Mistral Spirit
  • Home
    • about
    • get in touch
    • print shop (inactive)
  • organization
    • bullet journal
    • digital organization
    • note taking
    • resources + printables
  • lifestyle
    • productivity
    • journaling & balance
    • academia
    • books
    • fitness
  • ideas
  • creativity
  • links
  • ☕ newsletter
  • academic
  • Literary Commentary

writing || The Ghost and the Boss: Power Dynamics throughout History in Hamlet and Death of a Salesman

IoanaMay 2, 2018

There’s a very good reason the most widely published books in history were works of fiction, chronicling the tales of ordinary men locked in an often fatal battle with a fellow man or a supernatural monster. While non-fiction can express revolutionary ideas, it is fiction that captures the nuances of those ideas and imbues them in an ageless magic that enables them to last through centuries of change. Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Miller’s Death of a Salesman were written hundreds of years apart, but man’s struggle for power over his own life remains constant. What changes is the stadium in which the battle takes place and the monsters which represent the actualization of this conflict in physical, palpable entities.

Theatre’s capacity to combine the written word, visual arts, and sensory experience into one facilitates a story to emerge that represent an overarching tension. In Hamlet, the prince’s struggle for power over his own destiny becomes his conflict with his father’s ghost. Willy Loman’s struggle is actualized in his battle with his boss Howard. Both plays orchestrate these battles by establishing the dynamics of power through stage directions, clarifying character motivations through tematic patterns, and portraying the ensuing tension through the use of the set and theatrical effects. 

For the audience’s benefit, a drama’s first role is to establish the dynamics of the power relationships between the two sparring characters using dialogue and characterization. In both plays, Hamlet and Willy Loman face an internal struggle: their visions of their life purposes is at odds with that which the world seems to have in store for them. Having been written nearly 500 years apart, however, the real-life monsters are quite different; Hamlet’s decisions are challenged by the contrary wishes of his dead father’s ghost, while the everyday man Willy Loman engages in a dispute over his salary and job responsibilities with his boss Howard.

The first technique that establishes Hamlet and Willy Loman in positions of lower power is the mere authority of their opponents. Old King Hamlet is a king and Hamlet’s father, and Howard is not only a prominent businessman but also owns expensive technology and employs a maid to clean his house. These qualities ensure that our main characters are immediately humbled in their presence.

Furthermore, King Hamlet and Howard exploit that power by dominating the conversations in which they appear on stage. Hamlet himself bows down before his father in acceptance of his lower status, saying, “speak, I am bound to hear”. Howard, in a more 20th century approach, frequently interrupts Willy Loman in his show of power. In their conversation, Willy’s attempts to steer the topic of discussion to his request are cut short by Howard’s anecdotes from his personal life.

Finally, and to bring home the internal nature of power conflicts in the plays, it is only the main character who ultimately gets to interact with the theatrical embodiment of their superiors. Being a ghost, Old King Hamlet primarly communicates with Hamlet. Similarly, Howard’s scene alone in a room with Willy is his only appearance in the play. Thus, in both plays, the power balances between a powerful and a powerless are established through the dialogue and characterization of Old King Hamlet’s ghost and Howard.

Furthermore, the plays clarify the motivations of either side in the power conflicts through the characters’ thoughts and actions, and portrays the tension by employing thematic patterns of freedom throughout. In Hamlet, Old King Hamlet’s power combined with Hamlet’s own powerlessness causes him significant agony. His ultimate question, “to be or not to be” is a cry at the pressures he faces. More than anything, he wants to be free of the burden of truth and the heavy task of avenging his father’s death by becoming a murderer himself. His destiny is no longer his – he is powerless, and Hamlet expresses the inconsequentiality of his own desires when he says, “if it be now, ‘tis not to come; if it be not come, it will be now […] the readiness is all”. (Shakespeare 5.2)

Similarly, Willy Loman’s current career predicament and his path in life is at odds with what he truly desires – the latter being evident in his many recollections of past successful and liked salesmen. He builds up an image for himself in which, “Selling was the greatest career a man could want”. (Miller Act 2) However, his inability to change his situation in life puts him in a position in which Howard fires him from the firm he has worked at for thirty-four years. Thus, the repeated motifs of freedom depict something that both main characters desire but are unable to attain because of their lack of power over their lives.

Finally, the tensions that ensue as a result of an externalized struggle for power represents the climaxes of the plays and are highlighted through theatrical effects. In Hamlet, the atmosphere which accompanies Old King Hamlet’s appearances is anything but warm and relaxed. When he first appears to hamlet, Horatio states, “it is a nipping and eager air”. (Shakespeare 1.4) When the Ghost appears during Hamlet’s conversation with his mother, he says, “Look you how pale he glares./ His form and cause conjoined”. (Shakespeare 3.4)

In Death of a Salesman, the scene between Willy and Howard is equally tense and supernatural. Not only does the recording machine turn on accidentally as soon as Howard leaves the room, but a light appears on Howard’s chair that is described as “very bright and strange”. (Miller Act 2) Both plays make use of Howard and Old King Hamlet as the embodiment of a far greater power which conflicts with the powerless desires of our main characters. However, as tension ensues, expressionist theatrical effects depict what is in actuality an internal struggle.

Therefore, through the use of stage directions to establish the dynamics of power, thematic patterns to clarify character motivations, and theatrical effects to portray tension, both Hamlet and Death of a Salesman take audiences through an internal struggle that is acted out on stage. Though they are set centuries apart and inevitably have very different types of characters that embody the struggle of man to obtain power of autonomy in his own life, both plays present a very similar battle. In the end, there must be a powerful and a powerless – whether this dynamic takes the shape of kings and their subjects, supernatural beings and mortals, or bosses and employees – it is an undeniable source of turmoil in our lives. The dramas of Hamlet and Willy Loman represent man’s aspiration for greatness. It is a status that is achieved by gaining power and control over one’s own life, and one which, in both cases, is only actualized with both characters’ deaths.

 

Works Cited

Miller, Arthur, and Gerald Clifford Weales. Death of a Salesman. Penguin Books, 1996.

Shakespeare, William, and Roma Gill. Hamlet. Oxford University Press, 2001.

You might also like...


Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Nice to meet you!

Hi, it’s Ioana! I’m a blogger, brand marketer, and recent Queen’s Commerce alumni. When I’m not drinking coffee, reading, studying or exploring the city, I dabble in creative projects like this one!

Latest posts

  • Writing 50k words in ONE month: National Novel Writing Month 2022 Prep Vlog + Goal Setting + Events

    November 1, 2022
  • "Company" on Broadway in NYC

    July 25, 2022
  • what it means to be your own friend (feat. my last bathroom selfie in Goodes Hall)

    April 26, 2022

Instagram

mistralspirit

ioana | bujo & organization
So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
Load More Follow me on Instagram

Latest recipes

No Recipes Found

Search

Tags

featured ideas & perspectives

So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃 Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃🏼 20% OFF everything - link in bio or visit thewashitapeshop.com to shop what feels like an entire art gallery. 😜

So hard to pick but I was most excited to get my hands on this new PET tape designed by @tonia_tkach - it’s called Forest Houses and comes as both PET tape and washi tape. How cute!

#pettape #originalwashitape #thewashitapeshop #washitape #washitapes #scrapbooking #craftjournal #aestheticjournal #artjournal #craft #journaling #bujo #stationery #stationerylover #sticker #bulletjournal #scrapbook #bujoideas #bulletjournaling #journalwithme #bujosupplies #stationerystore #starioneryshop #stationeryhaul
Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanow Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanowrimo last month. 🥰 Please send over any motivation you can though because I haven’t written in a WEEK. 🙈😭 Turns out it’s harder than I thought to write 50k words in a month during the literally busiest week at my day job, while also spending time with my boyfriend, family & friends… and helping to keep our apartment at least somewhat in order. 😅 Posting this video to inspire myself is already working though so… let’s see if I can make it past 6k words today! 💪
Load More Follow me on Instagram

Mistral Spirit © 2022. Designed By Lucid Themes.