Another means for the insight into the characters’ minds is the ‘aside’, which often functions as a pre-form or a transition to the monologue in Shakespeare’s works. Nevertheless, in many cases a short version of a monologue cannot be distinguished from an ‘aside’. Shakespeare has developed this type of expression far above its original purpose, which was prescribed by the stage convention to the audience’s information, by evolving the ‘aside’ into a differentiated artistic means of the indirect characterization, the multilayered conversation, the preparation and the interpretation, whereby the same aspects and categories repeatedly arise which are also crucial for the consideration of the actual monologue (Clemen, p.51, ll.24-36).
Harold Bloom also endorses this: “Shakespeare’s final strength is radical internalization, and this is his most internalized drama, played out in the guilty imagination that we share with Macbeth.“ (Bloom, p.545, l.8-10). Despite the still exploratory character of imagination at that time, Shakespeare made an important contribution to the psychologization of the drama by introducing imagination into the stage poetry.
This can, to an extent, already be seen as a first dramatic depiction of a ‘psychology’, which during Shakespeare’s time was latently present at most.
1.2 Subject of interest
‘Imagination’ has always constituted a central term in both literary and intellectual history from the old Greeks up until postmodernism. In Shakespeare’s great tragedies too, but especially in Macbeth – which is generally labelled as his gloomiest and goriest drama – imagination possesses a significant importance since it functions, in form of Macbeth’s delusions, as both the starting point and driving force of the whole plot.
1. Introduction
1.1. Shakespeare as the Pioneer of the Psychologization of the Drama
William Shakespeare can justifiably be labelled as a pioneer of the psychologization of the drama. He created dramatic forms that were entirely innovative for his time, and through his diverse innovations he effectuated a reformation of the drama, whose impacts are relevant still today. To begin with, those innovations shall be shortly explained.
1. Introduction
1.2. Shakespeare as the Pioneer of the Psychologization of the Drama
William Shakespeare can justifiably be labelled as a pioneer of the psychologization of the drama. He created dramatic styles and forms that were entirely innovative for his time, and through his diverse innovations he effectuated a reformation of the drama, whose impacts are relevant still today. To begin with, those novelties shall be shortly explained.
Thus “It is not the victims of wickedness and sin that the play is concerned with, but wickedness and sin itself, yet not from an attitude of orthodox certainty, but from a dramatic point of view so close to the protagonist that any superior detachment is made impossible.” (Mehl, p.106, l.1-4). Therefore the recipient can identify himself with the protagonist and oftentimes – just like in the case of Macbeth – also feel sympathy for him.
Furthermore, as for Shakespeare it is to be observed how the archetypical label of the tyrant makes more and more room for a complex and individual composition. The externalized presentation progressively gives way to an internalization which grants insights into the psyche of the tyrant and, through fine mental differentiation, underlines his uniqueness as a personality (Unterstenhöfer, p.49, ll.6-14).
The Roman historian Tacitus (c.56 AD – c.120 AD) already attempted to fathom the deeper problems of the regularities of the inner life and, thereby, paved the way for Shakespeare to transfer the psychological ideas of the Tacitean historiography onto the drama (Unterstenhöfer, p.50, l.24-28).
Through a strong differentiation of the psychological happenings of his tyrannic protagonists – as in Macbeth – Shakespeare, with his artistic skills and creativity, worked out a significant innovation of the drama: the discovery of “a particular concept of self or, more precisely, a ‘self-identity’.” (Mascuch, p.18, l.7-8).
Shakespeare was the first to use imagination, which was not supposed to reach its blooming period before Romanticism, in order to create grim scenarios and visions for his tragic protagonists and, in this way, be able to make their motivation for their respective actions more comprehensible and transparent for the audience.
‘Imagination’ has always constituted a central term in both literary and intellectual history from the old Greeks up until postmodernism. In Shakespeare’s great tragedies too, but especially in Macbeth – which is generally labelled as his gloomiest and goriest drama – imagination possesses a great importance since it functions, in the shape of Macbeth’s delusions, as both the starting point and driving force of the whole plot.
The drama depicts itself as both a tragedy of ambition and its consequences, as well as a character study of an extremely complexly portrayed protagonist who, in the course of the play, transforms from an honorable, brave and committed soldier of the Scottish king into a fear-consumed, bloodthirsty and ruthless tyrant who alienates himself from his original and better nature and, in the process, entirely gives himself over to the powers of evil.
Therefore, it can be conclusively stated that the function of the dramatic means during Shakespeare’s time was entirely new, since with the help of the monologue and the aside he – along with Marlowe – was the first to transfer mental processes and the innermost feelings and mindsets of his protagonists onto the stage. This can, to an extent, already be seen as a first dramatic depiction of a ‘psychology’, which during Shakespeare’s time was subliminally present at most.