Characterisation And Symbolism In Hamlet

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.

When looking at Hamlet, one could say that William Shakespeare put the play together as a very cathartic tragedy. The emotional result of dealing with so many deaths brings on a plethora of emotions which are not usually felt in a typical play. Hamlet begins not with the normal prosperity and good fortune as do most tragedies, but with a more stifling and depressing sort of mood (Tekany 115). However, something else could be said about this play as well. The play centers on Hamlet and his existential characteristics, such as angst, isolation and his confrontations with nothingness. The exhibition of these characteristics proves Hamlet to be an existential character.

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.

William Shakespeare uses a multitude of major well-hidden symbols in his famous play, Hamlet. One of the first symbols to be uncovered early in the play is Hamlets father returning as an apparition. His father’s ghost reveals the plot of the play to the reader by telling Hamlet that Claudius, his uncle murdered him in cold blood and Hamlet must avenge him ultimately symbolizing death. Another a major yet well-hidden symbol within the play is the flowers that Ophelia hands out to her brother Laertes, the royal King Claudius and Queen Gertrude. Each type of flower handed out hint major clues about the characters that received flowers, which make them an extremely important symbol. The skull of Yorick is also a major symbol that hides vital

Shakespear’s Hamlet is one of the greatest plays ever written. Hamlet is a revenge tragedy in five acts written in early seventeenth century, around 1599-1601. The play was written in a time when the ideas of Renaissance humanism were getting a lot of attention and slowly replacing the common ideas at the time of God-fearing values of the middle ages. This transition and the resulting conflicts of ideas are presented on many levels of the play and that explains why this very old tragedy has been popular, relevant and extremely fascinating for more than 400

The final way that Laertes acts as a foil to Hamlet occurs once again when Claudius and Laertes are discussing Laertes’ actions to achieve his vengeance. Claudius gives Laertes advice saying, “That we would do/ we should do when we would; for this ‘would’/ changes” (4.7.134-136). Claudius is warning Laertes that if he waits long enough, he will probably end up not doing anything at all and will not achieve his goal of vengeance. This quote spoken by Claudius is quite similar to when King Hamlet’s ghost meets with Hamlet earlier in the play to warn him about how he was killed by Claudius and that he must get revenge. King Hamlet’s ghost also warns Hamlet saying, “Taint not thy mind” (1.5.92), telling him to not over think his plan because otherwise he will not pursue his vengeance. After Claudius warns Laertes to not get side tracked, the audience is reminded of King Hamlet’s ghost telling Hamlet to not over think because then their plans will not be pursued. This scene acts as a foil towards Hamlet because soon after the conversation, Laertes does pursue his plan of seeking vengeance, whereas Hamlet has been working on his plan the whole play, and has still not started to execute it.

Hamlet is as much a story of emotional conflict, paranoia, and self-doubt as it is one of revenge and tragedy. The protagonist, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, is instructed by his slain father’s ghost to enact vengeance upon his uncle Claudius, whose treacherous murder of Hamlet’s father gave way to his rise to power. Overcome by anguish and obligation to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet ultimately commits a number of killings throughout the story. However, we are not to view the character Hamlet as a sick individual, but rather one who has been victimized by his own circumstances.

Hamlet sees something that is rotten in his kingdom and he knows it is his moral responsibility to resolve this issues however he finishes off by saying that in actual fact he is powerless “but break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” admitting his weakness. Hamlet begins to grapple with the nature of humanity and morality following the confrontation with the ghost. The appearance of the ghost triggers Hamlet’s existential struggle “All is not well… I doubt some foul play… foul deeds will rise” (Act 1 scene 2) through the use of foreshadowing, Shakespeare exposes the nature of humanity to audiences through the construction of Hamlet’s character. He emphasises that a strong sense of morality can cause conflicts in the decision to make noble choices.

Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, begins with the appearance of a ghost, an apparition, possibly a hallucination. Thus, from the beginning, Shakespeare presents the air of uncertainty, of the unnatural, which drives the action of the play and develops in the protagonist as a struggle to clarify what only seems to be absolute and what is actually reality. Hamlet's mind, therefore, becomes the central force of the play, choosing the direction of the conflict by his decisions regarding his revenge and defining the outcome.

The symbolism of the ‘ghost’ acts as a dramatic technique which coerces Hamlet in seeking revenge. This scene creates confusion and suspense as Hamlet encapsulates himself as the avenger simply on the basis of the ghost. However, he cannot fathom whether the biblical allusion ‘is’ real or “be the devil” in disguise. Therefore leading to Hamlet’s vacillation between the culturally accepted archaic norm of revenge killings or following traditional Judeo- Christian beliefs of not committing murder. Due to this indecisiveness Hamlet laments being ‘born’ and feels “out of joint” from his kingdom and himself. Shakespeare application of soliloquies discusses existential questions and human futility. Further, showcases Hamlet’s disillusion and powerlessness is enacting his task and enduring the spiritual repercussions. Depicted through the alliteration “self-slaughter”, negative emotions and lack of affirmation fog his decision as AC Bradely wrote Hamlet was in ‘a state of profound melancholy’ with his hamartia and disloyalty within the kingdom. Therefore Shakespeare’s challenges the convention of revenge still remains valid and timeless because modern society is obsessed with the idea of revenge. Hamlet represents humanity allowing audiences to differentiate between the thirst for lustful revenge and the moral, religious beliefs of taking

The renowned play Hamlet is open to interpretation due to the ambiguity of the original text. This ambiguity is caused by the complexity of the language ideas and themes, causing many readings of Hamlet to arise in the years following publication. Throughout the play, the characteristics of Denmark’s Prince Hamlet falls victim to this cause and effect as fragments of dialogue are either emphasised or ignored which allows for the construction of a variety of interpretations. Hamlet, as a result is famously known for his paranoia, melancholy and vengeance. However, evidence suggests that this is a paradox and the actuality of Hamlet’s nature is one that is philosophical, reflective, prone to questioning and therefore aware of the larger moral implications of his own actions (Salter, M,. 1988).

In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare integrates a variety of symbolism, themes and motifs in order to deepen the thoughts of his writing; one of the main themes of this play being revenge. Hamlet is a typical Shakespearean tragedy where the audience comes to understand the main character, Hamlet, the Prince of Edward, and his difficulties in accomplishing his ultimate goal - avenging his father’s death. Through this tragic hero, the audience is able to recognize a multitude of flaws within themselves and more importantly within human nature; it enables us to seek answers to questions about humanity. Shakespeare’s concealed messages evokes one to ponder and examine the world. “To be, or not to be: that is the question” (3.1.57) is a thought

Central to the plot and the themes developed in Shakespeare's Hamlet, are the varying elements of corruption which occur during the play. This is echoed in Marcellus' famous comment of 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,' when Hamlet is beckoned away by the Ghost (1.4.90). As the play continues and the story enfolds, it becomes apparent that there truly is 'something rotten in the state of Denmark,' and rather that it is not just one 'something,' but many things.

In Hamlet, physical entities are seldomly used to express thematic action point. One significant symbolism is Yorick’s skull, which Hamlet locates in the graveyard in the first scene of Act V. When hamlet undergoes a conversation with

For many of us, our parents are our role models and the people we look up to. They take care of us and know what is best for us. For that reason, we should obey them and listen to their advice. We all have heard that before, but what if that is not true? What if our parent's decisions are not for the best of us? That is what Shakespeare proposes in the play Hamlet. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, parents' flaws lead to the destruction of their loyal children. Ophelia, Laertes, and Hamlet's lives are hijacked by their filial piety.