Self-Preservation In Hamlet

Topic: Discuss the ideas developed by the text creator about the individual’s capacity for self-sacrifice in the face of compelling circumstances.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a work of immense depth in character development, most notably the personal, moral and psychological battles

Many view Hamlet, the main character, in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet as a hero. He portrays characteristics that prove to the reader that he does possess heroic qualities. Although, it is a struggle for him throughout the play, but as he goes through life and learns new ways of coping things, he develops new characteristics that he didn’t have in the beginning. Hamlet learns to overcome his anxiety, depression, and anger. In the end, he learns how to be calm and collected. The way Hamlet learns how to handle internal conflicts throughout the play, shows the readers a realistic view of the difficult encounters one may have when learning to cope with different issues.

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness ‘’, a quote by Martin Luther King. This quote relates to one of the principal themes in Hamlet. As a synonym for selfishness, greed also ties in to the theme of the play. The egocentricity of the character Claudius and his brother King Hamlet had a very large impact on several lives. He is the perfect example of ‘’one must do whatever it takes ‘’.

The first principle of human nature is self preservation: the natural instinct to protect oneself physically and stay away from danger. In the tragedy, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare brings new light to the idea of desire to maintain a sense of self,in a deeper more complex aspect of the term. As the play Hamlet delves into severe moral issues such as death and betrayal, Shakespeare demonstrates the importance of establishing a sense of self. The character of Ophelia is often dismissed as a flat, static character. However, through in-depth analysis of her struggles and fate, Ophelia’s as despair and tragedy can ultimately be traced back to one source: her lack of understanding and stability in selfhood. Throughout the play, it is clear that self-preservation plays a critical role in protecting one's identity and values when individuals respond to competing demands; because when the ability to chose is taken away, an individual loses the clarity and sense of purpose from selfhood.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince Hamlet serves as one of the most multi-faceted characters in the entire play with critics often deeming his personality “paradoxical”. Ultimately, Hamlet provides the audience with the epitomy of internal contrast and instability by rapidly transitioning through periods of caution and rash action, introversion and extroversion and calculation and spontaneity.

Shakespeare’s character, Hamlet, is known for his indecisive personality. It is a trait that humanizes Hamlet in the sense that every man is flawed. However, this feature is Hamlet’s main

Hamlet’s existential crisis begins with the death of his father and the remarrying of his mother. At this point, for Hamlet, the questions start pouring in; “to be or not to be” (Hamlet 3.1.57), and so on. From questioning his existence and fighting with himself about the purpose of his life begins to show the beginnings of the existential crisis that is soon to consume him. Also, this

In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety, Abraham Maslow. Making connections between oneself and the real world is a skill that makes one realize the true meaning of themselves. Growing into a better person and developing though is the real meaning of self- actualization. To figure out the reality one must have a calm and stress-free mind to think. Hamlet does not have that stress-free mind because of all the drama in his family. Hamlet is unable to figure himself out because of his act of madness but, slowly truly sinking into it. Blanche, on the other hand, is not able to confront her true self. She is not able to settle with the

Self-preservation is defined as, “a natural or instinctive tendency to act so as to preserve one's own existence” (Merriam-Webster).  One of the recurring themes within Hamlet is the role of self-preservation. All through the play, many of the characters actions are driven by the need to look out for themselves. Shakespeare puts forth the idea that being overly cautious or having no self-preservation can be the cause of demise; this is shown through many of the characters in the play. Hamlet shows no self-preservation at all and shows this throughout the play by making rash decisions that affect the people closest to him negatively. In opposition of Hamlet is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; who put climbing the social ladder ahead of helping Hamlet. They tried to coerce him to obtain information for the King, this act of betraying inevitably ended in their demise. By means of these characters, Shakespeare displays assorted outcomes of having too much or too little will to survive.

Though clearly embodying elements of a revenge tragedy, Hamlet can also be viewed as a work concerning existentialism. Throughout the play, the titular character, Hamlet, demonstrates a struggle with existential angst – the overwhelming awareness of the brevity and seeming meaninglessness of life (MacIntyre). Hamlet frequently reflects on the ultimate end to all life – death – and famously wonders if it’d be “nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or…to die;” his internal battle over his existence is one that can be seen throughout his many soliloquys and manic speeches. After the death of his father and his mother’s hasty remarriage to Claudius, Hamlet finds himself grappling with the reality of his world, feeling lost and without guidance. In the wake of his father’s ghost’s visit, Hamlet is seized by both dread and obligation. His duty to avenge his father is one which jars him; though he devotes himself to its accomplishment, the endeavor forces him to question his morality and fate. Hamlet’s dilemma causes him to lose connection with those around him, leaving him isolated with only his internal crises and quest for revenge. Hamlet’s desolate loneliness – a result of his perceived abandonments – fosters his philosophical ponderings on the usefulness and morality of living in the face of fate and destiny

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic story of loss and betrayal within the royal family of Denmark. The entire story is a downward spiral that results in the death of Hamlet his family and closest friends along with the possible fall of Denmark itself. The conflict of the play stems from feuds between the main characters that escalate to more and more extremes as the plot continues. The characters most heavily impacted by the conflict of the play are King Claudius, Ophelia, and, of course, Hamlet, himself. These characters face both conflicts from within themselves and from the outside world. Each of these conflicts, however can be traced back to the selfishness of each of the characters and the absolute narcissism, they show and the disregard for how their decisions impact others. Hamlet contains inward and outward struggles for all of the characters involved in the main plot of the story; throughout the play Claudius, Hamlet, and Ophelia all undergo a torment of both extraneous and internal nature primarily relating to their own selfishness and greed that greatly influences the outcome of the play.

An individual's response to conditions of internal and external conflict is explored throughout literature. In his play, Hamlet, Shakespeare delves into the themes of appearance versus reality, lies versus deceit, rejection versus self doubt and tragedy, and in doing so attacks the frivolous state of humanity in contemporary society. In order to explore these themes, however, he uses several forms of conflict to project his opinions and expand his ideas relating to the themes of the play. Internal conflict, as well as external conflict are dominant features of his works, and in Hamlet are made evident through a succession of dire events which can attack and destroy

When individuals struggle to balance a desire for independence with the need to maintain meaningful relationships with others, it often results in complicated decisions, which alter relationships. In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the author justifies that when an individual is caught up in a dilemma, between one’s self-motivation or sincere relationships, meaningful relationships alter as a result of sophisticated decisions made. Hamlet is a character that is caught up in the crossfire between pursuing his self-motivations and his need to stay loyal to his relationships, with Ophelia, King Claudius, and his mother Gertrude.

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