Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare, a famous and influential writer from the 16th and 17th centuries. His contributions to the English language are great in their importance, as he created thousands of words, with many being words we use on a day-to-day basis. Along with his contribution of diction, he bestowed upon us his plays, that have been open to dozens of different interpretations throughout the centuries that they’ve existed. Each approach to his work reveals a different meaning, from the historical approach showing the the influence of real world events on his plays, to the philosophical approach, making us question both the play and ourselves. This paper will analyze five different approaches that can be used on Hamlet: traditional revenge tragedy, philosophical, Freudian, Historical, and Sociological. The traditional revenge tragedy is form of tragedy that was used widely in Shakespeare’s playwriting era by himself and other playwrights. They were “dramas in which the dominant motive is revenge for a real or imagined injury” (Encyclopædia Britannica). Hamlet is the perfect example for this type of literary criticism, as it is used as the prime example for it as well, as the entire story is based upon Hamlet getting revenge for his father’s murder by his uncle. While this is what the story revolves around, there are many other instances of revenge in the play. Fortinbras looks to get revenge on the Kingdom of Denmark for the murder of his father,
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is a timeless play which continues to remain relevant across all generations due to its presentation of ideas that are fundamental to humanity. The play highlights aspects that relate to the society of not only Elizabethan England but also that of our modern society. Hamlet, as a character, considers ideas from outside his time and is somewhat relatable to modern day man. By drawing from ideas of archetypes and the human psyche, it reveals that Hamlet relates deeply to the elements of humanity.
The English Play writer, William Shakespeare had written many well-known pieces of work including Hamlet. Hamlet is known to be one of his most popular works. Hamlet was written in the late 16th Century about the Prince of Denmark. The original title of the work was The Tragedy of Hamlet, now it is referred to as just Hamlet. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the mental state of his characters to prove that not all characters in books have to be one dimensional. Shakespeare’s writing shows that humans are complex, and can have different mental states. Characters throughout the story such as, Hamlet, Gertrude, and Ophelia show their not so stable mental state. First we will analyze Hamlet and talk about Ernest Jones’ Psycho-analytic study of Hamlet. Then we will talk about Ophelia and how the events that happened leading up to her death or suicide played a role into her mental state. Finally we will analyze Gertrude, the Queen’s role in Hamlet, and how she is a mentally weak woman and relies on the men in her life.
Shakespeare's drama Hamlet has become a central piece of literature of Western culture. It is the story of a prince named Hamlet, who lost his father. Soon after that he has to confront multiple obstacles and devises a series of situations to defend the new king's royalty. Furthermore, he had to prove that King Claudius, who was the prince's uncle, had killed Hamlet's father. This story has remained among the most popular and the most controversial plays around the world. It generates controversy for all the doubts that this play leaves with the readers. One of the most questioning situations in the play is the delay of Hamlet in avenging Claudius' for his father's death. As a reader this
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.
During the early 1600s, a time of unrest and uncertainty spread through most of the world specifically in Europe as it began to see a gradual insurgency of leadership as new monarchs rose to great power as the existent ones faded. The legitimacy to how some new rulers gained their prestigious power came into question as tales of treason especially within families spread rapidly. William Shakespeare, having grown up near this time period was influenced by his surroundings and similar works such as histoires Tragiques, that inspired his work Hamlet. Although there are various views and opinions surrounding Hamlet as a whole, it is a great tragedy which centers itself on one’s own uncertainty and depicts seeking revenge as a major theme. These main topics are further discussed in the works or Kiernan Ryan and the British Library in “Hamlet and Revenge”, as well as “Hamlet in Purgatory” by Stephen Greenblatt. The main character, Hamlet however is both the protagonist and the tragic hero as the story unfolds. Hamlet is torn between his own conscience as expresses in his ongoing soliloquies and in doing what he believes is right opposed to seeking revenge, which leads him to being indecisive on his actions taken due to influence caused by those around him.
Thus, Shakespeare’s play Hamlet uses both themes of revenge and tragedy, as they are both used in the main parts of the story. It is up to the reader if he or she wants to interpret this story as a tragedy or revenge, but it is most probably a mix between the two. Hamlet was, and is still a titanic part of our culture, and literary history, and will most likely still be analyzed in the future for its rich, and convoluted plot. Hamlet is a unique piece of literature, and will be regarded for a long time as one of the treasures of English
On October 15, tragedy struck in the kingdom of Elsinore. King Hamlet perished in battle. King Hamlet was born to Katherine and Francis. He grew up alongside his kid brother, Claudius. When Francis died, King Hamlet took the throne in the Kingdom of Elsinore and ruled it well. King Hamlet was the epitome of bravery and leadership. King Hamlet left his legacy behind in his son, Hamlet, along with his brother and his wife. There will be a funeral service in King Hamlet’s honor on the second of November, and will be open to all of the kingdom to say goodbye. The kingdom will remember King Hamlet for his bravery and his love for his people.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a work of art so prolific that many consider it as one of the best tragedies ever written in the history of literature, in which ideas and motifs of sickness and decay embed the entire plot of the story. Each unique character then conveys these ideas by the way they converse with other characters, their actions, and their use of figurative language. These create a unominous tone that is carried throughout the story, which helps the audience in fully grasping Hamlet’s truest emotions. These also help the reader know each character as well as to understand the how the figurative elements of the play translate to real life circumstances. From the start of the play, Shakespeare establishes a tone of uncertainty and
Brian McClinton, a well studies Shakespearean conspiracist, and author of the article Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Suggest that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in order to better express his views on politics and society during the Elizabethan Era. McClinton develops his theory by giving specific examples from the play as to how Hamlet connects to the Elizabethan Era. McClinton's purpose for this article is to give Hamlet readers a different perspective and give reasons as to why Hamlet was structured the way it is. This Article is written for those who want a better background of hamlet and why Shakespeare wrote it the way he did.
Hamlet is one of the greatest literary works that has the innate ability to transcend time with the study of the human condition. William Shakespeare investigates themes of revenge, morality, sex, and familial complexities that entangle us all at one point and time. Shakespeare story of Hamlet gives us one of our first tragic heroes in modern literary history. In his quest for revenge for his father’s death we also see the systematic decline and lapses into madness that will lead to Hamlet’s eventual demise. His quest for revenge is one the core themes of Shakespeare’s Hamlet we will examine how this quest leads to his ultimate destiny and failure.
“Hamlet” is a revenge story written by William Shakespeare near the end of the Elizabethan era. Hamlet was sent home to Denmark from school in Germany to attend his father’s funeral and suspects foul play over his death. His suspicions are later confirmed when his father’s ghost appears in the castle and now Hamlet will avenge his death. (Act 1, 4) Later, Hamlet reveals his plan for the Murder of Gonzago. The actors will perform a play with a scene with the murder that the ghost exactly described. Hamlet hopes that seeing the crime reenacted will make Cladius reveal that he murdered King Hamlet. (“Summary and Analysis Act II: Scene 2”) When Hamlet meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he discusses his unhappiness that the two men did not come to visit him, but he knows that the king and queen have sent for them. So, Hamlet gives his opinion of mankind in the following monologue, “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty: In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like and angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the
This essay will discuss several literary criticisms of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. After skimming through several articles, I ended up with four peer-reviewed journal articles, each a different critical perspectives of the play: feminist, psychoanalytical/freudian, moral, and new historicism. My previous studies of Hamlet, as well as my rereading of the play this semester, has collectively given me a general knowledge of the text. My familiarity of the play made it easier for me to decipher the academic journals and see the connections each critic made with the play.
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.
Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies. At first glance, it holds all of the common occurrences in a revenge tragedy which include plotting, ghosts, and madness, but its complexity as a story far transcends its functionality as a revenge tragedy. Revenge tragedies are often closely tied to the real or feigned madness in the play. Hamlet is such a complex revenge tragedy because there truly is a question about the sanity of the main character Prince Hamlet. Interestingly enough, this deepens the psychology of his character and affects the way that the revenge tragedy takes place. An evaluation of Hamlet’s actions and words over the course of the play can be determined to see that his ‘outsider’ outlook on society,
Often, pieces of literature have been analyzed and made into a motion picture in the hopes of further developing the themes presented in the work. Though the Shakespearian play, Hamlet, has been interpreted and converted into a film numerous times by different directors, Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation particularly captured the essence of Hamlet and helped the audience truly understand the events that transpired in Act Three Scene Two of Hamlet. It is in this act, Hamlet plan to reveal King Claudius’ treachery is played out. Hamlet exposes the king through adding an extra sixteen lines to the play which depicts him killing Hamlet’s father. With the directions Hamlet gave to the actors, Hamlet is able to make the audience recognize the king’s