Archetypal Theory: 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
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 time to time throughout history. One of the most prominent examples of unconventional revenge attainment can be found within the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, entailing the revenge path walked by its eponymously named main character, Prince Hamlet. Specifically, his intentful delay in attaining his revenge against his uncle Claudius for his direct role in the death of his father, King Hamlet. This literary conundrum has dumbfounded literary critics for over 400 years and counting- due to the fact that a universally accepted consensus amongst them as well as the general public as to why Hamlet delayed his revenge has not yet been reached.
Being indecisive means not showing or having the ability to make a decision. Not making a decision quickly and efficiently. In the book Hamlet, the main character, the prince of Denmark. Hamlet has shown that he is indecisive throughout the book. Hamlet shows that he is mostly indecisive when it comes to his father’s death, King Hamlet. Hamlet also doesn’t trust anybody. Hamlet can’t even trust his own family or his girlfriend. Hamlet has been acting like he is mad because he doesn’t want to confront people so he just acts like he is crazy. Hamlet always acts with an impulse, Hamlet can only show bravery when it doesn’t involve his family. Such as when his boat was attacked in England by pirates. At this point Hamlet just doesn’t know what to do with his life. Everything is moving too fast, like his mom getting married quick after his father’s death. Also the fact that Gertrude married Hamlets uncle is just too much for Hamlet right now.
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.
Dramatic literature is told through a story of dialogue about a character that experiences conflict throughout the play. These kinds of plays are often performed on the stage. One of the most famous playwrights of the 16th through the early 17th century was William Shakespeare, and his work continues to live on in the 21st century. The longest play Shakespeare had ever written was Hamlet, which is about a young prince who grieves over the death of his father and seeks revenge as he learns that it was King Claudius responsible for his father’s death. Throughout the play Hamlet expresses his thoughts through different soliloquys. Hamlets soliloquy in Act I, “O that this too, too sullied flesh”, contrasts from his famous soliloquy in Act III, “To Be or Not to Be”, and both reflect issues of the times in which Shakespeare had lived in.
In William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV, Falstaff and King Henry IV share father-figure relationships with Henry “Hal,” Prince of Wales. The former, a drunk and cavalier knight, acts as a surrogate father to the prince, while the latter, a determined and distanced monarch, is his blood. Yet, who is the better father-figure to Hal? Although Falstaff and Prince Henry share a strong, quasi father-son relationship, the former’s manifestation of the tavern atmosphere, venality and dishonor are obstacles to the Prince’s goals; King Henry IV, on the other hand, is the better father-figure because he motivates his son to realize his ambitions, and embodies the setting of the court and the monarchy in which the Prince
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.
The play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is set in an anti-feminist era. Women traditionally have been seen inferior to men. This was an intellectual as well as a physical issue. Women were to raise a family, cook, clean, be pretty and not be smarter than any man. The main characters Ophelia and Gertrude are both depicted with these characteristics as powerless and frail people. This illustration of helpless women affects one's understanding of what their true selves could be.
4) In the text spoken by Horatio it seems to follow the idea that fear is pervasive. Horatio claims that all ghosts are bad in the city, who talked bad about one another after the death of Julius Caeser was assassinated. Evil diction is present in the passage as
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
No matter how hard one trains, tries, or practices, there are a couple of things that cannot be controlled such as sanity. Insanity is very hard to notice because not only is it hidden in the mind, but also it develops slowly over time, and is usually noticed at the point of no return. Hamlet decides to create a façade of madness in order to discover the truth to his father’s death. Everything is going as planned until the insanity begins to slowly take over his sense of self-control. What began as a facade becomes a harsh reality until it finally consumes Hamlet and he loses himself in this tragedy.
Often, and justly, referred to as the greatest story to have ever been told, Shakespeare’s Hamlet never ceases to cause debate amongst two individuals. The complexity within the play’s characters allows every individual to perceive a different variation of them, instigating these endless debates. Consequently, one of the most famous debates, questioning Hamlet’s antic disposition, has split the population into those that believe he was not mad, merely acting, and others who believe he had gone completely mad and his occasional “sane” episodes were just a coping mechanism to deal with the insanity. Standing with the latter side, my perception on the play is somewhat different as I believe that Hamlet’s vulnerability had exceeded not just to
What knowledge is there that I can be guiltless of? Innocent, the eyes of an individual who witnesses the dead body of a King, effortlessly hacked at like a piece of meat (gesture towards floor). With knowledge that it was those eyes, my eyes (point to self) that observed this treacherous act. How can these hands ever be rid of guilt, whilst they are covered in the blood they smeared, still warm, upon the resting innocents? ( pause and look at hands) I held the very dagger that ripped life to shreds, daggers of which now harvest their vengeance in the stabbing of my beloved king’s soul. (point to self)How am I to prevent this shame, the fowl contrary of purity, from steadily possessing our sanity and having control over our actions? I should have suspected that a man so full of milk of human kindness would sense guilt at the deed of stripping nature’s King from his throne and taking the deceased man’s bloodied robes before he was cold in his grave (walk to chair and sit down. I would have done the deed myself had he not looked so strangely similar to my father. (pause)
The play starts off with the changing of the guards and tensions are high. Horatio is invited to join Marcellus to the watch due to the appearance of a ghost. As the men are about to hear the story from Barnardo; a ghost enters and exits. Horatio says that the ghost has the same appearance of old King Hamlet. The men begin to talk about the action being taken within Denmark, as the ghost enters once again. Horatio asks it to speak and identify itself; the ghost begins to leave. Horatio asks for it to return but it does not. All the men agree to tell Prince Hamlet about the ghost. A ceremony begins; the King, Queen, Prince Hamlet and their entire kingdom enter to celebrate the Queen and the King’s wedding. King Claudius speaks on the tragic death of his brother the old king, but the kingdom should focus on happiness. Claudius sends two courtiers to Norway to deliver a message to stop all war between both countries. Then, Laertes is given a blessing to leave to France. Hamlet is unhappy about the purpose of the ceremony; it is focus in the wedding not about the death of his father. Horatio and Marcellus greet Hamlet and tell him about the ghost. Hamlet asks the men to take him to the site of the appearance of the ghost. While in the home of Polonius, his children Laertes and Ophelia speak about Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet. Laertes advises her to protect her heart when it comes to Hamlet and to let Hamlet be the Prince he is mean to be. Polonius enters and advises
In one of William Shakespeare’s most notorious plays, Hamlet, Shakespeare uses multiple scenes filled with drama to add a certain extreme dimension to the play. In a story filled with drama, such as Hamlet, an author attempts to use intense dialogue and actions in order to invoke personal emotions and feelings in the hearts of the audience. Shakespeare attempted to have the audience feel the pain that Hamlet experienced, sense the feelings of revenge that were deep in the heart of the prince, and be able to place themselves inside the play, as if they were there while the whole thing was taking place. From he first time that we are introduced to the character of Hamlet, we automatically get a sense of his intensity as a human being, yet his professional elegance as a prince (Mabillard, Amanda). In this story, we witness the actions of one young Prince Hamlet as we see his reactions to the news that his uncle not only killed his brother, King Hamlet, but then married his wife to take the crown. Shakespeare’s work shows us how drama can be used to elevate the intensity and interest of an audience in a play.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Polonius is shown to be the bumbling counselor to King Claudius. He is considered a high class-citizen although he is below Hamlet and the king. When examined from a Marxist perspective, Polonius is often treated poorly by Hamlet because he is not in the same social rank as the prince; however, Polonius values his position as counselor highly and goes through great measures to assure that he keeps his job because it guarantees him a place in upper class society.