William Shakespeare 's Hamlet Of The Stars And The Heavens Essay

”Thus conscience does not make cowards of us all;/ And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought;/ And enterprises of great pith and moment,/ With this regard, their currents turn away,/ And lose the name of action.” Hamlet here combines some themes of this play: death and life, the connection between thought and action. In act five scene five, he goes into Claudius’ room to kill him. Like the last time he went to kill him, he was on his knees praying. Why send him to Heaven when he should go to Hell? His father wasn’t given a chance to repent his sins before he was murdered, so why should King Claudius? Hamlet thinks about this for a minute, and decides to wait for a more reasonable

Hamlet recognizes that suicide is a sin in the eyes of God, so consequently wishes that he could simply cease to exist. In doubting that life is worth all the hardships one must face, Hamlet briefly relishes in the concept of death, equating it to nothing more than a sleep wherein one can be rid of the “heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks” of physical life (III.i.70). Though immediately thereafter Hamlet acknowledges the startling unknown, and the fact that one does not know what comes after death. Hamlet feels a great deal of uncertainty, which surely enhances his overall frustration. Herein lies Hamlet’s reservations in regards to committing suicide: it is a sin, and the afterlife may prove to be more unpleasant than life itself.

How does the use of comic relief best contrast the tragedy of Hamlet? In great works of literature a comic relief is used as contrast to a serious scene to intensify the overall tragic nature of the play or to relieve tension. As illustrated in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, intense scenes are joined with character’s banter and vacuous actions as to add a comic relief. In Hamlet, Polonius acts as a comic relief by his dull and windy personality, Hamlet uses his intelligence and his negativity toward the king and queen to create humor, while on the other hand Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are a comic relief by their senseless actions and naïve natures. Polonius, Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are all used as a comic relief to

Hamlet’s determination and addiction for revenge is confirmed when he is willing to sacrifice his entrance to heaven by separating from his values and beliefs. Initially, Hamlet wishes “that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!” He is contemplating suicide as a result of his father’s death and his mother’s haste in remarrying to his father’s brother, Claudius. However, Hamlet brushes off this idea as an option by saying, “Or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! Oh, God, God” This portrays the religious beliefs of Hamlet at the time. He wishes suicide was not a sin. However, since it is, he cannot commit it. Similarly, Hamlet also shows his beliefs and values when the Ghost shares his story and then commands Hamlet to avenge his death.

Throughout the course of the play, Hamlet is also obsessed with the mystery of death. In the beginning of the play, he states that he is unsure where one ends up after they die. Later into the play, he makes a reference to the afterlife contradicting his first approach. When he attempts to kill

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Laertes and Hamlet both lose a father by unnatural and sudden death. The unnatural death of the father is brought on by someone close to the son. When Laertes discovers that his father is dead, he is outraged. When Hamlet learns from the ghost of his father’s murder, he weeps, and promises action, though he delivers none. Both Laertes and Hamlet grieve deeply for their fathers, but Laertes acts upon this grief while Hamlet carefully plots his revenge and waits for the perfect moment to avenge King Hamlet. Laertes’ unplanned action causes his death by his own sword, while Hamlet’s apparent inaction finally gets him the revenge that Laertes has attempted. Though Laertes’ grief at his father’s death causes his

Heaven or hell, that is the question. The major decision that dreads those who all believe this. They believe that their actions in life decide if the go to heaven or hell. The dramatic arthur, Shakespeare has created characters in his many writings that make readers think if they go to heaven or hell. In Hamlet, many of the characters face the question if they go to heaven or hell. One of the side characters, Queen Gertrude, has been looked down by Hamlet who is debating her loyalty. She even questions herself in loyalty and if that decides if she goes to heaven or hell. In the tragedy Hamlet, Shakespeare uses Gertrude’s wavering loyalty to suggest if Gertrude goes to heaven or hell.

heaven” (3.3.81-82). Claudius is now aware that Hamlet know the truth. Hamlet shall seek revenge for his father. All who fail to do good must face the consequence of vengeance no matter who they

As the play progresses, Hamlet’s actions tell he actively attempts to escape his self-proclaimed fate. Suspicions rise that Hamlet tests his free-will when he is inactive to plot the murder of his father. Instead, he develops a play to prove that the King is guilty, yet the play’s only effect is such, which does not bring Claudius closer to death. Finally, Hamlet has a chance to assassinate Claudius, but hesitates, believing that since the King is praying, he will go to heaven. This thought process and decision making demonstrates his attempt at free will. Hamlet’s assignment is solely to kill Claudius, yet his own thoughts get in the way, needing Claudius to waste away in hell and not heaven. In addition, when Claudius wishes to send Hamlet to England, he enthusiastically responds “For England!” (4.3.52), accepting being sent away, even though his mission is to kill Claudius, who resides in Denmark. In that instance, Hamlet is content with being shipped away, as he hopes to prolong his fate, hoping free-will will win over.

Hamlet’s thoughts about heaven and hell throughout the book can be interpreted as uncertain, and often compel him to do rash, unwarranted things. Hamlet considers killing Claudius: “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying,/And now I'll do ’t./And so he goes to heaven,/And so am I revenged.”

And so ‘a goes to heaven, and so am I revenged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Shakespeare Scene 3, line 73). In this quote, Hamlet sees King Claudius, the villain, and is thinking about killing him now. A problem arises, when Hamlet sees the villain praying. If he is slain while praying he may go to heaven. To Hamlet, killing King Claudius isn’t the only part of his revenge, Hamlet wants King Claudius to suffer, so he wants him to go to Hell. Hamlet doesn’t just want to avenge his father, but to also make the avengement as sufferable as possible. Hamlet shows that his ferocious has risen tremendously when he purposely wants to send someone to Hell. The quote is a significant part of the story by proving that Hamlet has changed for the worse, which will be seen later on in the story.

The first theme of death, found in Hamlet can be seen in Act 1, through Hamlet's famous soliloquy. “To be or not to be.” The connotations behind this rhetorical question, stated by Hamlet, are whether he should end his life, through a means of suicide. This theme showcases, Hamlet's personality, and his emotional behaviour as well as, showing the audience the hold that religion holds over the world at the time of Shakespeare's writing, and Hamlet himself. This is again seen through Hamlet's soliloquy in the line, “Thus Conscience makes cowards of us all.” This quote, towards the end of Hamlet’s soliloquy, is a result of Hamlet deciding against suicide due to the idea that he does not know what will happen to his soul, in the “Undiscovered land.” or rather, whether heaven and hell exist or are merely

During the era of Queen Elizabeth, people thought highly of God due to his power to send people to heaven or hell in the afterlife. In Hamlet the characters’ actions are based on christian beliefs. Suicide, for example, should not send you to heaven. Another example is right before death the characters ask for forgiveness from God so they can try and go to heaven. These are pieces of evidence that provide cultural and religious focuses into Hamlet to develop a better understanding.

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.

Hamlet, the broody teenager of the stage, philosophizes life and death within the play Hamlet but it is his fear of religious damnation that gives him his various answers. Many characters in the play Hamlet find themselves questioning different things or actions and after weighing all their moral options it is their religion that gives the final say in what answer they end up with. King Claudius, after killing his brother, takes the throne but King Hamlet returns as a ghost and asks his son to seek revenge on his uncle. Hamlet agrees to this but also finds himself struggling with a moral dilemma about suicide. Religion becomes the major decision maker and plot pusher of the play Hamlet.