preview

William Shakespeare 's Hamlet - Father And Son Relationship Essay

Better Essays
Father and Son Relationship in Hamlet Children born into a fatherless family in America are more likely to have behavioral problems, more likely to go to prison, and more likely to commit a violent crime. While Hamlet did not exactly live in contemporary America-or lose his father until his late 20s- he exemplifies these statistics quite well in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hamlet is mercurial, would certainly be locked up if he wasn’t royal, and eventually commits multiple (justified) killings. All of Hamlet’s actions are driven by his connection with his father, overtly showcased throughout the play, but other parts of his relationship and that with other fathers and sons is much more hidden. “In Hamlet, Shakespeare presents the audience with the “common theme” of nature, “death of fathers,” and three sons-Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras- who feel the filial duty to revenge these premature deaths” (Dathan and Drewey 2004). Father and son relationships in Hamlet have an enormous influence on how the sons will act, and when revenging their fathers, the sons all follow the old chivalric code of blood revenge and honor-at-all costs. Hamlet and Old Hamlet share a notably special connection. Not only is Hamlet the absolute son of the true king and has a direct blood relation, but both look similar and have similar features such as blond hair, blue eyes, and a sharp face (discerned from the film). These physical commonalities between the pair justify their physical relationship, but
Get Access