Shakespeare's brilliant play is still forming the thoughts of people today. The theme of Hamlet has been debated throughout all of literary and Shakespeare's history, and is likely the most tragic play of Shakespeare's tragedies. It is a worrisome twist of passion and tragedies, that feels like it will never end, until it abruptly does. Hamlet will do anything to avenge his father’s murder, even if it means damaging himself and all of the people around him, while disobeying his own morals; Hamlet believes that murdering Claudius is moral, because Claudius killed his own father, and he is just mimicking his sin. Hamlet swore he would avenge his father, which caused the downfall and ruination of himself and almost everyone associated with him. The Ghost speaks to Hamlet demanding vengeance and says “Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched, Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin... With all my imperfections on my head" (1.5.81-86). He found comfort in seeing his father's Ghost, but he did not find it comforting when his father told him Claudius was the one who poured poison in his father’s ear as he slept. Dismally Hamlet's father still had many sins at the time of his murder, but instead of remorse he only seeks retribution. The Ghost tells Hamlet to let guilt do his mother’s damage, by telling him “Leave her to heaven And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge To prick and sting her" (1.5.94-96). Although Hamlet is not
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.
Hamlet ends his soliloquy by saying “But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue.” One reason Hamlet states he must hold his tongue, is that there is no point continuing with his speech, because no one in the royal court let alone Denmark seems to find any wrong-doing regarding Queen Gertrude marrying her dead husband’s brother. Another reason Hamlet may have said “for I must hold my tongue is because even though he is tormented by Queen Gertrude and King Claudius’ marriage Hamlet knows he can’t discuss his anguish with anyone else. This is evident when Hamlet says “But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue.”
Supporting characters are often looked at as impractical and unnecessary, however they are just as important as major characters. Supporting characters help influence the way the main characters act and what they do. Minor characters not only make the main characters more meaningful, but they also help to develop and drive the plot. Ophelia, falling victim to the neglect and abuse of the other characters and depending solely on the men in her life, becomes the only character who truly becomes mad. Polonius’ concern with how others perceive him, along with his selfishness ultimately leads to him driving his children further away from him thus leaving Claudius with more power. Claudius uses manipulation, corruption and destruction of the lives of the innocent to stay in power, and in doing so; he is the epitome of all evil events that occur. In the tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the plot of the play obtains added mystery and dramatic appeal due to the complexity of the supporting characters, which propel the play to move forward.
He does not believe that it is truly his father. Even after seeing the ghost himself, Hamlet remains cynical, although he does in fact emotional upon seeing it. The ghost tells Hamlet that his brother killed him in order to steal both his wife and the throne. Hamlet becomes confused after seeing his father’s ghost and is unsure of how he should react. However, he vows to seek revenge against his uncle, although he refuses to do so without first having sufficient evidence to prove his uncle’s guilt.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, women are usually illustrated as strong,independent, confident, and self-serving individuals. Previously scene from King Lear with both Regan and Goneril and in Macbeth with Lady Macbeth, these characters show the true strength of a woman. However, in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the woman are seen as weak. Being the only female characters in the play, Ophelia and Gertrude allow us to observe the role of women in Hamlet. The men surrounding them continuously control both Ophelia and Gertrude, as they agree to be pawns in several plans for the men that are in their lives. Both women eventually choose another man over Hamlet , while playing a big role in his life, they betray him. The betrayal
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Murder! Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange and unnatural.” (Hamlet, 1.5 25-28) In Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Ghost, which can be either interpreted as Hamlet’s late father or a figment of Hamlet’s imagination, commands the young Hamlet to take revenge for the death of the former King of Denmark. In this iconic scene, young Hamlet takes heed of the Ghost’s words and it sets forward in motion the plot for revenge. Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, major protagonists take revenge in response to a transgression, whether it be real or perceived. In Hamlet, the titular protagonist takes revenge against his uncle Claudius as retaliation for the murder of his father. Similarly, in Romeo and Juliet, another titular protagonist, Romeo takes revenge against his rival Tybalt for the murder of his good friend Mercutio. In Julius Caesar, Brutus with the assistance of some members of the Senate take revenge against the eponymous Julius Caesar for his betrayal of the Roman Republic. Whereas in all of Shakespeare’s plays referenced above involve violent acts of revenge, the actor/s motivations and, no pun intended, execution vary. Regardless of their varying motivations and methods for revenge, in all three separate cases none of the actors are wholly satisfied with the outcome once their act of revenge is complete. Furthermore, Shakespeare indicates that revenge is ineffective in exacting equal
Throughout the Elizabethan era, women were often considered insignificant and were never granted important parts in the plays. However, during the 1600’s, women gained an appreciation for the existence of their characters and played major roles in which impacted the progress of the play as a whole and other characters involved. This is evident in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where two major female characters, Gertrude and Ophelia, contributed as crucial roles to the development of the tragedy. The plot of the play could not have been developed if it weren’t for Gertrude’s, the Queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet, marriage to Claudius. Her hasty actions further worsened her relationship with Hamlet, and ultimately brought negative
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet the ghost is in the imagination of Hamlet and is nonexistent. For example, the sane queen did not see the “ghost” that Hamlet was referring to. The Queen asks Hamlet, “To whom do you speak this?” (III.iv.143). Hamlet, who has been acting mad and delusional throughout the play, thinks he is talking to the “ghost” of his father. The rational and mother is saddened that her son has gone mad and is seeing things. Although Hamlet does say he plans to act crazy, there is somewhat of a blur between whether Hamlet is acting crazy, or whether his madness has gotten to him at this point. Some individuals may point out that the three other guards, Marcellus, Bernardo, and Horatio, saw the ghost too. However, the
In William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV, Falstaff and King Henry IV share father-figure relationships with Henry “Hal,” Prince of Wales. The former, a drunk and cavalier knight, acts as a surrogate father to the prince, while the latter, a determined and distanced monarch, is his blood. Yet, who is the better father-figure to Hal? Although Falstaff and Prince Henry share a strong, quasi father-son relationship, the former’s manifestation of the tavern atmosphere, venality and dishonor are obstacles to the Prince’s goals; King Henry IV, on the other hand, is the better father-figure because he motivates his son to realize his ambitions, and embodies the setting of the court and the monarchy in which the Prince
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.
Death weighs heavily on the minds of Hamlet and Desiree as it turns out to be the only solution to escape from the world which brings them sadness and pain. “To be, or not to be; that is the question.” – the same question that both of these characters contemplate on how to deal with their life after they realised the grim truth about the people they should be able to trust most.
William Shakespeare’s timeless play, Hamlet, follows the grieving prince of Denmark as he tries to avenge his father’s murder while struggling to accept that his mother Gertrude married her husband’s murderer and brother, Claudius. At the same time, Hamlet is having difficulty coming to terms with his feelings for Ophelia. His relationship with her becomes much more complicated when he kills her father Polonius, thinking he was King Claudius. Realizing that something must be done with Hamlet, Claudius sends him away to England with his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern along with a letter to England saying to kill Hamlet upon arrival. However, Hamlet discovers the letter and switches out the King’s letter with a death sentence for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern without a second thought. While Hamlet is at sea, Polonius’s son Laertes comes to the castle demanding revenge for his father’s death. Claudius sees this a chance to finally get rid of Hamlet and stages a plan to murder Hamlet. The plan back fires when Gertrude drinks the poisoned drink instead of Hamlet and in the duel Laertes and Hamlet are both stabbed by the poisoned blade. When Hamlet knows he is dying, he stabs Claudius with the blade and they all end up perishing. Throughout this dramatic tragedy there are many messages, but I believe one of the most important overarching themes, shown using the emotion of guilt, is that humans are complex beings who are not entirely good or entirely evil.
Hamlet by Shakespeare is arguably one of the greatest plays that have been written. Hamlet was so successful that the first version to be printed was an unauthorized pirated version conceived from past performers memories. The poet and critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge in the beginning of the nineteenth century could write, "Hamlet has been the darling of every country in which the literature of England has been fostered"(Williamson 86). Due to this plays intriguing poetry and the scope and depth of human character and complexity this tragic play cannot be overseen. From the moment we meet Hamlet we realize that he is an intense character. Best way to describe the character is that he is a man of radical contradictions. He is
“If you are sure you understand everything that is going on, you are hopelessly confused” (Walter F. Mondale, 42nd Vice-President of the United States). The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, written by William Shakespeare, is a classic piece of literature in which the characters’ actions alone contribute to one’s understanding of the entire story. One such character is known as the fair Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover. Ophelia is naive, malleable, and muddled. Throughout the play, Ophelia is seen as an oblivious maiden who is just another role in the story. However, as the play progresses, the audience begins to uncover more and more about who she really is, and her character begins to develop. Ophelia is easily tricked into doing her father’s
Tragedy, according to American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, is a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, tragedy is no short supply. Shakespeare takes the reader on a journey of epic proportions through the struggles and conflicts, internal and external, that Hamlet faces on his quest to discover his father’s murderer and avenge his death. No other literary work encompasses the embodiment of tragedy quite like William Shakespeare does in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Deeper exploration of the nature and worthiness of Hamlet himself, as well as, the situations and solutions Hamlet faced, and the manner in which Hamlet responded to the consequences of his actions, undeniably embodies tragedy.