Tragedy and Madness: Mack

What does Mack note about Shakespeares frequent use of?

Tragic heroes suffer madness or are associated with it

What is madness often seem to be?

A form of divine punishment, but also brings with it special insight and freedom to speak the truth

What was madness seen as in Elizabethan time?

Madness was seen as a physical condition rather than a mental one which could be cured with physical treatments and were excluded from society

What happened to those who were considered mentally ill?

excluded from society, and were often forced to endure physical, torturous pain, in the hopes that this would distract them from their insanity and restore them to normality

What’s another reason for this social exclusion?

That many felt madness was a threat to social order and convention and were kept well away for fear that they would corrupt others into insanity and chaos

What does Mack note about the madness allowing us to see?

Other sides of his character and madness thus contributes to this downfall

How is madness seen as a punishment?

Madness becomes a way of isolating the tragic heroes, and contributes to their suffering and downfall, which constitute the tragic events

How is madness seen as insight?

Madness becomes a way for protagonists to see the world from a different perspective, and thus grants them the insight which they otherwise lacked

How is madness seen as honesty?

Because of their madness, protagonists are often permitted to criticise both the society within and without the play. Their madness allows these truths to be spoken without lasting consequence or resentment against their often brutal honesty

What does Mack argue that these criticisms come from?

The voice of the authors and playwrights themselves. Insane characters thus provide the opposing voice needed to accurately portray both the good and bad elements of society