Mr. Wopsle

“Mr. Wopsle said grace with theatrical declamation—as it now appears to me, something like a religious cross of the Ghost in Hamlet with Richard III...” (Page 27)

Charles Dickens makes this reference primarily to show that Mr. Wopsle is a particularly histrionic character. This quote alludes to the famous Shakespearean tragedies, Hamlet and Richard III. In Hamlet, the late king of Denmark returns from the grave to haunt his son and confide in him the secret of his untimely death. Richard III entails the rise to power and short reign of the English king of the same name. Both characters are depicted as being stately, due to their royalty, and both have their share of dramatic monologues. Like them, Mr. Wopsle thinks very highly of himself. Dickens chooses these characters to compare Wopsle to because they contradict each other. Wopsle is weighed alongside a live and dead king to show that he is at a middle ground; his character and abilities are lacking depth and haven't come to their full potential. Dickens also points out that Mr. Wopsle is a "religious" cross between the two most likely because of his involvement in the church; he is the local church clerk. Not only does this quote give a description of Mr. Wopsle, but it also foreshadows his later career transition into becoming an actor and his mediocre portrayal of Hamlet later in the story.

"SparkNotes: Richard III: Key Facts." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. Web. 02 Jan. 2010. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/richardiii/facts.html.

King Hamlet's Ghost. Digital image. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/John_Gilbert_-_Hamlet_in_the_Presence_of_His_Father%27s_Ghost.JPG.

King Richard III. Digital image. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/61/3761-004-1DC88B8B.jpg.