Comparing Shakespeare's Hamlet and Marlowe of Conrad's Heart of Darkness

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.

Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, begins as an admired and noble young man. However, fate and the turn of events lead the tragic hero the depths of his fortunes. The tragedy starts with the death of the heroic King Hamlet. His brother, Claudius is the successor as King of Denmark and married the protagonist’s mother. When a ghost of the late King Hamlet appears, Hamlet’s downfall begins. The ghost explains to Hamlet that Claudius killed his father “upon my secure hour thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebona in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect holds such an enmity with blood of man” (1001). Hamlet then feels like he must get revenge against Claudius and sets out to plot how it will happen. King Claudius senses something suspicious about Hamlet and sends for Hamlet’s two

In the opening scene the guards on watch exchange conversation and within this conversation the theme of corruption starts to emerge. The simple exchange of the unknown “Who’s there?” as well as the statement “I am sick at heart.” introduces an uncertain dread as well as an ill corruption that marks the land (1.1.1-10). As the plot thickens several interactions between characters begin to illustrate the true status of Denmark. First, within Hamlet's suicidal soliloquy, Hamlet creates a metaphor referring to an “unweeded garden” that brings to light the idea of how deep the roots of corruption are spread within the nation (1.2.133-137). Secondly, Hamlet has a conversation with Marcellus and within this conversation Marcellus comes to the conclusion that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” which furthers a underlying fact that the nation is ill plagued (1.4.58-92). Last is as the Ghost speaks to Hamlet it reveals the truth of the Incestuos king Claudius and how it was by his hand that he had been killed (1.5.45-90). The conversation with the ghost also highlights Hamlets desire for revenge, which ultimately starts a domino effect of events which cause each character's

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has been performed thousands of times since it was “written in 1599–1601 and published in a quarto edition in 1603” (Britannica.com). It’s popularity stems from its themes that translate across time. These themes, are seen to be relatable even to this day with the ever growing audience. Readers and viewers are able to find similarities between the current state and or even relate to one of the characters or events taking place over the course of Shakespeare’s five act masterpiece. Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark remains a viable text for contemporary readers in that it functions as a mirror.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a work of immense depth in character development, most notably the personal, moral and psychological battles

During the early 1600s, a time of unrest and uncertainty spread through most of the world specifically in Europe as it began to see a gradual insurgency of leadership as new monarchs rose to great power as the existent ones faded. The legitimacy to how some new rulers gained their prestigious power came into question as tales of treason especially within families spread rapidly. William Shakespeare, having grown up near this time period was influenced by his surroundings and similar works such as histoires Tragiques, that inspired his work Hamlet. Although there are various views and opinions surrounding Hamlet as a whole, it is a great tragedy which centers itself on one’s own uncertainty and depicts seeking revenge as a major theme. These main topics are further discussed in the works or Kiernan Ryan and the British Library in “Hamlet and Revenge”, as well as “Hamlet in Purgatory” by Stephen Greenblatt. The main character, Hamlet however is both the protagonist and the tragic hero as the story unfolds. Hamlet is torn between his own conscience as expresses in his ongoing soliloquies and in doing what he believes is right opposed to seeking revenge, which leads him to being indecisive on his actions taken due to influence caused by those around him.

William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet relays Hamlet’s quest to avenge the murder of his father, the king of Denmark. The late King Hamlet was murdered by his brother, Claudius, who took the throne and Hamlet’s mother Gertrude for himself. Hamlet is beseeched by the ghost of his father to take vengeance upon Claudius; while he swears to do so, the prince inexplicably delays killing Claudius for months on end. Hamlet’s feeble attempt to first confirm his uncle’s guilt with a play that recounts the murder and his botched excuses for not killing Claudius when the opportunity arises serve as testimony to Hamlet’s true self. Hamlet is riddled with doubt towards the validity of the ghost and his own ability to carry out the act necessary to

The book, The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is about the protagonist, Charlie Marlow, re-telling his grotesque journey up the Congo River on behalf of a Belgian ivory trading company. During his journey he encounters the harshness of colonialism has impacted the African natives and just how money and power can fully consume the heart of a good man. The play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare outlines the story of a Prince seeking revenge for his father’s murder by his power hungry brother. The two works Hamlet and Heart of Darkness are set and written in different time periods and different settings, but, are metaphorically on the same shelf when it comes to how the dark themes of murder and corruption are presented and how they affect those around them.

One of the many beautiful aspects of art is that it gets perceived in many unique ways depending on the viewer’s cultural, political and social views and standpoints. Literature experiences different interpretations all the time and authors use this to their advantage to create a piece of work which remains evergreen. Shakespeare evidently utilises this technique in his most intriguing, and fascinating literary piece, Hamlet. Stuck in a tricky dilemma, the protagonist, Hamlet, must decide to avenge his father’s death by murdering the guilty one or to remain silent. Out of the many famous soliloquies of Hamlet, the climactic speech focuses on committing the physical deed of

To begin, the play immediately draws attention to conflict between reality and perception with the rumours that an apparition is moving about the Danish castle. The guards call on the scholar Horatio to solve the mystery, Horatio says that similar events – corpses rising from the grave, and walking throughout the town − happened when Julius Caesar was assassinated by his own senators (1.1.114-125) and in a following scene, the King tells Prince Hamlet the details surrounding his untimely death at the hands of a deceitful brother, for the reason that the rumour about him being stung by a serpent while sleeping in his orchard is false, instead the serpent did not sting him, but the one that wears his crowd committed murder (1.5.34-39). The presence of the ghost represents that something in the state of Denmark is morally wrong, Horatio’s character demonstrates in both men’s deaths, Caesar and King Hamlet, they represent the moral decay of humanity; proven true by King Hamlet’s speech to his son which indicates moral breakdown with images of sickness and evil. Shakespeare also shows how a person’s action that may seem moral, due to reasoning, can be made immoral by a person’s intentions. When Claudius ascends the throne and takes his brother’s wife, and the audience is told about the battle between Denmark and Norway, it may first appear as an act that provides security for the state and happiness for the grieving

   The legendary drama, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is a play illustrating the theme of virtue vs. villainy. The 17th century tragedy is plagued with treachery and deceit as it opens with the news of a foul murder in the kingdom of Denmark. Prince Hamlet, by word of his late father's ghost, is informed that his uncle Claudius is to blame for his father's sudden demise. Prince Hamlet's mission is to uncover the secrets surrounding the murder and to avenge his father's death. Thus, the insidious web of disease and corruption is formed. The relationship between disease leading to the greater corruption of Denmark plays a significant role in the lives of the principle players.

Great authors develop great literary devices. William Shakespeare analyzes and characterizes Hamlet throughout a period of despair. Literary devices are exercised to derive an extended understanding and different perspective of Hamlet’s internal conflicts. Hamlet, prince of Denmark, devotes himself to find a solution to his struggles throughout his melancholic state of being. Vexation for his father’s regicide, betrayal from his mother and friends, and his hesitation to act develop into a journey of self conflict. In “Hamlet”, Shakespeare utilizes soliloquies, symbols, and comparisons to establish Hamlet’s internal feelings, conflicts, and desire to avenge the Regicide of his father.

It is often that when we read great works of literature we come across similar themes. Authors use powerful ideas that they believe will move their readers and relate to them so they become engaged in the words written. William Shakespeare and Joseph Conrad were amazing writers of their times and even though their works were written almost 300 years apart, both, Othello and Heart of Darkness, have coinciding themes.

Texts become valued over time when they explore challenging and enduring ideas relevant to humanity. Hamlet (1603), a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, examines many important themes throughout the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, who seeks revenge for his father’s murder at the hands of his uncle, Claudius. The theme of action and inaction within the play highlights the need for balance within the human mind. The innate human pursuit of knowledge is personified by the theme of death. Finally, the use of archetypal characters causes the reader to empathise with them, allowing a greater emotional connection to the story.

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies. At first glance, it holds all of the common occurrences in a revenge tragedy which include plotting, ghosts, and madness, but its complexity as a story far transcends its functionality as a revenge tragedy. Revenge tragedies are often closely tied to the real or feigned madness in the play. Hamlet is such a complex revenge tragedy because there truly is a question about the sanity of the main character Prince Hamlet. Interestingly enough, this deepens the psychology of his character and affects the way that the revenge tragedy takes place. An evaluation of Hamlet’s actions and words over the course of the play can be determined to see that his ‘outsider’ outlook on society,