“In My Beginning is My End”: The Art of Shakespearean Beginnings

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate how does dramatic experimentations of Shakespeare
begin the known plots by weaving the fabric of known and unknown with diversity,
harmony, and unity of the plot structure. The paper examines the beginning is a
moment of preparation and anticipation, of engagement and concoction; it is a
threshold to enter the world of imagination whereby prodigious delineation of
characters with consistency and depth convincingly suspends disbelief. It aims to seek
how Shakespearean beginning features the point of convergence in the plot and
delineates the characterization that the audience keeps on referring to and fro till the
play ends. With the help of selected openings of Shakespeare’s plays, this study argues
that though the endings of the plays are predictable, but the beginnings make his plays
unique in its articulation of dramatic tension and resolution. It is also significant to
examine how strategically Shakespearean plays engage and prepare his audience for
immersion in his plots. This study investigates how this strategic beginning features the
point of convergence in the plot and delineates the characterization. The paper
concludes that the endings are consolidated, justified culminations of the concocted
beginnings.