Human Nature In Hamlet

Since the start of time, and the preceding generations, death has impacted people and the way they act. A sudden, or even an expected death of a loved one, takes a toll on a person. It’s human nature for people to process and want to make sense of death and the loss it leaves behind. The five stages of grief reflect this process of dealing with the loss of a loved one. Through these stage of grieving, people can get lost either searching for answers or trying to get past it. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare depicts the role human nature plays in the striving for answers and justice surrounding death. Even though Hamlet was written early in the seventeenth century, the depiction of death and human nature still rings true today; people and

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has been performed thousands of times since it was “written in 1599–1601 and published in a quarto edition in 1603” (Britannica.com). It’s popularity stems from its themes that translate across time. These themes, are seen to be relatable even to this day with the ever growing audience. Readers and viewers are able to find similarities between the current state and or even relate to one of the characters or events taking place over the course of Shakespeare’s five act masterpiece. Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark remains a viable text for contemporary readers in that it functions as a mirror.

Lies and deception are some of the many actions that have disastrous consequences. For the most part, they destroy trust and leave the people closest to us feeling vulnerable. In Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's many plays, the theme of lies and deception is very significant. This play shows that every character that lies and practices the act of deception is ultimately punished for doing so by their treacherous deaths. Hamlet has lied and practiced deception several times which has prolonged his primary goal and also causes his death. Additionally, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s unskilled acts of dishonesty and disloyalty towards Hamlet have all backfired; as a

Hamlet sees something that is rotten in his kingdom and he knows it is his moral responsibility to resolve this issues however he finishes off by saying that in actual fact he is powerless “but break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” admitting his weakness. Hamlet begins to grapple with the nature of humanity and morality following the confrontation with the ghost. The appearance of the ghost triggers Hamlet’s existential struggle “All is not well… I doubt some foul play… foul deeds will rise” (Act 1 scene 2) through the use of foreshadowing, Shakespeare exposes the nature of humanity to audiences through the construction of Hamlet’s character. He emphasises that a strong sense of morality can cause conflicts in the decision to make noble choices.

The play ‘Hamlet’ written by William Shakespeare had many aspects of betrayal, a lack of loyalty, and tragic deaths. The storyline begins as a ghost appears and he resembles the late king of Denmark ‘Hamlet’. King Hamlet was Hamlets father, after his ghost appears Hamlet conversates with the figure and asks him why he is here, and the ghost states that his brother Claudius poisoned him by pouring poison in his ear while he was asleep, married his wife and finally took the power of the throne. Already in a confused state of mind Hamlet questions the ghost and decides to act delusional and put on a play to decide whether he will get revenge on Claudius. Consequently, one can tell how selfish both brothers Claudius and Hamlet are, how much do you have to hate your own family to commit such hatred. Ultimately blood is not thicker than water.

Both Hamlet and Claudius betray many to reach their goals of ridding themselves each other other. Even from the very start of the play, when Hamlet is first introduced, he is visibly unhappy with the situation at hand with his new father, but he can’t really do anything about it. This is the way things stand until the end of the first act, when the spark that ignites the plot and theme of treachery takes place. Old Hamlet appears to Hamlet on the outer walls of the castle and tells him of the treachery that his uncle has committed. Of course Hamlet is shocked but he still isn’t ready to take action on his uncle. Not until he knows for certain that it was his uncle, Claudius who killed his father. Act 2 is almost entirely betrayals, Claudius and Gertrude hire Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet, while Polonius commits a similar act. He orders one of his servants, Reynaldo to go to France and spy on Laertes.

It is often heard: Nobody is Perfect. This phrase is often used as a rationalization of foolish human mistakes that could have been prevented.  However, this statement has a much more profound significance. It contains an important lesson that guides or rather should guide people through life.  By admitting that nobody is perfect, the individual demonstrates a deeper understanding of the human nature and inner self. This knowledge is essential to the individual's creation of healthy relationships with one's surrounding.  For as Robert A. Johnson asserts in his book, He, "perfection or a good score is not required; but consciousness is"(76).  In William Shakespeare's

Hamlet’s character drastically develops over the first four acts of Hamlet, and his character development is most evident through the soliloquys he delivers throughout the play. The most character development can be seen from the first soliloquy, to the second, the third, the sixth, and the seventh and final soliloquy. Hamlet’s inner conflict with his thoughts and his actions are well analyzed in his soliloquys, as well as his struggles with life and death, and his very own existence. He begins the play wondering what purpose he has in life now that his father is dead and his mother has remarried to his uncle. After finding out foul play was involved in his father’s death, he is motivated by revenge. Finally, he wonders how he can enact his revenge while continuously overthinking and overanalyzing his actions.

How does an individual react when he develops an obsession with destroying the powerful force ruling his country, yet risks experiencing psychological estrangement, occurring at multiple levels within himself, if he attempts to destroy that force? This is the central question that Shakespeare explores in his play Hamlet, which is a character study of an individual harboring just such an obsession, entailing just such a risk.

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.

“It is the nature of people to love, then destroy, then love again that which they value the most.” –Unknown. Countless authors have tried to display love as human nature, but no author does this better than the famous playwright, William Shakespeare. In both Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare exhibits how love can control a person. To understand how love controls a person, one must understand that human nature is the sum of qualities and traits shared by all humans. All humans have exhibit love in one way or another, which explains how human nature relates to the controlling aspect of love. In Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, conflicts between loyalty to family and friends, lack of trustworthiness towards others,

Jean Jacques Lousseau stated that: “man is born free; but everywhere he lives in chains”. This suggests humankind is only free at the moment of birth and thereafter they live their lives chained down by forces working to hold them back from being who they truly are. Every man and women are shaped not by their freedoms, but by their limitations. This is evident in all types of literature and from observation of the world we live in now. However, I have chosen to analyze Prince Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Winston Smith in 1984 by George Orwell and lastly The Man in The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

Shakespeare exposes how relationships are formed to corrupt the other party. Through the corruption of Hamlet by the ghost, emphasises how the human nature of curiosity can create a situation, where the relationship questioned, causing the person who is being corrupted to behave irrationally. From

All underlying notions, essential to the human condition of exploring characteristics, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, are portrayed through different experiences, beliefs, values and ideas in the literary classic, William Shakespeare's ‘Tragedy of Hamlet’. Written in 1602, the play connects with modern audiences by using the underlying themes of a revenge tragedy to convey the idealisms of the good and bad of the human condition, how lives are lived and societal conformities. Through the exploration of thematic dichotomies, Shakespeare elucidated a profound analysis of the human mind through the protagonist, Prince Hamlet. The Elizabethan play examines the struggle of the human spirit through times of Machiavellian corruption, overwhelming curiosity and unconscious temptations to quest to discover truth and wisdom. Focussing centrally on mortality, deterioration of relationships and obsession with grief and revenge, young Hamlet switches between his incompatible values of his Christian codes of honour and humanist beliefs following the death and ghostly recurrence of his father, deceitful mother and uncle and feeble societal relationships, desperate to restore the natural order of kinsmanship within Denmark. This play encompasses modern universal views of psychological human attitudes and beliefs throughout life affairs and interactions with one's destiny.

William Shakespeare was born on April 23th, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon. In his plays and poems, Shakespeare invented thousands of words, combining or contorting Latin, French and native roots. He wrote more than thirty plays. There are mainly divided into four categories, comedian, tragedies, histories and romances.