Suicide And Suicide In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Many hidden themes and occurrences appear within the play ‘Hamlet' such as suicidal thoughts and actions, something that teens in this society understand as well. Two characters, Hamlet and Ophelia, struggle with suicidal thoughts and depression, leading to drastic situations in this play. These play a big role in today's society as well and affects how people function. Throughout the play, there are speeches, tragedies, and stories told between friends. This is true for individuals in society today as well. More teenagers today suffer from suicidal thoughts and actions than they should. Many things factor into situations like these and can be understood through the play ‘Hamlet'.

Based on the play of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, suicide is the most prevalent and important themes in Hamlet. Hamlet always asks himself for the reason to stay alive. Even though he always thinks that there is no reason for him to stay alive, however he always chooses to stay. The first reason Hamlet seems to contemplate suicide is because his life is contaminated by sins and revenge. The other reason he is thinking about suicide is because he is young and immature. Young adults usually look for escapes when they become angry with things. There are many instances where Hamlet contemplating suicide and he treats the idea of suicide morally, religiously, and aesthetically, with particular attention to Hamlet’s two important statements about suicide: the “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt” soliloquy (I.ii.129–158) and the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy (III.i.56–88).

Hamlet's surrounding are increasingly affected by his flaw. Hamlet begins to forget all important obligations in his life and neglects his responsibilities, causing other problems. One very important commitment Hamlet has which he lets go is his relationship with Ophelia. Ophelia becomes very confused and hurt. Hamlet hurts her in a couple of ways. First, he neglects her, and second, he insults her. "Ha, ha! Are you honest??Are you fair??That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty. ?I loved you not? Get thee to a nunnery." Then Hamlet kills Polonius, Ophelia's father, which in turn makes her go mad and in her madness she commits suicide. Hamlet loses objectivity. He does not respect the King nor his mother's feelings. Hamlet meets with his mother and insults her. He calls her a whore and a sinner for marrying a murderer. Since he knows that the King is a murderer, he attempts

In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, suicide is an important and continuous theme throughout the play. Hamlet is the main character who contemplates the thought of suicide many different times throughout the play, since the murder of his father. Hamlet weighs the advantages of leaving his miserable life with the living, for possibly a better but unknown life with the dead. Hamlet seriously contemplates suicide, but decides against it, mainly because it is a mortal sin against God. Hamlet continues to say that most of humanity would commit suicide and escape the hardships of life, but do not because they are unsure of what awaits them in the after life. Hamlet throughout the play is continually tormented by his fathers death and his

Moreover, in Hamlet, Hamlet's decision on suicide is impacted by the view of society during his time. The social life in Hamlet is based on a Christian lifestyle and around the church. Due to everyday life being based on the church, suicide is greatly looked down upon in the society. On page 253, Act Five, Scene One, lines 244 and 245 when the Doctor says, “No more be done. We should profane the service of the dead...” The Doctor is saying that he can do nothing more for Ophelia’s death and that it needs to be profaned, which means to treat her death secular rather than religious because she has committed suicide and that is against the bible and their society. Societies view of suicide can be found on page 241, Act Five, Scene One, lines twenty-seven to thirty when the Gravedigger says, “Why thou sayst. And the more pity that great folk should have count’nance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even-Christian.” The Gravedigger is saying that it is not fair to the rest of the Christians that Ophelia gets a proper Christian burial as a response to Other because he is talking about that since Ophelia is rich she gets a proper Christian burial and if she is poor she would not have gotten that because she committed suicide. This shows that the rich in their society receive benefits that the poor do not get, even when it comes to tragic things such as suicide, yet, as mentioned previously the Doctor could not do much for her because suicide is so badly looked upon. Ultimately the view societal view of suicide effects Hamlets choice to not commit suicide because society is extremely religious. On page twenty-nine, Act One, Scene Two, line 136-138, “His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter O God, O God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world.” Hamlet is saying that God has made it a sin against suicide, but life is pointless and unprofitable to him. To Hamlet, suicide seems like a desirable alternative to life in a painful world, but Hamlet feels that the option of suicide is closed to him because it is forbidden by religion and society, so he does not commit it.

After Hamlet murders Polonius, a series of events begin to unfold; due to his actions, Claudius sends Hamlet to England because he fears that Hamlet will kill him next. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to England as well to ensure that the English will “accidentally” murder Hamlet. Along with this, the death of Polonius causes Ophelia to lose her mind and ultimately leads to her committing suicide.

The circumstances of Ophelia’s death and burial, although not entirely certain, suggest suicide. The gravediggers introduced at the beginning of act five discuss openly the manner of Ophelia’s death, the First Clown questioning why she is “to be buried in Christian burial that willfully / seeks he own salvation” (5.1.1-2). That he phrases this inquiry in terms of a “pursuit of salvation” suggests the religious implications of suicide, in that the individual, despairing of salvation from God, acts on his own behalf. There is likewise the implication of active pursuit rather than the cultivation of Christian patience and long-suffering. Yet, despite Ophelia’s obvious display of insanity, the Second Clown speculates that “if this had not been / a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out o’ Christian / burial” (5.1.22-24). Seeing the approaching funeral procession, Hamlet observes the “maimed rites,” suggesting in his awareness of the implications of such a subdued funeral ceremony that he is conscious of the ramifications of committing suicide. The amount of speculation on Ophelia’s death and burial in the play, even among lowly gravediggers, points to the growing discussion surrounding suicide that emerged at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Hamlet portrays characteristics of sarcasm, insanity, and suicidal tendencies during his plan for revenge. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, puts the feeling of sorrow on the readers, so that they will feel the anger that Hamlet is going through, as his father died and his mother remarried the man who murdered his father. Hamlet struggles on keeping up with all of the unfamiliar tasks causing a fatal flaw of his father’s plan or revenge. His fatal flaw was caused by the intense amount of pressure and revenge that his father’s death put on him. Hamlet continues to hear and feel the voices of his father wanting him to cast revenge on Claudius.

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.

Many controversial topics are touched on in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". These topics include revenge, marriage, and teenage relationships. One of the strongest themes that occurs in the story is suicide, and the consequences thereof, brought by grief over the loss of a loved one, specifically a parent.   In the instance that a suicide occurs, usually it is as a result of long-term untreated depression.

Ophelia and Gertrude, two different women who seem to be trapped in the same situation when it comes to Hamlet. Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and the Queen of Denmark is married to Claudius, who is suspected by Hamlet to have killed his father, King Hamlet, who is Claudius's brother. Gertrude ended up in the plot of King Hamlet's death and in the eyes of her son, is a monster and helped with the murder. Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius who is the King's counselor and is later killed in the play and has forbidden his daughter to see Hamlet. She truly loves Hamlet and is devastated when he disowns her and pretends to be mad. Hamlet's treatment towards these two women brings their characters to life and

Upon Killing Polonius, he counsels his mother not to have relations with the king as it is incestuous and tells her the manner of her first husband's death. Causing an uproar, the king sends Hamlet to England with letters to have him killed. Meanwhile,upon hearing of her father's death,Ophelia loses her wits and drowns. Her brother Laertes returns to find his father and sister dead, seemingly at Hamlet’s hands. Vowing vengeance, he colludes with the King to murder a fresh returned Hamlet.

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet struggles with the abrupt death of his father at the hands of his uncle. It is in the very beginning of the play that Hamlet voices his opinion that death would be a peaceful release. But as the play progresses his attitude begins to slowly doubt the serenity in death. Hamlet had been surrounded by death but had yet to come face to face with it, escaping the lessons the world was trying to teach him. It is within Act 5 scene 1 that Hamlet has a direct confrontation with death, manifested primarily through the discovery of Yorick’s skull, a dear friend from his green world childhood. It is through this experience that Hamlet realizes that death is the true equalizer, that all men are the

In the play, Hamlet’s father reveals himself as a ghost and instructs him to seek revenge on his uncle, Claudius. To discretely kill Claudius, Hamlet must put on an act to seem crazy. He also receives help from his friend Horatio along the way. Once Hamlet starts acting strange his girlfriend, Ophelia, is

Thesis: Although most people believe that Hamlet is suicidal at his point in the play, it is not until this soliloquy where the audience actually learns of Hamlet’s ability to judge based on his emotion and logic. Hamlet’s ability to endure suffering allows him to realize how valuable and precious his life truly is.