The Comedy of Tradgedy Essay -- Literary Analysis, Charlie Chaplin

Watched by grandparents, known by parents, but quickly fleeting in the minds of young ones, Charlie Chaplin is the original â€Å"tramp.† From films such as The Kid or The Circus, Chaplin is the face of silent films. His unique combination of comedy and tragedy is a modern reformation of Shakespeare’s style. Many would agree that Charlie Chaplin is the Shakespeare of silent films. From rags to riches to exile, Chaplin is a timeless comedian and will always be remembered as the â€Å"tramp.† People look at a famous figure like Chaplin and imagine a glamorous life with everything at their disposal, but the last thing people would imagine is a childhood full of suffering and poverty. According to Alan Schroeder, noted biographer, Chaplin was born to a drunkard father and a mentally insane mother (22-24). April 16, 1889, the day one of the greatest actors of the film age was born. Charlie Sr. and Hannah Chaplin named him after his vaudevillian father (Schroeder 21). Charlie Sr. was one of the greatest vaudevillians in England at the time, until his lips touched alcohol (Schroeder 22). Charlie's father became an unbearable drunk that ended up leaving Hannah and their two kids, Charlie and Sidney, to fend for themselves (Schroeder 22). The stress this left on Hannah was toxic. Hannah tried to provide for the children by working as a seamstress for the church (Schroeder 22). Before she had Charlie she too was a vaudevillian, but after Charlie's birth she had given it up (Schroeder 22). Well, until she could barely afford food. She attempted to get back to a stage career, but work was scarce and time-consuming (Schroeder 22). Sidney and Charlie were living a life no child should have to endure. Within a few years, Hannah had given birth to two chil... ...lways be someone out there that idolizes him.Van Gogh, Picasso, and Chaplin will always have two things in common: their artistic abilities, and their lack of appreciation until they were gone. For Picasso and Van Gogh "gone" meant death, but for Chaplin "gone" meant exile. After Chaplin's long-term exile for his "communism" ideals, he once again returned to the U.S. after the Second Red Scare had died down (Encyclopedia of World Biography 439). Upon his return, Chaplin was contacted about receiving academy awards (Authors and Artists for Young Adults Par.2) 4 Academy Awards and 4 Academy Award nominations were only part of the many recognitions he received (Authors and Artists for Young Adults Par.2). Finally Chaplin had received the awards he deserved. Chaplin was a man who contributed so much to the film industry as well as thousands of laughs his films provoked.