Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

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.

Shakespeare's drama Hamlet has become a central piece of literature of Western culture. It is the story of a prince named Hamlet, who lost his father. Soon after that he has to confront multiple obstacles and devises a series of situations to defend the new king's royalty. Furthermore, he had to prove that King Claudius, who was the prince's uncle, had killed Hamlet's father. This story has remained among the most popular and the most controversial plays around the world. It generates controversy for all the doubts that this play leaves with the readers. One of the most questioning situations in the play is the delay of Hamlet in avenging Claudius' for his father's death. As a reader this

Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.

Susan Snyder once said that comedy is “the ground from which, or against which, tragedy develops… comedy and tragedy function as polar opposites, or as two sides of the same coin.” (Snyder. Print). The prototypical comic clash between blocking father and youthful beaus, which underlies the activities of numerous Shakespearean comedies, illuminates one strand of the activity of Hamlet: the relationship between Polonius, Ophelia and the Prince. Also unmistakable in different tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet and

In this critical analysis, I will be examining an important scene that shows how Hamlet loses control and becomes a tragic flaw, or hero within this Shakespearean play. First of all, Hamlet’s loss of control beings within Act 3, scene 3, when the perfect possibility arises to avenge his father's tragic death by his uncle's jealousy. However, Hamlet chooses not to avenge his father's death and within this window of opportunity he loses complete control of the situation and things turn against him making him his own tragic hero. Throughout the play, and with most Shakespearean tragedies, there are always elements of a tragic hero that show how the main characters lead to their own downfall because they are too blind to see the truth. The elements of a tragic flaw, which result in hamlets undoing, tragic irony, the tragic results from loss of control, and most importantly catharsis the sudden climax of emotional change that results in Hamlet being a

“Oedipus the King” tells the terrible tale of a brilliant man who became king of Thebes and later discovers that he is the cause of a plague on the city because he killed his father and married his mother. “Hamlet” follows the events of a Danish prince who has been called upon to kill his uncle and thereby avenge his father’s murder. These two tragedies appear to have little in common on the surface, but upon closer inspection, share the many qualities of an epic tragedy.

Tragedy, drama and love. Hamlet is, in our minds, a living testament on human experience and cruel irony. He is inscrutably human with his fatal flaw, a characteristic that will inevitably lead to his defeat. His flaw, is hesitation, as it leads to his and many others demise. But, along with this flaw, are many other basic elements of humanity. These include friendship and love, bitter insanity and untimely death. They are a constant companion to all who are included in and hear this story. Finally, hamlets legacy is what truly survives the tests of time. With his dying words, hamlets instructs his best friend to tell his story and let his fellow countrymen, enemies and mere common people to know of him. His story lives for ages and many; if not all human qualities are present.

“Hamlet,” is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare about a prince seeking revenge. Although this play was written around the sixteen hundreds, its main character is still relatable to people of this era through emotional issues, relationship issues, and internal conflicts. These categories will be further discussed starting first with a biography of the author, a plot summary, a discussion of how Hamlet relates to people of this time period, and a summary of a critical review of Hamlet.

Shakespeare’s tragedies are filled with many commonalities: violent murders, treachery and revenge. However, while Hamlet, Prince of Denmark portrays these same ideas, it effectively fights against the traditional expectations of a Shakespearean tragedy. The play centers on Hamlet’s attempts to avenge his father’s murder, yet his greatest struggles are against himself. Stemming from his constant desire to plot a perfect revenge, Hamlet’s obsessiveness often leads to frustration. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony and lengthy soliloquies to give the reader an omniscient perspective that recognizes that Hamlet must let go of his desire to control the future.

William Shakespeare has changed the way that many people have viewed plays and literature throughout his life and is still carrying that legacy to this day. This is most prominent in his famous tragedy, Hamlet, which is still analyzed for its success as a renowned classic. The story is about a prince named Hamlet who meets his Father’s ghost and learns of their murder by his uncle. The story continues by depicting Hamlet’s revenge and his falling into madness. Hamlet illustrates masterful uses of literary devices in the use of euphemisms, imagery, and similes to create an interesting tragedy that changed the outlook on literature as a whole. Shakespeare has indisputable skill in mastery over literary devices that shape themselves into an heart wrenching masterpiece.

The Shakespearean play of Hamlet does have enduring appeal among all audiences regardless of time and culture. This due to the fact that Shakespeare generally tends to display themes in a complex manner and Hamlet is no exception. The main contribution to Hamlet’s Appeal is the fact that the theme of revenge was handled in an effective way. Although multiple forms of media portray a revenge plot, Shakespeare indulges the audience with a revenge plot that is complex and doesn’t revolve around the loss of humanity of the protagonist.

Shakespeare’s texts have been re-visited, re-interpreted and re-invented to suit the context and preferences of an evolving audience, and it through this constant recreation it is evident that Hamlet “does not define or exhaust its possibilities”. Through the creation of a character who emulates a variety of different themes, such as revenge, realisation of reality and the questioning of humanity, we can see the different possibilities within Hamlet as an “admirable text” with enduring human value. Furthermore, the emotional journey of Hamlet

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, Ophelia is a passive woman. She went through her life just letting whatever happened to her happen. Her father, Polonius, was a controlling father, like most fathers of that time. Her boyfriend, Prince Hamlet, is insane and cruel. With these two men controlling her life more than anyone else it made her rely on both of them being there. Ophelia grew to rely on people telling her what to do. Ophelia’s mental stability deteriorates because Hamlet rejects her and her father is killed by Hamlet.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a revenge tragedy, rich with plotting, murders, spying, deceit, betrayal, and madness. Characters with self-involved interests go through massive transformations throughout the drama, with the outcome resulting in disaster. The lead character, Hamlet, is marred by inconsistencies and flaws that challenge him in his path to achieve revenge, and which ultimately produce his downfall. Shakespeare’s play also confronts questions of fate and destiny, as is the case with Hamlet who believes there is some greater, divine force governing his life’s direction. Hamlet is a powerful narrative in which the hero must confront his passionate desire for revenge juxtaposed with his responsibilities and duties as a prince.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the world’s most renowned plays, one which has stood the test of time over the course of 400 years, finding relevance even today. A complex and sophisticated work, Hamlet is a masterful weaving of the myriad of components that make up the human experience; it delicately touches upon such topics as death, romance, vengeance, and mania, among several others. Being so intricate and involuted, Hamlet has been interpreted in countless fashions since its conception, with each reader construing it through their own subjectivity. Some of the most popular and accredited methods of analyzing the work are the Traditional Revenge Tragedy, Existentialist, Psychoanalytic, Romantic, and Act of Mourning approaches.