Hamlet : A Literary Analysis Of Themes From Hamlet

murder in a rash mood. It is not seen by Gertrude. It tries to urge

“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.

Hamlets contemplation of ending his life shows an inward conflict within himself. In his first soliloquy, he debates whether he should commit suicide. "To be, or not to be- / that is the question: / whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them" (3.1. lines 64-68 Shakespeare). He questions why he should live with all of this chaos but overcomes this internal conflict because he acknowledges that in his religion suicide is a sin. “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, / or that the everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst (self-slaughter). O God! God!” (1.2. lines 133-136 Shakespeare). This soliloquy signifies the reality of Hamlet s internal conflict and also shows the reality of his external conflict with the society he is surrounded by. This declamation establishes

Hamlet is a play based on the theme of revenge. The common expression, an eye for an eye, is overly explicit in Hamlet. In the play, the relationship between father and son is an underlying achiever for each of the characters revenge. It is a common human trait for each son to feel exasperated over the death of his father. Revenge establishes hatred and urge the men to take actions without seeing sanity. Hamlet feels vacant knowing there is a solution to his father’s death and because there is no justice system to let Hamlet acknowledge the truth about his father’s death, he must take it into his own hands. Fortinbras is an inexperienced and wistful man that will stop for nothing to get revenge on the characters that killed his father.

Tyler Pisack Dr. Lutz Honors World Lit Period 7 October 4, 2014 Pg. 127- “To be or not to be”- Hamlet Essay In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Shakespeare uses soliloquies as a form of liberation for Hamlet so that we are able to view Hamlet’s true thoughts throughout the play, not what he pretends to think while in the presence of others. In Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” speech, which is probably the most significant soliloquy in the play, Shakespeare demonstrates the recurring meditation on death as Hamlet considers the meaning of life and what it might mean for him if he avenges his father by killing Claudius or if he kills himself. Here, we witness Hamlet’s actual depth of contemplation as he weighs his options to solve his unhappiness, thinking

I had only been in class for five minutes and someone had managed to get on my nerves. The guy who sat behind me kept tapping his pencil and clearing his throat. We were reading Hamlet.

At the beginning of Hamlet’s speech, he contemplates what he should do. He questions whether he should stay and fight his struggles, or if he should just end his life now. Hamlet questions, “Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,/Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,” (3.1.57-60). This metaphor proposes the question that one often faces in their life, by questioning whether they should fight or flight. In times of struggle, should one stay and fight it, or should one continue to suffer from the pain and agony that the hardship is precipitating. In the case of Hamlet, Hamlet must consider whether he should stay and follow through with the task that his father has given him, which is murder his uncle, or should he fight the task and leave the issue as it is. Which is the fact that Hamlet’s uncle murdered his father to gain his kingship and marry his wife. As Hamlet thinks about the task

“To be or not be--that is the question.” That is the question Hamlet is tormented by throughout the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare. Should I live? Should I die? Should I take revenge for my father’s death?

“There’s a remarkable amount of sexism on TV. When male characters are flawed, they’re interesting, deep and complex, but when women characters are flawed, they’re just a mess.” Ellen Pompeo. In “Hamlet” Ophelia and Gertrude are the only females mentioned throughout the Shakespeare’s tragic play. The two women are unappreciated and are considered fragile and weak-minded by the men in the play. Although the women play unforgettable leads, they also lie under the shadows of the powerful male characters in the play. The women and their unheard words and opinions are well kept from us because of the male’s characteristics, tragedies, and triumphs throughout each scene and still praised for their acts. For example, Prince Hamlet is seen as a nobleman and yet he exposes his mother Gertrude and his so called “lover” Ophelia, as the frail and dishonest women they are portrayed as, socially unimportant in the small role they play. Women are more of the filler characters to add a little bit more to the drama. Gertrude, Hamlet 's mother, and Ophelia, Hamlet 's love interest, are affected by the many decisions and actions done by Hamlet.

As one of the most famous and world-renowned works, Hamlet has been remade countless of times both on stage and on screen. In 2009 a modernized rendition of the brilliant play starring David Tennant as the Prince of Denmark, with Patrick Stewart as Claudius, and Penny Downie as Gertrude was released to the big screen. Set in early modern times, the clothes of this movie may have been updated, however the language remained loyal to the original text. With the significant length of this interpretation of the play, it can be assumed that the writers did not mess with the script too much, thus keeping the plot as it was intended to be enjoyed. While watching the film no major portion of the play was missing, and all actors did a very good job portraying the many conflicts and moments of insanity that is the play of Hamlet. David Tennant and Mariah Gale give brilliant performances of two very different types of insanity, allowing the play to become more understandable to the audience. In all, the movie gave respect to Shakespeare’s most famous of works, while making it enjoyable to a more modern spectators.

“True love is an act of the will-a conscious decision to do what is best for the other person instead of ourselves.” The quote by Billy Graham relates to the tragic play, Hamlet, by stating how true love is and should be rather than love being thought out to be doing what is best for yourself. One family in the story involves Hamlet, Gertrude, King Hamlet, and Claudius and the other family includes Ophelia, Polonius, and Laertes. Hamlet’s family serves as a foil for Ophelia’s family. Among these two families, the relationships between the parents and their children are represented in different ways. The relationship that Hamlet has with his father’s

Villa has intrigued gatherings of people and perusers for quite a long time, and the primary thing to call attention to about him is that he is cryptic. There is constantly more to him than alternate characters in the play can make sense of; even the most cautious and astute perusers leave away with the feeling that they don 't know everything there is to think about this character. Villa really tells different characters that there is a whole other world to him than meets the eye—remarkably, his mom, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—yet his interest includes significantly more than this. When he talks, he seems as though there 's something critical he 's not saying, perhaps something even he doesn 't know about. The capacity to compose discourses and dialogs that make this impact is one of Shakespeare 's most great accomplishments.

The “To be or not to be” soliloquy functions within the play as an explanation for Hamlet’s hesitation to directly and immediately kill avenge his father by the hands of his uncle Claudius due to the complexity of morality. Hamlet attempts to reason out whether the unknown beyond of death is any easier to bear than life as he has a hard time going through with some of the decisions he makes. The underlying character trait shown is Hamlet's indecisiveness and his own frustration at his own weaknesses. Hamlet seems less introspective about his failure to kill Claudius than his failure to take his own life. Hamlet really is depressed because of this and thinks about killing himself as a means to end his "sea of troubles."

Hamlet is a complicated character In the play he's so smart and wise but doesn't seem to use it. He makes the audience wonder what's his next move to get revenge and will he even kill his uncle. These are the questions he leaves us pondering over as the suspense builds up so does the character. He's a great character with many characteristics to

Meanwhile, after all the trouble and pain Hamlet has brought he is still talking about all his plans for revenge. Hamlet realizes his acts of revenge so far have been through word rather than deed, “O, vengeance! Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murder’d, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words, And fall a-cursing, like a very drab, A stallion! Fie upon’t! foh!” (Act 2 Scene 2 Line 581) Despite this, Hamlet continues only to speak about his plans for revenge, and never puts any of his ideas in to practice until the last scene. At one stage Hamlet had a perfect chance to kill