Compare and contrast the presentation of characters in ‘The Winter’s Tale’, ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The Magic Toyshop’. To what extent do they conform to the description of an amiable misanthrope?

Prince Hamlet, the eponymous character of Shakespeare’s Jacobean tragedy, derived from Saxo Grammaticus’ medieval epic ‘Amleth’, is described by William Hazlitt as the ‘most amiable of misanthropes’. This leads to the formation of two debates, the first being whether a character rejects enough ‘human’ or societal traits to be considered misanthropic. The second being whether a lack of empathetic traits causes a reader or audience to dislike said character. Given that Phillip Flower, the antagonist of Angela Carter’s magical realist bildungsroman novel, ‘The Magic Toyshop’, adheres to misanthropic idiosyncrasies that are seldom condoned by the reader, some may discard the amiable misanthrope as a mere oxymoron. However, Shakespeare’s presentation of King Leontes in Jacobean tragi-comedy ‘The Winter’s Tale’ highlights morally reprehensible actions that stem from arguably ‘human’ motivations, such as jealously, demonstrating that simply because something is relatable it is not necessarily amiable. Thus, these characters’s presentations must be analysed to determine if they can be considered amiable in spite of, or even in owing to, their flaws. Analysis of a character’s flaws proves vital when assessing amiability. Wilson Knight argues that Hamlet is a ‘sick, cynical and inhuman prince’, best demonstrated during his first soliloquy when he laments “how weary, stale, flat and unprofitable/Seem to me all the uses of this world”. The carefully measured verse in iambic pentameter, leading to the stressed syllable on the beginning of “profit”, reminds the audience he views life in terms of logistics rather than emotions, therefore validating Knight’s interpretation as the audience find Hamlet less empathetic. This provides a stark contrast to the character of Leontes, who upon observing his wife’s interactions with Polixenes exclaims “too hot, too hot!” The detracting from regular meter to convey emotional turmoil is emphasised by “my heart dances”, utilising irrational metaphor demonstrates a loss of coherence, while “heart” reminds the audience this is a matter of emotions. Whereas Hamlet is a calculating misanthrope, Leontes’ flawed judgement is rooted in human sentiment, making him more sympathetic in the eyes of the audience. Carter presents Jonathon as “short sighted in things of this world” to convey his myopic demeanour, while “his round thick bottle lenses” provide a physical barrier between the reader and himself. The attached narrative leads the reader to regard Jonathon with the same level of indifference Melanie does, noting ‘his absence of mind’ and therefore lack of personality. Similarly, “mental Flying Dutchman” alludes to maritime folklore, conveying detachment as he can never ‘make port’ and interact with society. Alternatively, given that “talking about death was a national pastime” for Jacobean England, Shakespeare subverts expectations with “Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d/His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter”, presenting Hamlet as fearful of a time-consuming physical existence, anticipating mortality as an expedition to the “undiscovered country”. His misanthropy adds suspense to the narrative as Shakespeare presents a character existing independently of the audiences’ moral framework. However, “Frailty, thy name is woman” breaks this illusion as Hamlet’s attitude stems from maternal resentment, yet, the affectionate “thy” implies ambiguous emotional conflict, making us heavily invested in him as intrigue is intrinsically linked to the character. / conclusion, develop to show while each character demonstrates misanthropic idiosyncrasies they cannot be truly be considered to adhere to the description of an amiable misanthrope.