The death of a loved one can often leave someone in a mental imbalance of depression, sadness and denial. In the literary works Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Beowulf by R.M. Liuzza, both Hamlet and Grendel’s mother experience a negative psychological state after losing a family member, thus, causing them to blindly seek revenge. They sought to force the murderers to pay for their felonies, in lieu of acknowledging the truth. Both Hamlet and Grendel’s mother are clouded by their losses, only causing them to witness numerous other deaths along their venture of revenge that ultimately leads to their deaths.
A rather common psychological defense mechanism when someone experiences the death of a loved one is coping by dissociation. Hamlet, the protagonist of the story, attempts to justify his dissociation from life as the result of the death of his father. He contemplates whether suicide is the optimal answer to his problems. However, the only thing stopping him from doing this, is the fact that it is considered a sin and “his canon ’gainst self-slaughter!” (Hamlet 1.2.136). Hamlet is so discombobulated by this event, he does not realize, regardless of his loss, he still has a mother and girlfriend who love him dearly. Hamlet is so incredibly wrapped up in his own feelings that he does not stand to think twice about the people around him. Similarly, to Hamlet, Grendel’s mother no longer cares for anything anymore because her beloved son is dead. She urges to do something
Losing a loved one to tragedy, especially two most brutal and malicious tragedies as these, will torture the minds of any and all men. Terrifying thoughts, even carefully planned acts of revenge will plow themselves into your brain. It is how we react to these situations that can and will forever define that man, his life, and his actions. In these two stories, Hamlet's father and Matt Fowler's son are murdered with jealous motives of romance, ambition, betrayal and rage. Revenge captures the hearts of both characters, but in different forms. Hamlet sees his fathers ghost and is told if he ever loved his father he is to ?[revenge his foul and most unnatural
Death’s result might lead a loved one in the direction of taking extreme measures to feel at peace. After the immoral loss of a beloved family member, friend, or leader, one’s ideas on how to overcome the situation may be questionable. Whether it be, suicide or revenge, death clearly displays its true powers within these two stories. When compared side by side, it is evident that both Grendel’s mother and Hamlet are parallels of each other. The juxtaposition of these two characters show how they are dark brooding characters whose goals are to avenge their loved ones and in the end, they both die in vain.
It is not an uncommon occurrence for a person to attend a funeral in their lifetime. They will experience the heavy feeling in their heart, hear the moaning and crying, and observe all the grief-stricken people, wiping tear-stained cheeks and wearing depressing, dark colors. Each person in this scene is attempting to comprehend what they have lost. Loss, whether physical or mental, can dismantle a person. The bonds and connections that people forge with each other defines their existence and gives them the drive to continue living, but when these bonds are broken the brain cannot cope with the detachment. A person is particularly vulnerable in this state and will do anything to replace the gaping hole that lingers in their life. In the novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski and the Shakespearean play Hamlet, two women are put through various kinds of loss. While these women--Trudy and Gertrude--appear weak, they willingly accept the enchantments of Claude and Claudius only after enduring hardships which skew their judgments, revealing the effect of trauma and depression when a relationship is lost.
Hamlet is as much a story of emotional conflict, paranoia, and self-doubt as it is one of revenge and tragedy. The protagonist, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, is instructed by his slain father’s ghost to enact vengeance upon his uncle Claudius, whose treacherous murder of Hamlet’s father gave way to his rise to power. Overcome by anguish and obligation to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet ultimately commits a number of killings throughout the story. However, we are not to view the character Hamlet as a sick individual, but rather one who has been victimized by his own circumstances.
However, grieving for the loss of someone can make others want revenge and have a personal vendetta against the person responsible for their demise. Actions sometimes have consequences and they can destroy a person’s life or anyone in their way. Convictions can ruin a person’s reputation to the entire town. In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Hamlet struggles with the truth about his dad’s death, his actions, and his convictions.
After the immoral loss of a beloved family member, friend, or leader, one’s ideas on how to overcome the situation may be questionable. Dealing with the death of a loved one can leave an enormous toll on the well-being and psychological state of a person. In some cases, it may direct them towards taking the path of extreme measures in order to restore their mental balance. In the literary works Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Beowulf by R.M. Liuzza, the death amongst loved ones ultimately leads to similar repercussions. When compared side by side, it is evident that both Hamlet and Grendel’s mother are parallels of one another. They both experience the pain and
In “What Shakespeare Teaches Us About Psychoanalysis” Dorothy Grunes asserts what emotional distress can have on relationships. Grunes develops her claim by introducing the scene in which it occurs stating “In Act IV, Hamlet can only refer to vengeance as to “spur my dull revenge,” and continues stating “ By Act V, only when the Queen is murdered by Claudius can Hamlet murder Claudius and then suicide,” continuing using the quote from the play “Hamlet,” “The end of mothers is the end of the world when Hamlet says to Ophelia: Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? (III.i.121–122),” then shortly follows up on the effects that emotional distress has on Hamlet stating that “He is now so fixated on Gertrude he has no feeling
How would it be possible for Hamlet to express or even recognize love, without having a clear definition of what love is? One may define love as a lover’s passion, devotion or tenderness for someone or something. Hamlet perceives love as an emotion that causes loss, devastation and pain. In the play, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, the main character uses love as a reason for his actions, but never truly loves any of the characters except his father. Hamlet seems to be more of a love story but, truthfully, it is more of revenge then love.
The legal courts have their own set of ethics; however, every person does as well, and when faced with tragedy, those individuals will follow their own set of fundamentals to play the role of judge by themselves. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the emotions of grief are thoroughly explored, along with how similar individuals act when handling the loss of their loved ones. In the play, almost every character meddles with these emotions, with the most prominent ones being: Claudius, Laertes, Fortinbras, and Hamlet, who all pursue justice. When the murder of an individual’s father occurs, this creates feelings of obligation from their offspring to exact revenge; however, the guilt of the perpetrator, will cause setbacks as they proceed with their life,
Every person falls in love which is why it is such a prevalent theme in literature and art. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, love is the driving force for the tragic ending. The play begins with Claudius murdering his brother, which in part is done out of love for Gertrude. Throughout, the audience watches Hamlet struggle with his morals, unsure whether to do what is right, or to enact revenge out of love for his father. At the end, Laertes sets all the plans in motion because of his own family love, which is what creates the tragedy. Not only is Hamlet a tragedy due to a desire of revenge, but also it is the misplaced love the characters hold that truly binds the tragedy.
It is their respective losses that hold back the protagonist in “Hush”, and Hamlet from living their own lives, driving them to proceed with their ruin, at last breaking the family apart. It is through misfortune that people figure out how to change in existence without their friends and family, and figure out how to develop and welcome the things they do have. Connections in a single's life may arrive at an end, however it is how they cope with it that impacts their other mental well-being as well as their relationships with other people. Loss can lead to fear, isolation, anger, and sadness, however everyone grieves differently - it is a personal journey for everyone. Although loss is inevitable, it is when people choose to allow themselves to grow and be better that they
Hamlet’s deep grief can be seen as another delay to seek revenge. Hamlet’s thoughts diverted him greatly from his mission, for instance, thoughts of his uncle’s incestuous relationship with his mother, and Claudius stealing power from him by robbing the position of King was to be Hamlet’s, not Claudius’. Hamlet’s preoccupation with life and death, his Catholic beliefs, his procrastination of regaining his father’s honor all caused him to ruminate making him ponder suicide many times, Hamlet’s mind is filled with anguish in avenging his father’s death and thoughts of committing suicide portray his weakness, lack of maturity, and hesitancy. He examines the problem of whether or not to commit suicide and balancing the moral ramifications of
Love comes in many forms like falling in love. Sometimes people are driven to extremes because of love, also known as their passion. This passion is the cause of wars, suicides, killings and love. Thinking that their thoughts and feelings are the absolute truth drives the passion that causes these deaths, love and change. Hamlet and Claudius can be categorized by their immense passion for what they believe to be true. These passions cause them to become increasingly rash and ultimately are the cause of their demise.
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.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is laden with tragedy from the start, and this adversity is reflected in the title character. Being informed of his father’s murder and the appalling circumstances surrounding the crime, Hamlet is given the emotionally taxing task of avenging his death. It is clear that having to complete this grim undertaking takes its toll on Hamlet emotionally. Beginning as a seemingly contemplative and sensitive character, we observe Hamlet grow increasingly depressed and deranged as the play wears on. Hamlet is so determined to make his father proud that he allows the job on hand to completely consume him. We realize that Hamlet has a tendency to mull and ponder excessively, which causes the notorious delays of action