"I believe that if we are honest with ourselves, that the most fascinating problem in the world is 'Who am I?' What do you mean? What do you feel when you say the word 'I, myself'? I don’t think there can be an anymore fascinating preoccupation than that because it is so mysterious. It is so elusive. Because what you are in your inmost being escapes your examination in rather the same way you can’t look into your own eyes without a mirror, you can’t bite your own teeth, you can’t taste your own tongue and you can’t touch the end of one finger with the same finger. That is why there is always an element of profound mystery in the problem of who we are." This was said by Alan Watts, a British philosopher who specialized in spiritual and social identity.
What is existentialism? To put it simply, it is the belief that people are searching to find out who and
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“Since there is no teleology, the world wasn’t created for a reason, and it doesn’t exist for a reason. If there is no reason for any of this, then there are also no absolutes to abide by: there is no comic justice, no fairness, no order, no rules.”
Since Claudius is not being punished for his wrongdoings, Hamlet believes it is now his duty to bring justice to his father’s death
Jean-Paul Sartre believes that we are shockingly and painfully free, after all, “If there are no guidelines for our actions, then each of us is forced to design our own moral code, to invent a morality to live by.”
There are a couple of examples of this in Act 3
Act 3, Scene 3: Hamlet stops himself from killing Claudius even though it would be the perfect time to because he sees Claudius praying and he believes that if he killed Claudius at that moment Claudius would go to heaven instead of hell so Hamlet waits to kill
Hamlet realizes that he is dying and that he now has the excuse to kill Claudius
He wants to avenge his father but he knows that killing someone is wrong. This conflict appears when the ghost of his father tells him the Claudius killed him. The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius poisoned him, and that he wanted hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet tells his father “Haste me to know ‘t, that I, with as swift/ As meditation or thought of love,/ May sweep to my revenge” (I,V, 35-37). At this moment, Hamlet declares that he will take vengeance against Claudius. He plans to take revenge right away; however, as the play moves on Hamlet does not. Deep down Hamlet knew that killing someone was wrong for any reason. He also did not know if what the ghost said was true, he wanted solid proof that Claudius was indeed a murder, so Hamlet came up with a plan. The plan was to have a play performed for Claudius and Gertrude. Depending on how Claudius responds to the events in the play was going to show Hamlet if Claudius killed his father. Unfortunately, it was not long into the play when Claudius came out screaming, “Give me some light. Away!” (III, II, 295) after the scene in which the Player King is killed in is garden, the same way Claudius killed the old King. The outburst by Claudius proves to Hamlet that the ghost was telling the truth, giving Hamlet all the reassurance he need to fulfill his promise, but he doesn’t. He continued to question himself on whether he should kill
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.
After learning that his beloved father had been murdered, Hamlet decides to seek revenge against his uncle. All of Denmark has been led to believe that Old Hamlet died a natural death, and, having learned that this was not the case, and that "the serpent that did sting [Hamlet's] father's life now wears his crown"(I;v;38-9), Hamlet begins to plot against Claudius. His reasons for this were not because he was jealous of Claudius for marrying his mother so quickly after his father's death, but because he feels compelled to honour his father, whom he felt was "so excellent a king" (I;ii;139), and punish his killer, his uncle, who was "no more like my father than [Hamlet] to Hercules"(I;ii;152-3). Even before learning that Claudius stole his father's life, Hamlet agrees to
Claudius insists, "But you must know your father lost a father;/…But to persever/In obstinate condolement is a course/Of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief." (1.2.93-98). The late King's death is simplified to being part of a natural process, which Hamlet is denying, and push Hamlet to be seen as the abnormal member of the court in a time of 'celebration'. Claudius furthermore asserts that Hamlet cannot return to school, worsening the situation as Hamlet is prohibited from distancing himself from a source of his angst. Hamlet's uncle betrays Hamlet by denying him the opportunity to deal with his grief on his own terms, while belittling Hamlet's emotions and prohibiting him from leaving a toxic environment. Hamlet's mother betrays him as she denies him any public support during his uncle's reprimand. His mother argues, "Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off,/…Seek for thy noble father in the dust./Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die," (1.2.70-74). This argument only serves to compel Hamlet to believe that
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play about murder, betrayal, revenge, madness, and moral corruption. It touches upon philosophical ideas such as existentialism and relativism. Prince Hamlet frequently questions the meaning of life and the degrading of morals as he agonizes over his father’s murder, his mother’s incestuous infidelity, and what he should or shouldn’t do about it. At first, he is just depressed; still mourning the loss of his father as his mother marries his uncle. After he learns about the treachery of his uncle and the adultery of his mother, his already negative countenance declines further. He struggles with the task of killing Claudius, feeling burdened about having been asked to find a solution to a situation that was
Through the play Hamlet Prince of Denmark by Shakespeare, Shakespeare uses hamlet as a symbolic representation of existentialism and presents him with a series of challenges and questionsto be answered. The dictionary defines existentialism as a "philosophical movement . . . centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will some questions he is faced with is what is the purpose of life ? What is mankind ?
Hamlet’s plot to avenge his father’s death is ultimately driven by his passion and emotions, but his reasoning plays a role in the story as he considers the impact of certain actions. In scene three of act three, Hamlet finally receives an opportunity to carry out his plan. As Claudius is kneeling in prayer, the prince pulls out a sword and prepares to kill his father’s murderer. In this moment, he is driven by anger and bitterness, however, he suddenly has a realization and thinks logically. If he kills the man as he is praying, he will not suffer, but rather will go straight to heaven. Hamlet decides
In James Rachels’ book, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, he expresses ideas within the concluding chapter, “What Would a Satisfactory Moral Theory be like?” that lay an silhouette of every moral approach we have discussed so far and compounding it into a final discussion with a couple of final contentions towards a comprehensive understanding of morality and the approaches we can make as moral guides to make decisions that are virtuous for each class without exception. Rachels’ gives thoughtful perspective on all subjects that we have learned about and makes final accumulations for the way we can decide to use these for our own benefit. While then expressing the virtues we must value for ourselves to have a best plan, and the ways our choices can help others in a positive aspect.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, we are presented with a young man torn asunder after the sudden demise of his father. There is a point in the play where Hamlet vocalizes his feelings of displacement and loss within his world. The “To be, or not to be” monologue plunges the audience into the confused psyche of Hamlet, allowing us to empathize with Hamlet's existential crisis. This window into Hamlet’s dilemma strikes the audience, it is relatable in that we all face moments in our lives where we stand back and question our socially and self-imposed roles. The ramblings of Hamlet echo through history, and those same sentiments can be felt to this day. The true comparison lies in how we handle these tribulations.
Existentialism, which spread rapidly over continental Europe after the First World War, is essentially the analysis of the condition of man, of the particular state of being free, and of man's having constantly to use his freedom in order top answer the ever- changing and unexpected challenges of the day. According to the Existentialists, the starting point of every philosophical investigation is concrete human existence. That means that human personality in itself should point the way to the absolute value of reality. A single definition of existentialism is impossible. Definitions, provided by dictionaries are only part of what existentialism is about. …central to each definition is the assertion that existentialism is a theory or
Existentialism focuses on the subjective views and experiences on individuals as the sources of truth and reality for them. Existentialism has its base on how each individual person interprets the world around him/her. The individual has the freedom to do what he/she wants to do as long as such a person is liable for the consequences of his/hers. As a result, the individuals dictate his truth, his reality or what he believes is good or bad. This is against the other philosophies that relate what is good on laws and rules, norms and mores
Existentialism provides a moving account of the agony of being in the world. The spirit of existen- tialism has a long history in philosophy. But it be- came a major movement in the second half of the 20th century. Existentialism is not a systematic body of thought like Marxism or psychoanalysis. Instead, it is more like an umbrella under which a very wide range of thinkers struggled with ques- tions about the meaning of life.
What is mankind? This is a question that philosophy has yet to answer. Many philosophers have spent their life in search of answers to these questions dying before finding a suitable answer. The character Hamlet from Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet explores these questions, seeking truth and understanding as he tries to come to grips with his uncle killing his father. In the end, Hamlet proves his point and becomes a very existential character.
To put it simply, the philosophical view of existentialism indicates that the world is an irrational place where individuals possess their own purpose, and therefore the responsibility lies on each