A Sword Of Justice Or Just Ice

Hamlet also shows anger towards the female character, Ophelia as they interact with each other on a daily basis. He tells her that he has “heard of [her] paintings too, well enough; God hath given [her] one face, and [she] make[s] [herself] another. [She] jig[s] and amble[s], and [she] lisp[s], and nickname[s] God’s creature, and make[s] [her] wantonness [her] ignorance…to a nunnery, go” (3.1.153-157,161). As a result of this quote, Hamlet demonstrates strong anger as he insults Ophelia for her cosmetics and tells her that her flirtatious affections is her excuse for her stupid behaviour. Not only does Hamlet insult her because of his anger, but she does not defend herself either, which makes the situation worse. In addition, Hamlet not only undergoes his father’s death, but no one seems to grief over the death which is surprising, as he was the King of Denmark. The new King, Claudius asks Hamlet, “How is it that the clouds still hang on you?” (1.2.67). This quote shows King Claudius’ lack of grief towards King Hamlet’s death, oppose to when Polonius dies, he immediately tells Laertes, Polonius’ son, “I must commune with your grief” (4.5.213), Which again leads for Hamlet through the anger stage.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is a timeless play which continues to remain relevant across all generations due to its presentation of ideas that are fundamental to humanity. The play highlights aspects that relate to the society of not only Elizabethan England but also that of our modern society. Hamlet, as a character, considers ideas from outside his time and is somewhat relatable to modern day man. By drawing from ideas of archetypes and the human psyche, it reveals that Hamlet relates deeply to the elements of humanity.

The English Play writer, William Shakespeare had written many well-known pieces of work including Hamlet. Hamlet is known to be one of his most popular works. Hamlet was written in the late 16th Century about the Prince of Denmark. The original title of the work was The Tragedy of Hamlet, now it is referred to as just Hamlet. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the mental state of his characters to prove that not all characters in books have to be one dimensional. Shakespeare’s writing shows that humans are complex, and can have different mental states. Characters throughout the story such as, Hamlet, Gertrude, and Ophelia show their not so stable mental state. First we will analyze Hamlet and talk about Ernest Jones’ Psycho-analytic study of Hamlet. Then we will talk about Ophelia and how the events that happened leading up to her death or suicide played a role into her mental state. Finally we will analyze Gertrude, the Queen’s role in Hamlet, and how she is a mentally weak woman and relies on the men in her life.

At the beginning of Act I Hamlet fires a subtle comeback towards King Claudius by saying, “A little more than kin and less kind”(1.2.65). King Claudius doesn’t even realize Hamlet is using a pun here, it blows right over his head. Hamlet uses wordplay during this time to subtly point out that he is

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince Hamlet serves as one of the most multi-faceted characters in the entire play with critics often deeming his personality “paradoxical”. Ultimately, Hamlet provides the audience with the epitomy of internal contrast and instability by rapidly transitioning through periods of caution and rash action, introversion and extroversion and calculation and spontaneity.

Gertrude and Claudius have been concerned about Hamlet’s condition. This leads Claudice to send in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on their son to find out what is troubling Hamlet.”The king does not ask them to spy on their friend; rather he requests them to “glean” whether anything “unknown afflicts him thus,/ That, open’d, lie within our remedy”(II,ii, 17-18). Claudice, in greeting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, tells them of Hamlet’s melancholic state. After Claudice is done with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius comes and tell Claudius and Gertrude that he has the answer for their son’s melancholic state. At this point in the play, Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius all believe that Hamlet has gone mad. Polonius says, “Your noble son is mad” (II,ii,92). They all believe that Ophelia is the cause of his sadness and finally into “the madness wherein now he raves” (II,ii,149). When Polonius sees Hamlet, he realizes that he is neither mad nor melancholic. After, talking with Polonius Hamlet seems to realize that Polonius has prevented Ophelia from seeing him. He tells Polonius, “if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog” (II,ii,180), he should keep his daughter out of the sun. Polonius thinks Hamlet is “far gone, but considers “How pregnant sometimes his replies are! A happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of” (II, ii, 206-209). This shows that Hamlet is in fact mad. When Polonius

Throughout history, literature has been able to captivate and enchant audiences of all backgrounds. Words have an undeniable ability to sway a crowd’s emotions and truly affect them. William Shakespeare, one of the most revered writers of all time, had such skills. His plays are timeless pieces of art considered the foundations of the English literature. Shakespeare’s most dramatic and infamous tragedy, Hamlet, has earned its place as a cornerstone. In the play, Shakespeare poetically writes speeches that show the true colours of the characters, whether good or devious. The main antagonist, Claudius, shows his treachery to the Elizabethan audience, through his speech to his wife Gertrude. Claudius’ conversation with Gertrude in Act 4,

“To be, or not to be, that is the question,” (3.1.64). This famous line in William Shakespeare's Hamlet perfectly encapsulates Hamlet’s internal struggle throughout the play. Hamlet tells the story of the young prince of Denmark and his desire for revenge on the uncle, Claudius, who murdered his father. As is the case in many works of literature, Hamlet changes greatly throughout the play. However, because of his attempts to act insane, it can be difficult to precisely map the changes in Hamlet’s character. By carefully investigating his seven soliloquies, where he is alone and has no need to “put on an antic disposition,” one can understand and interpret how Hamlet’s character develops throughout the play.

Shakespeare’s character, Hamlet, is known for his indecisive personality. It is a trait that humanizes Hamlet in the sense that every man is flawed. However, this feature is Hamlet’s main

    The existence of considerable irony within the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet is a fact recognized by most literary critics. This paper will examine the play for instances of irony and their interpretation by critics.

In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Hamlet comes home from school and finds out what has been happening in the castle he becomes very angry. This anger leads him into finding out the real truth. He sets up a lot of traps to do this and confuses many of the characters in the scenarios of the play, Hamlet gains power through the manipulation of words to accuse, distract, and the dismissal of other characters.

Hamlet’s lunacy becomes quite real at points, and he enters into a deep melancholy. King Claudius and Queen Gertrude bring Hamlet’s schoolmates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to probe Hamlet and find the source of his sorrow. Polonious, a pompous, yet loyal, man to Claudius, suggests that Hamlet is madly in love with his daughter Ophelia. It is during this time Polonius’ famous “brevity is the soul of wit” dialogue is said, after which point he rambles for nearly 10 minutes before telling the King and Queen his hypothesis. Claudius tests this theory by spying on Hamlet and Ophelia’s interaction with Polonius, however, Hamlet appears thoroughly insane after screaming at Ophelia and telling her to “get thee to a nunnery.”

As with many plays, actors in Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, are at liberty to alter the portrayal of their characters. Because of this, the significance and subtleties of various characters can be lost in varying adaptations of the play. This holds true for the character Polonius, who is often incorrectly portrayed as a oblivious and foolish yet caring father. Rather, Shakespeare implicitly and explicitly establishes Polonius as a character in full control of his wits. Polonius’ interaction with other characters throughout the play highlights his cunning, wit, and selfishness.

Shakespeare utilizes puns through Hamlet’s dialogue in order to indicate disrespect to the other speaker. Hamlet saying “I am too much i’ the sun”, using the pun of the word “sun” which could either mean the Sun or Hamlet’s state has the previous king’s son. By saying this to Claudius, the implication of the word “son” is a reminder to him that he is not supposed to be king. Later, Hamlet insults Ophelia for her premarital sex by saying “get thee to a nunnery”, a pun based on the double meaning of nunnery. Hamlet’s verbalization shames Ophelia as a sinner for losing her virginity, through the meaning as a convent, while the meaning as a brothel shames her for being a harlot.

Shakespeare’s employment of dramatic struggle and disillusionment through his character Hamlet, contributes to the continued engagement of modern audiences. The employment of the soliloquy demonstrates Shakespeare’s approach to the dramatic treatment of these emotions. The soliloquy brings a compensating intimacy, and becomes the means by which Shakespeare brings the audience not only to a knowledge of secret thoughts of characters, but into the closest emotional touch with them too. Through this, the audiences therefore gain a closer relationship with Hamlet, and are absorbed by him because they are able to resonate with his circumstances, as he is faced with enduring truths of the human condition. Through these, the struggle and