeper into madness, but continues to critique the world around him showing us that he may still have some sanity driving his speech and actions.
Hamlet leaps from depressed and emotional to possibly crazy after he "sees" his father's ghost. He speaks in ways that don;t make sense, but is being critical of everyone around him. He pursues Ophelia, but goes behind her father's back, and sneaks to her room one night, frightening her. Hardly the way a normal guy would try and date a girl! Hamlet is the only that can see the ghost while in the closet with his mother, which leads us to believe more in his insanity. However, Hamlet himself implies that his crazy rants are just acting, and that he has another motive for acting the way he does. While he is confusing with his words, Hamlet is always making a point to the person he is talking to. He questions them using round about ways, but is successful in doing so because he gets his point across.
While Hamlet feigns madness while speaking with others, his actions can be construed as mad. While Hamlet is acting crazy, he is also dealing with the loss of his father and the betrayal of his mother. Under this emotional stress, Hamlet begins to slip from faking madness to acting truly mad, killing Polonius which does not prove his sanity to those around him. Hamlet starts to slip deeper and deeper into madness, but continues to critique the world around him showing us that he may still have some sanity driving his speech and actions.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Julius Caesar and the Supernatural
There is an element of the supernatural in just about all of Shakespeare's work, and Julius Caesar is no different. There are omens or signs that Shakespeare uses as foreshadowing to Caesar's murder that the characters all misinterpret as good signs.
In Act I, scene iii, a terrible storm is the backdrop for Cassius' and Casca's conversation. Cassius compares Caesar to to the storm, calling him dark and terrified as the storm. Cassius sees the storm as a bad omen for Caesars coronation, that his promotion will lead to bad things for the state. Cassius does not see that the storm is used to reveal his own darkness and plots. Casca warns him not t walk in the storm, but Cassius ignores him saying that there is not difficulty for honest men, though this aligns Cassius with the evilness of the storm and his own plots.
Caesar's wife, Calpurnia experiences the next omen. In Act II scene iii, Calpurnia dreams of Caesars statue with holes in it and blood pouring out from those holes. She believes that she is seeing signs of her husband's murder and begs him not to go to the senate meeting. She also dreams of dead people walking in the streets, ghosts, a lioness giving birth, and a terrible storm. Caesar heeds her warnings by seeing to an animal sacrifice so the augers may read the entrails. Upon doing this, they cannot find the animal's heart, a very bad sign. Caesar does not believe that the gods bode ill of him, so he ignores his wife and goes to the senate.
Act IV scene ii ends with Brutus seeing the ghost of Caesar, who tells him that he will see Brutus in Philippi. Shakespeare uses the ghost as a symbol and as foreshadowing because Brutus dies at Philippi. The ghost is used to symbolize Brutus' guilt from the murder of his friend in cold blood.
In Act I, scene iii, a terrible storm is the backdrop for Cassius' and Casca's conversation. Cassius compares Caesar to to the storm, calling him dark and terrified as the storm. Cassius sees the storm as a bad omen for Caesars coronation, that his promotion will lead to bad things for the state. Cassius does not see that the storm is used to reveal his own darkness and plots. Casca warns him not t walk in the storm, but Cassius ignores him saying that there is not difficulty for honest men, though this aligns Cassius with the evilness of the storm and his own plots.
Caesar's wife, Calpurnia experiences the next omen. In Act II scene iii, Calpurnia dreams of Caesars statue with holes in it and blood pouring out from those holes. She believes that she is seeing signs of her husband's murder and begs him not to go to the senate meeting. She also dreams of dead people walking in the streets, ghosts, a lioness giving birth, and a terrible storm. Caesar heeds her warnings by seeing to an animal sacrifice so the augers may read the entrails. Upon doing this, they cannot find the animal's heart, a very bad sign. Caesar does not believe that the gods bode ill of him, so he ignores his wife and goes to the senate.
Act IV scene ii ends with Brutus seeing the ghost of Caesar, who tells him that he will see Brutus in Philippi. Shakespeare uses the ghost as a symbol and as foreshadowing because Brutus dies at Philippi. The ghost is used to symbolize Brutus' guilt from the murder of his friend in cold blood.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Julius Caesar Act III, s i
Act III, scene i was the scene where Caesar was assassinated by the members of the senate and his friends.
Near the start of the scene, Artemidorus asks Caesar to come aside and listen to his plea to bring back Caesar's brother from banishment. Caesar refuses stating that public matters come before personal ones and he is "as constant as the Northern Star" (60). Caesar means to say that he is unwavering in his decision, just as the north star never waivers from its position; however we can also take it to mean the Caesar sees himself as infallible, as a god, and that he can do no wrong. The sanctity of his decision goes beyond his wants, but to a higher place.
Soon after this, Caesar is murdered by some of those closest to him, including Brutus. Caesar's last words, "Et tu, Brute?" or "You too, Brutus?" shows that Caesar's idea of his own infallibility were quite wrong.
After the murder, Cassius says that all will rejoice because now peace can come and there will be liberty and freedom. Cassius is quite wrong, because following Caesar's death civil strife breaks out through Rome. Antony goes on to some military success before he looses an Naval battle and later commits suicide with his love, Cleopatra. The Roman Republic falls and is taken over by the Roman Empire. Many historians argue that the assassination of Caesar was a major catalyst for the decline of the Republic.
The senators believe that they were doing Rome a favor by killing Caesar, and that happiness and peace would flow their way. However, there was no real planning for life after Caesar's death, and so the government was vacant for some time. This failure to plan was the conspirators hubris, in that they believed a smooth transition would occur into the next seat of power; but their arrogance can be blamed for the fall of Rome.
Near the start of the scene, Artemidorus asks Caesar to come aside and listen to his plea to bring back Caesar's brother from banishment. Caesar refuses stating that public matters come before personal ones and he is "as constant as the Northern Star" (60). Caesar means to say that he is unwavering in his decision, just as the north star never waivers from its position; however we can also take it to mean the Caesar sees himself as infallible, as a god, and that he can do no wrong. The sanctity of his decision goes beyond his wants, but to a higher place.
Soon after this, Caesar is murdered by some of those closest to him, including Brutus. Caesar's last words, "Et tu, Brute?" or "You too, Brutus?" shows that Caesar's idea of his own infallibility were quite wrong.
After the murder, Cassius says that all will rejoice because now peace can come and there will be liberty and freedom. Cassius is quite wrong, because following Caesar's death civil strife breaks out through Rome. Antony goes on to some military success before he looses an Naval battle and later commits suicide with his love, Cleopatra. The Roman Republic falls and is taken over by the Roman Empire. Many historians argue that the assassination of Caesar was a major catalyst for the decline of the Republic.
The senators believe that they were doing Rome a favor by killing Caesar, and that happiness and peace would flow their way. However, there was no real planning for life after Caesar's death, and so the government was vacant for some time. This failure to plan was the conspirators hubris, in that they believed a smooth transition would occur into the next seat of power; but their arrogance can be blamed for the fall of Rome.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Taming of the Shrew
When I read this play in high school I really didn't like it. I thought that it was terrible to think that a wife should be so subservient to her husband and that the only way to win over a girl is to pretend to be something you're not.
After reading it again a few years later, I question what Shakespeare was doing. It is entirely possible that he meant for the play to be taken at face value and nothing more; but I think it is even more probable that he meant for us to look deeper and question gender roles in society.
The men in The Taming of the Shrew all have a picture of the 'ideal wife' in Bianca. They expect her to act submissive and kind, and when they see her sister Katherine, the men see everything they do not want. The men then go about trying to find ways to deceive Bianca into marriage, without really getting to know who she is. Once they find Petrucio to marry Katherine everyone can focus on wooing Bianca. The "taming" of Katherine is the most difficult and questionable part of the play to me. Was Shakespeare taking marriage roles as they were? Or was he criticizing everything that Elizabethan England knew? At the end of the play when all pretenses are dropped (and Bianca is easily won over even though she was lied to) and the sisters a re married off, the true test of 'obedience' is played out. The men send for their wives, and whichever responds first, her husband shall win. Hortensio and Lucientio both have no doubt that their wives would listen, especially Bianca because she has been so willing the whole play. They are both surprised though when their wives do not come, and even more surprised when Kate comes to Petrucio. Then to drive home the obedient wife ideal, Kate critisizes Bianca and the widow (married to Hortensio) for not doing as their husbands say.
In the end Kate is 'tamed' but we are left questioning if this is all a joke, or satire. Should women really be subservient to men? Or should a man and wife be equals? Was Kate 'tamed' or did she let herself be tamed? I almost think that Kate and Petrucio did end up equals because her stubbornness balanced his. This idea is most obvious to me at the end of the play when Kate and Petrucio happily walk off together, but the other couples that are unequal (where the man has power and the wife is meant to be obedient) are unhappy because their ideals have not been met.
After reading it again a few years later, I question what Shakespeare was doing. It is entirely possible that he meant for the play to be taken at face value and nothing more; but I think it is even more probable that he meant for us to look deeper and question gender roles in society.
The men in The Taming of the Shrew all have a picture of the 'ideal wife' in Bianca. They expect her to act submissive and kind, and when they see her sister Katherine, the men see everything they do not want. The men then go about trying to find ways to deceive Bianca into marriage, without really getting to know who she is. Once they find Petrucio to marry Katherine everyone can focus on wooing Bianca. The "taming" of Katherine is the most difficult and questionable part of the play to me. Was Shakespeare taking marriage roles as they were? Or was he criticizing everything that Elizabethan England knew? At the end of the play when all pretenses are dropped (and Bianca is easily won over even though she was lied to) and the sisters a re married off, the true test of 'obedience' is played out. The men send for their wives, and whichever responds first, her husband shall win. Hortensio and Lucientio both have no doubt that their wives would listen, especially Bianca because she has been so willing the whole play. They are both surprised though when their wives do not come, and even more surprised when Kate comes to Petrucio. Then to drive home the obedient wife ideal, Kate critisizes Bianca and the widow (married to Hortensio) for not doing as their husbands say.
In the end Kate is 'tamed' but we are left questioning if this is all a joke, or satire. Should women really be subservient to men? Or should a man and wife be equals? Was Kate 'tamed' or did she let herself be tamed? I almost think that Kate and Petrucio did end up equals because her stubbornness balanced his. This idea is most obvious to me at the end of the play when Kate and Petrucio happily walk off together, but the other couples that are unequal (where the man has power and the wife is meant to be obedient) are unhappy because their ideals have not been met.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Act 4, scene 3
In this scene, Tyrell explains the deaths of the princes Edward and Richard in the Tower of London. It was interesting to find out how real and haunting this part of the play was. History says that the princes were sent to the Tower of London after their father’s death to live, because the Tower used to be partially a place of residence. However, after the princes moved to the Tower, they were never seen again. There were many conspiracy theories surrounding the princes' disappearance, including Richard III being the killer, and even a theory that the younger prince (Richard) escaped. Speculation around the disappearance entertained many, and I wonder if this sole event inspired Shakespeare to write this story. Later, in 1674, two skeletons were found under a staircase in the White Tower. In line 29 of this act, Tyrell explains to Richard III that he does not know where the bodies were hidden, so Shakespeare acknowledges that no bodies had been found (at that time).
Bones of two bodies were found under a staircase in the White Tower in 1674 and many believed that these were the missing bones on the princes. Charles II approved the bones to be moved to Westminster Abby. In 1933, forensic research was done on the bones to see if it could be proven that they were the young princes', but it could not be determined what age and gender the bones were.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Act 2 response
Act 2, scene 2:
Clarence's son questions if his father is dead, and his grandmother, the Duchess of York, says he is, but not by the king's hand. I think it is interesting that she knows her son Richard is a liar. After this, news breaks that King Edward IV has died, and the women and children argue over who has the most grief. This part made me wonder if Shakespeare was trying to say that women are as weak as children, especially when faced with an emotional issue. Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, and Clarence's son and daughter all seem to act immature, arguing over something so subjective as grief over loved ones. When the men learn of the Kings death, they instantly go to work, preparing to fetch the Prince so he can be crowned the new King. Shakespeare shows the men's maturity near the end of the scene when they decide it would be better to not fight so soon after the King's death. There definitely seems to be an undertone that says women are as weak as children, while men are mature and are capable of caring for themselves.
Clarence's son questions if his father is dead, and his grandmother, the Duchess of York, says he is, but not by the king's hand. I think it is interesting that she knows her son Richard is a liar. After this, news breaks that King Edward IV has died, and the women and children argue over who has the most grief. This part made me wonder if Shakespeare was trying to say that women are as weak as children, especially when faced with an emotional issue. Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, and Clarence's son and daughter all seem to act immature, arguing over something so subjective as grief over loved ones. When the men learn of the Kings death, they instantly go to work, preparing to fetch the Prince so he can be crowned the new King. Shakespeare shows the men's maturity near the end of the scene when they decide it would be better to not fight so soon after the King's death. There definitely seems to be an undertone that says women are as weak as children, while men are mature and are capable of caring for themselves.
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