The People in Shakespeare’s Plays There is much to learn from the common people in Shakespeare’s works. Although they play even smaller parts than the supporting cast, their contributions are essential to the story. These nameless characters are Hamlet’s gravedigger, Macbeth’s wounded captain, The Merry Wives of Windsor’s Host of the Garter Inn, King Lear’s voiceless woman, The Tempest’s Boatswain, and the Keeper of the Tower in Richard III. They may seem unimportant because they are not of noble or royal birth and are not central to the main plot, but without them we would miss critical information that the author wants to convey. These details enrich the story and bring greater depth to the main characters. While the ruling class may not appreciate them, the common class characters provide contrast and context. These individuals represent regular
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The French doctor Caius is in competition with the parson for the hand of a rich young lady. The host pretends to help the doctor, but really he is mocking him, using derogatory slang terms. He deceives the doctor into believing that they are words of high merit. The doctor uses the words, making himself an even bigger laughing stock. He is thankful for the host’s help and promises to send business to the inn, as way of reward. Throughout the discourse the host is incessantly calling the doctor a coward in different ways; “heart of elder”, “Castalion”, and “mock-water” (Riverside 37). When the host tells Caius that “He will clapper-claw thee tightly” (2.3.65) he is saying that the “Priest will thrash him soundly” (Riverside 37). His ridicule is an exploitation of the doctor’s nationality and his naiveté. The Host of the Garter Inn life lesson is the cruelty of
The French doctor Caius is in competition with the parson for the hand of a rich young lady. The host pretends to help the doctor, but really he is mocking him, using derogatory slang terms. He deceives the doctor into believing that they are words of high merit. The doctor uses the words, making himself an even bigger laughing stock. He is thankful for the host’s help and promises to send business to the inn, as way of reward. Throughout the discourse the host is incessantly calling the doctor a coward in different ways; “heart of elder”, “Castalion”, and “mock-water” (Riverside 37). When the host tells Caius that “He will clapper-claw thee tightly” (2.3.65) he is saying that the “Priest will thrash him soundly” (Riverside 37). His ridicule is an exploitation of the doctor’s nationality and his naiveté. The Host of the Garter Inn life lesson is the cruelty of