As early as the mid 1800’s, the phrase “looking through rose-tinted glasses,” has been used. This simple saying was utilized to explain instances when people looked at their surroundings and choose to see the positives rather than the negatives. The idea of specifically looking at certain aspects of a situation is commonly found in any scenario, and within the Shakespearian play, Hamlet, this is certainly the case. By experiencing a large portion of the drama through Hamlet’s opinions and voice, the audience has little choice than to see other characters as Hamlet sees them. While giving a consistent flow and viewpoint to the whole play, this singular interpretation of characters leads to a bias that is hard for the text itself and other characters to overcome. By investigating the idea that this bias causes a misinterpretation of Hamlet itself, the play’s overall meaning becomes convoluted as other characters such as Claudius are revealed to have more meaning and depth than originally conveyed.
I) DISCREDITING HAMLET AS A NARRATOR
One of the most debated topics of the play Hamlet is the question of sanity in terms of the main character. Hamlet experiences a particularly traumatic incident when his father is killed by Claudius, his uncle. While he does not know this fact until later, Hamlet harbors a contempt for his uncle who has married his mother. Claudius addressed this contempt early in the play at a celebration of the two’s marriage and his new rule over Denmark. He
What is madness? Is someone considered mad or insane simply because they are different, and they, in turn, see the rest of the world as insane? William Shakespeare 's play Hamlet is about a complex protagonist, Hamlet, who plays the role of a tragic hero. He encounters several misfortunes from experiencing his beloved father’s death, witnessing his mother 's incestuous remarriage to his uncle, and seeing his father’s ghost. Due to all of this, Hamlet falls into a deep depression. Hamlet begins his journey by seeking revenge against Claudius after discovering that his noble father was murdered by his own uncle. Hamlet is a character whose actions and emotions may seem like one of an insane person, however, in the beginning of the play, it is clear that he decides to fake madness in order to gain an advantage over Claudius. This would aid in him in accomplishing his revenge. Hamlet is sane throughout the play: he only shows signs of insanity in front of certain people whom he does not trust. However, even they believe that his madness is not sheer madness but has a reason to it. Hamlet’s character is sane as in the play his rationality is shown through the logic and intelligence he uses in his plots. He usually calculates his movements and his impulsive acts are justified. While there are reasons to believe that many of the hardships could have driven Hamlet to the point of insanity, his display of intelligence and rational thinking throughout the play proves his sanity.
In this play “Hamlet” written by William Shakespeare, there are many soliloquies that are said by Hamlet to depict various meanings of his thoughts, feelings, and actions that are inside of him. More specifically the soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, in lines 57-91 starts off with the famous saying known as “To be, or not to be”. Throughout this soliloquy, Hamlet is asking himself the question of whether it is better to live or not to live. In life, we are faced with many situations where we feel the need to give up our life and not face the problems. Only by facing all the troubles, will a person become stronger and more courageous to handle anything in life. By believing in one’s self, can man have the courage to follow what they think is right. Killing yourself or giving up is never a solution in life. This soliloquy reveals Hamlet’s fearful personality by showing that his decision-making process is slow and that he fears risks or uncertainty. These character traits are depicted thoroughly by Hamlet throughout the play.
The male characters in Hamlet continually abuse both Ophelia and Gertrude, physically and psychologically, as a pathetic attempt to gain power and control over the situation. One of the greatest examples of psychological abuse comes from the harrowing scene where Hamlet and Ophelia have their final conversation before Hamlet leaves for England. During this rage-induced altercation, Hamlet refuses to accept Ophelia’s returning of the gifts previously given to her from him, saying “I never gave you aught” (3.1.97). Ophelia is appalled as Hamlet continues to insult her and laugh in her face. In the climax of the argument, Hamlet tells Ophelia that she “should not have believed me; for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it: I loved you not” (3.1.117-119). The immense amount of psychological damage received by Ophelia between the addition and removal of love by Hamlet and her father’s death is enough to drive anyone to madness. David M. Smith recounts this as Hamlet’s necessity “to genuine outsideness because of the danger of being co-opted by love” (Smith, 1). However, Hamlet no longer needed to protect himself in his situation. His actions from this scene were not only uncalled for, but added to the slow mental demise of his sweet Ophelia. Hamlet’s next scene of abuse come shortly after this when he goes to speak to Gertrude about her participation in the murder of Old Hamlet. His rage, yet again, takes over, but this time he adopts physical abuse
Within Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, the churning tides of and hate are very prominent, but, as the character’s personalities collide and develop, revenge is the key that unlocks their unprecedented doom. There are different styles of writing in this piece that represents revenge. From the start of the play (the epilogue) there were signs of different styles of writing. Looking more closely to the text, Hamlet would address the royalty in the poetic form while addressing to people under him in old English. Revenge is indubitably Hamlet’s forte, but it also made the reader’s understand the morality of the issue. Mortality was mentioned in almost every line in Hamlet.
Almost every story involves a conflict between hero and villain. In some stories, there is a plot twist where the hero is also the villain—but in Hamlet, there are no heroes and many villains. In Hamlet, every character has lied, kept secrets or is seeking revenge that leads to a tragic ending at every corner, but what we fail to see is who the true villain is. Looking at the character of Hamlet throughout the play, it is easier to spot his many dishonorable actions than his few honorable ones.
Hamlet, a play written by William Shakespeare, is all about revenge. All is not well in Denmark where a king is murdered and his son is out to avenge him. The only two females in the play, Gertrude and Ophelia, are completely overlooked. The two have little role in the story and are only present when talking to one of the men. Gertrude lost her first husband and quickly remarried to his brother, Claudius. Her son, Hamlet, greatly despises her for it. Ophelia believes that she and Hamlet are in love and she is the cause of his madness. None of the men pay much attention to them unless they are being scolded or used in a plan. Ophelia and Gertrude have many similarities like how they do as they are told and are victims of Hamlet’s madness, yet are different like how they love Hamlet and how they react to death of a loved one.
Being indecisive means not showing or having the ability to make a decision. Not making a decision quickly and efficiently. In the book Hamlet, the main character, the prince of Denmark. Hamlet has shown that he is indecisive throughout the book. Hamlet shows that he is mostly indecisive when it comes to his father’s death, King Hamlet. Hamlet also doesn’t trust anybody. Hamlet can’t even trust his own family or his girlfriend. Hamlet has been acting like he is mad because he doesn’t want to confront people so he just acts like he is crazy. Hamlet always acts with an impulse, Hamlet can only show bravery when it doesn’t involve his family. Such as when his boat was attacked in England by pirates. At this point Hamlet just doesn’t know what to do with his life. Everything is moving too fast, like his mom getting married quick after his father’s death. Also the fact that Gertrude married Hamlets uncle is just too much for Hamlet right now.
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character Hamlet must deal with both external and internal conflict. Hamlet encounters many struggles and has trouble finding a way to deal with them. With so many corrupt people in his life, Hamlet feels as if there is no one that he can trust and begins to isolate himself from others. A result from this isolation leads Hamlet to become melancholy. Hamlet struggles with suicidal thoughts, wants to kill King Claudius, and is distraught over his mother’s hasty marriage with his uncle Claudius.
William Shakespeare’s supreme tragic drama Hamlet does not answer fully for many in the audience the pivotal question concerning the sanity of Hamlet – whether it is totally feigned or not. Let us treat this topic in detail, along with critical comment.
A character so complex, enticing and fascinating, his name is Hamlet. We are all Hamlet, and that, is the argument. Hamlet is an enigmatic character with many flaws. These flaws are the ones that prove similarities between us and him. A play so popular and significant is due to its huge relevance to us as a society. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s character and metaphor to demonstrate that when one is left alone to their thoughts, these thoughts overtake reason. Consequently, people must find peace and quiet in their ability to avert such dark thoughts.
Many can feel lost at times because, but the confusion only allows them to see themselves. Individuals lose themselves in the state confusion, but can learn things that they never knew. Characters in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead lose themselves in confusion but realize something new about themselves. Different characters face realization through different feelings, such as uncertainty, distraction, and agitation. Even though confusion leads an individual’s thoughts into turmoil, confusion will allow the individual to change in a positive or negative way. Individuals will react differently to situations and have different outcomes, but they will all go through the same process of battling against their own minds in order
Hamlet’s state of mind has been argued over ever since Shakespeare’s play was written. Whole books have been created to tackle this mystery. In the play, there is an element of ambiguity behind Hamlet’s mentality. Several times throughout the play, Hamlet claims that he is sane. Yet, many of his actions are too extreme for a sane person to perform.
The play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is set in an anti-feminist era. Women traditionally have been seen inferior to men. This was an intellectual as well as a physical issue. Women were to raise a family, cook, clean, be pretty and not be smarter than any man. The main characters Ophelia and Gertrude are both depicted with these characteristics as powerless and frail people. This illustration of helpless women affects one's understanding of what their true selves could be.
Shakespeare writes in a way that is difficult to understand for anyone that speaks the modern language. His story Hamlet is understood through the emotions felt by his characters. Hamlet is the main character who is conflicted with revenge and conspiring friendships. Hamlet returns home from Germany for his father’s funeral only to find far more troubling things. Hamlet is a conflicted character but that doesn’t stop him from knowing what he wants. Revenge is the main cause of his confliction but with great reason, which is important to understand about this play because it helps explain all the betrayal and tragedy.
In the beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet tells Horatio, “I perchance hereafter shall think meet / to put an antic disposition on” (Act I, Scene V, lines 190-192). Hamlet decides to fake his insanity, but does his insanity become his reality throughout the play? Hamlet 's madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves irrationally. When Hamlet is around Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, The Players and the Gravediggers, he behaves rationally. His mood and attitude changes abruptly throughout the play leading one to believe that his madness became a