BLOG #3 Setting

The setting of a literary work, whether it be Hamlet, or Pride & Prejudice, is always determined by the time, location, and place of the story.  The setting of Pride & Prejudice is in Longbourn, England circa 1800.  The setting of a novel or work often has to do with the topics and themes in which the play is based on.  In Pride & Prejudice, the themes of love and class are portrayed not only through context, but also through character diction.  To express how setting affects the themes and characters in a play, one can contrast Pride & Prejudice to Hamlet.  The setting of 1800 Longbourn, and the themes that accompany that era are drastically different from the themes of life and death in Hamlet's late medieval period in Denmark.  Moreover, the themes that accompany the medieval era in Denmark, such as the mystery of death are different from the themes of love and reputation and class in Pride & Prejudice.  Next, the setting of a play or novel also affects the diction and use of syntax within that work.  For example, in Hamlet, the words and construction of sentences are diferent from those of Pride & Prejudice.  "Pray you, be round with him"(line 5, scene 4, act 3) are Polonius' words.  This type of word organization would never be said in Pride & Prejudice.  Finally, the setting of a play or novel, from the time of day to the mood instilled to the location, all affect the themes written about in the work and the diction employed by the characters.