O That This Too, Too Sullied Flesh

Hamlets contemplation of ending his life shows an inward conflict within himself. In his first soliloquy, he debates whether he should commit suicide. "To be, or not to be- / that is the question: / whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them" (3.1. lines 64-68 Shakespeare). He questions why he should live with all of this chaos but overcomes this internal conflict because he acknowledges that in his religion suicide is a sin. “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, / or that the everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst (self-slaughter). O God! God!” (1.2. lines 133-136 Shakespeare). This soliloquy signifies the reality of Hamlet s internal conflict and also shows the reality of his external conflict with the society he is surrounded by. This declamation establishes

Supporting characters are often looked at as impractical and unnecessary, however they are just as important as major characters. Supporting characters help influence the way the main characters act and what they do. Minor characters not only make the main characters more meaningful, but they also help to develop and drive the plot. Ophelia, falling victim to the neglect and abuse of the other characters and depending solely on the men in her life, becomes the only character who truly becomes mad. Polonius’ concern with how others perceive him, along with his selfishness ultimately leads to him driving his children further away from him thus leaving Claudius with more power. Claudius uses manipulation, corruption and destruction of the lives of the innocent to stay in power, and in doing so; he is the epitome of all evil events that occur. In the tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the plot of the play obtains added mystery and dramatic appeal due to the complexity of the supporting characters, which propel the play to move forward.

Many can feel lost at times because, but the confusion only allows them to see themselves. Individuals lose themselves in the state confusion, but can learn things that they never knew. Characters in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead lose themselves in confusion but realize something new about themselves. Different characters face realization through different feelings, such as uncertainty, distraction, and agitation. Even though confusion leads an individual’s thoughts into turmoil, confusion will allow the individual to change in a positive or negative way. Individuals will react differently to situations and have different outcomes, but they will all go through the same process of battling against their own minds in order

Hamlet is a complex story that uses many literary devices to help develop the characters in Hamlet. One dominant device is irony. The main plot of the story revolves around irony. Hamlet is a witty character and loves to use irony. Hamlet’s use of irony displays how he insults people, discovers useful information, and reveals his true character. The use of irony in this story helps to add depth to each character, which is why Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most complex stories.

In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, it is clearly evident Prince Hamlet is overcome with “madness” due to his father’s murder and other malicious actions taken against him. Throughout the play, there are many examples of how Hamlet displays his insanity due to certain situations he experiences and how he handles them. Hamlet shows his madness through the killing of Polonius, his treatment of Ophelia, his thoughts of suicide, and the treatment of his mother Gertrude.

Hamlet displays his understanding of existentialism in the soliloquy “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (3.1.63) and yet his other words and actions lead us to believe he is still unaware of his own truth. Hamlet says "Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggars ' shadows" (2.2.263-264) and says that we are all beggars, all lowly men, and we only have any greatness because others think we do. This is in direct conflict with his hubris, showing that he can come up with insights that are emotionally valid and yet he does not entirely accept them as he also has the opposite characteristic. He still cares about the hierarchy and wishes to be above people and is, but only because he and others

Throughout the play, Shakespeare begins to show the basics of Hamlet’s mind, striving to show, as to why he remains inactive and unsure throughout majority of the play. Firstly, “…but know, thou know noble youth/ The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears his crown” (Act I. v. 39-40). As the Ghost tells Hamlet his father’s real murder, Shakespeare begins to show the reader, that the protagonist is encountering the Shadow archetype, which represents unknown characteristics of the main character. The reader is shown with the presence of the Shadow archetype, that Hamlet’s concealed suspicion regarding the death of his father, which was considered as an accident, turns into an urge to seek revenge. This archetype reveals to us Hamlet’s inner desires to kill his Uncle Claudius. Furthermore, “…your noble son is mad:/ Mad call I it, for, to define true madness,/ What is’t but to be nothing else but mad?” (Act II. ii. 92-94). Polonius tells the Queen and King that Hamlet is insane for Ophelia, as a result, the Anima archetype is represented by a member of the opposite sex. As for Hamlet, it is a sign of feminine desires he once had for Ophelia, who were once lovers. However, he ignores the affection he has towards Ophelia, in order to focus on his pursuit for vengeance. Moreover, “I have some rights of memory in this kingdom,/ Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me” (Act V.ii.379-380). Fortinbras and Hamlet’s motive is to avenge their

When reading any article, novel or play, readers are always looking for different themes in the literature, sometimes even unknowingly. By the end of the reading, there is typically one standout theme greatly representing the plot and the characters. Readers must understand the deeper meaning of the writing and discover which theme in their opinion impacted the play the most. Furthermore, it is very important that the author often leaves much of the story open to interpretation. Shakespeare was particularly fond of allowing his audience and his readers the freedom to interpret the deeper meaning of his work. Of the many themes in the play “Hamlet”, the concept of memory is the most

Coleridge states in his criticism of Hamlet that it is one of the most dynamic plays in all of Shakespeare's creations. The character of Hamlet is unlike any of Shakespeare's protagonist in that he is slow and methodical about his thinking and being. The author believes Hamlet is so caught up in his own thoughts he is unable to carry out any plan efficiently. Coleridge compare Hamlet's character to that of Macbeth to show the different contrast between the two plays. Macbeth represents many of Shakespeare's protagonist in his tragedies whereas hamlet brings in a new dynamic. Hamlet himself is confused on exactly what is right or wrong. He is constantly questioning himself and the life around him. Macbeth on the other hand knows exactly what he's doing. He is wrongly motivated which makes him proceed with haste. Hamlet brings in the character unknown to Shakespeare's tragedies that actually thinks before he/she acts. This type of thinking introduces a whole new type of tragedy that shows how slow action causes many more problems than the alternative. In conclusion, Coleridge perceives hamlet to be the most relatable character in all of Shakespeare's plays because he embodies a rational yet insane person.

The film Hamlet by William Shakespeare was made by two directors in two different versions which one was Kenneth Branagh and the other Franco Zeffirelli. By watching the four scenes of the play of the two versions, the viewer has come up to the conclusion that Kenneth Branagh’s version best captures the essence of the play in terms of costume design, acting, directing, and cinematography. The directing and cinematography in Act IV, Scene V the Ophelia Madness Scene as well as the acting, costume design in Act V, Scene II the Final Scene showed that Branagh’s version of the film Hamlet is the most effective.

Hamlet is considered to be Shakespeare’s greatest work, and the soliloquy to be or not to be is equally as famous. Hamlet is one of the greatest dramatic characters of all time and the role of Hamlet is one that many actors strive to play. Shakespeare wrote the character Hamlet in a very specific manner and it is because of this that few have found success in performing this role. Moreover the soliloquy to be or not to be has been one that has defined the level of success of an actors role of Hamlet. Famous actors like Lawrence Olivier, John Gielgud, Jude Law, Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branagh, David Tennant, etc. have stepped into the shoes of hamlet and into the world of Shakespeare. However, only Tennant, Gibson, and Branagh have

Quintessentially speaking, revenge is a thing that many have sought in response to a tragic event unfolding. Typically, as a result, vengeance is contemplated upon by the victim as a means of retribution, a way of making things right and seeking justice on the behest of the victim, if the law will not grant justice through due process due to corrupt forces stemmed deep within it- corrupt seeds of a corrupt plant. Therefore, revenge become an apparent option for those willing to walk that path [of no return]. However, instances of revenge not being attained in the “clear cut” way it is ordinarily acquired have occurred from

William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” is the most famous Shakespeare play (Frequently Asked Questions). It is set in 1600’s Denmark. There is a big complaint by high school and college students that the play is too hard to read due to the language used by William Shakespeare. However, there are many adaptations that have been made using this play. One of these adaptations is called “Thug Notes” and is on YouTube. This adaptation uses very informal language, but is able to convey the most important plot points found in the play. Adaptations are great formats to help students better understand a written work, but sometimes the adaptations differs from the original piece.

The tragedy of Hamlet was an inordinately fascinating play with many profoundly intriguing characters that did a great many heroic and disappointing things despite the intricacy and arduousness to understand the true personality William Shakespeare intended for each.

By Hamlet’s third soliloquy he still has not taken action to avenge his father’s death and hates everyone around him, including himself. He begins his soliloquy with the famous line “To be, or not to be?” With this line Hamlet is asking whether is it better to be alive or to be dead. In this soliloquy Hamlet contemplates suicide and discusses the trials of life. He wishes not to have to deal with the hardships of life, but realizes that he is not brave enough to take his own life. Not only is he, like most humans, afraid of the unknown, but he is also afraid of committing a sin and damning his soul. At the end of his third soliloquy Hamlet has yet to do as his father’s ghost told him and Hamlet is still angry with himself for being such a coward.