Hamlet's "fall of a sparrow" speech, Shakespeare's well-known citation of Matthew 10:29, and Ecclesiastes 3:15 is a summary of God's view of time: "That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God required that which is past" (King James Translation). The Preacher first states that the past is the present, a familiar perception, but then makes the paradoxical claim that the future has already happened in the past (Carson 1995).
Hamlet remembers the Gospel according to St. Matthew, chapter 10: "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your
…show more content…
The two ideas and his final statement affirms his belief in God's necessity; “things have to happen as they do.” In general terms, the verse means that since God oversees all time and creatures, he experiences everything in an eternal present, and therefore all human acts have been (and always are) necessary, even though they seem to spring from circumstance. Whereas the Preacher diminishes the future in emphasizing that it has already occurred in the past and asserts that the present is merely the tip of the past, Hamlet pins his hopes on the future, immediate or eventual, because as he said earlier about his unacted revenge. The past certainly circumscribes Hamlet's present and determines his future, but Hamlet dwells on the future because that is when his revenge must come. Both the Preacher's and Hamlet's words carry the tone of grave acquiescence in divine destiny; however, the Preacher's words come in the context of a warning, whereas Hamlet's indicate his preparation and encourage. Having faith in God, I would say that is where Hamlet found his courage regardless of the fortune that he would have received if he
This year as a class we have read 2 different books. One of these books was at the beginning of the school year called “lorde of the flies.” In this book there are a bunch of kids stranded on an island due to a plane crash with no parental supervision. You see how different you are in a life where there are no rules and how savage you become when you put on a mask. These boys tested each other and themselves and at the end of the day got some people killed. The other book we read this year was Hamlet. This book was about a young prince whose father had died and his mother marries his uncle soon after. Hamlet was still grieving as his mother and uncle are having their incestual wedding. Hamlet also sometimes sees his father as a ghost and the ghost tells him that Hamlet's uncle killed the king (who is the ghost speaking to him) and this causes only cauas. Hamlet too feels alone like the boys in lord of the flies and begins doing things he never thought he would. These books opened my eyes to how different people become depending on the situation they are in and depending on how ruthless you are willing to be. I know now that if something bad happens to learn how to forgive the way Hamlet couldn’t and to let go of things.
Thomas on the other hand was ok with knowing Victor would not talk to him again after their trip to Phoenix. “I know you ain’t going to treat me any better than you did before. I know your friends would give you too much shit about it.” (Alexie P. 518) He asked of Victor one favor only, he said, “Just one time when I’m telling a story somewhere, why don’t you stop and listen? Just once!” (Alexie P. 519)
In the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare leaves you wondering about death. Through the characters in the play, he reveals his own thoughts about death. Does Shakespeare portray a deep understanding of death in this play? The never-ending cycle of death and revenge is evident throughout the entire play.
The soliloquy begins with Hamlet's thoughts on how time is running by and he still hasn't done anything. He says:
Dearest friends, family and the people of Denmark. We gather here today to mourn the loss of the noble prince, loyal son and true friend, Prince Hamlet. But we are not here only to mourn, but to reminisce the times we have spent with him, both the good and the bad and to remember him as the person he was. Prince Hamlet did not live a very fortunate, on the contrary his final weeks were filled with a tragedy none of us should have to bear, but he lived his life to the full and I am sure that he has, in some way touched the lives of all of us here today.
Hamlet went from a mourning Prince of Denmark over the death of his father, to a revenge seeking murderer as the play progresses. This transition in character is evident through Hamlets meaning of life; the desire for justice. After the meeting with the ghost, his worldview completely changed to a craving for revenge. In today’s ever changing world, people who act on revenge are no longer socially acceptable. These people who act on revenge often commit mortal sins and heavy crimes and are set to life in prison. Hamlet is the only person to blame for his death because of his worldview. “A villain kills my father, and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.” (Shakespeare 3.3 76-78) At this point, Hamlet’s worldview is completely based on getting revenge for his father. There is nothing more important in life at the time. Hamlet has just killed Polonius mistaking him as Claudius. Moments later Hamlet is face to face with Claudius, but chooses not to kill him because he wants the worst for him. Hamlet says “ I, his sole son, do this same villain send to
focussing on his purpose. As a matter a fact, a whole act is used to
Throughout the course of the play, Hamlet is also obsessed with the mystery of death. In the beginning of the play, he states that he is unsure where one ends up after they die. Later into the play, he makes a reference to the afterlife contradicting his first approach. When he attempts to kill
Hamlet’s rash action serves him well, as he avoids imminent death upon arrival in England. This quote represents a complete reversal of Hamlet’s philosophy regarding action and the nature of God.
Likewise, the absence of happiness as well as a foreshadowing of destruction is heard between Prince Hamlet and the Ghost: "The time is out of joint-O-cursed site, / Thatever I was born to set right! / Nay, come, let's go together" (1.5.188-90). This quote illustrates his task of seeking revenge for his father's death, which ultimately influences his destruction.
The first soliloquy of Hamlet takes place early in the play, and Hamlet expresses his lachrymose feelings to the reader and how he wishes that God “had not
The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a very connected play, as every event that happens can be explained by another past event. The lines in Act 4, Scene Three represent this well:
murder in a rash mood. It is not seen by Gertrude. It tries to urge
How does the use of comic relief best contrast the tragedy of Hamlet? In great works of literature a comic relief is used as contrast to a serious scene to intensify the overall tragic nature of the play or to relieve tension. As illustrated in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, intense scenes are joined with character’s banter and vacuous actions as to add a comic relief. In Hamlet, Polonius acts as a comic relief by his dull and windy personality, Hamlet uses his intelligence and his negativity toward the king and queen to create humor, while on the other hand Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are a comic relief by their senseless actions and naïve natures. Polonius, Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are all used as a comic relief to
The tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare’s most popular and greatest tragedy, presents his genius as a playwright and includes many numbers of themes and literary techniques. In all tragedies, the main character, called a tragic hero, suffers and usually dies at the end. Prince Hamlet is a model example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Every tragedy must have a tragic hero. A tragic hero must own many good traits, but has a flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall. If not for this tragic flaw, the hero would be able to survive at the end of the play. A tragic hero must have free will and also have the characteristics of being brave and noble. In addition, the audience must feel some sympathy for the tragic hero.