The Elizabethan era was a time of great change. This resulted in an environment of speculation and uncertainty. It is during this time that Hamlet, Shakespeare‘s most famous play was being performed. This essay will argue that the ambiguity of the Shakespeare’s Hamlet was designed, at least in part as a reflection of the uncertainty of the Elizabethan world, for as Bloom stated “the text was not created in a vacuum”(7). This essay will begin with a brief explanation of how plays can be used as a tool for social and political commentary.…
Hamlet, the first in Shakespeare's arrangement of awesome tragedies, was at first delegated an issue play when the term got to be trendy in the nineteenth century. Like Shakespeare's other issue plays - Hamlet concentrates on the inconveniences emerging from adoration, passing, and treachery, without offering the crowd a definitive and positive determination to these entanglements. This is expected to some degree to the straightforward reality that for Hamlet, there can be no complete solutions forever's most overwhelming inquiries. In fact, Hamlet's world is one of perpetual…
Inner conflict is caused by tragic experiences where some chose to suppress it, others chose to start a war with it. In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, it appears that the protagonist Hamlet is faced with detrimental choices that lead to his downfall into insanity. By understanding Hamlet’s insanity, the reader is able to understand the fight within himself and the justification for his actions. The nurture that is present in the play, renders to be a huge factor in the downfall of Hamlet. The many inconsistencies in Hamlet’s life begin to take a toll on Hamlet, changing what was once a gentle, well-loved man into spiralling vulnerability.…
Moral ambiguity; defined as the lack of certainty about whether something is right or wrong, plays a significant role in many pieces of literature. Taking form in an assortment of roles, a morally ambiguous character is difficult to categorize as either good or evil, as they exhibit strong characteristics of both. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he explores the idea of revenge as well as the question it presents through the characterization of Hamlet as both a hero and antagonist. Hamlet’s contrasting actions, questioning of motives, and ideologies of revenge present a great case for his morally ambiguous persona. Possibly the most famous line in all of literature, “to be or not to be” outlines morally ambiguity to the utmost extent, asking whether…
It is revealed that Hamlet wants to return to England. Similarly Laertes wants to return to France . Laertes asks for permission and receives in addition to a lengthy advice from his father approval to leave. Hamlet on the other hand listens to his stepfather’s and mother’s will to stay in Denmark instead of following his heart’s desire. Laertes, like Hamlet, has a father murdered, and feels duty bound to avenge his death.…
A critical lens is a perspective that the reader uses to examine a piece of literature. Different lenses look for unique details and aspects in the text, and help the reader find new information that may have never been discovered had the piece only been read through one single perspective. The archetypal lens is a critical viewpoint which allows the reader to identify places in a story which follow or deviate from universal patterns, also known as archetypes. Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is a character who, as before mentioned, both follows and deviates from the archetype of the Hero’s Journey.…
The soliloquy of act 2 scene 2 is focused on inner struggles with revenge. Earlier in this scene, Hamlet asks the actors to recite the story of Priam. While viewing this play hamlet realized the flaw in all that he has been doing, or hasn’t been doing, to act revenge on Claudius. Claudius killed Hamlet's father and stole the crown and hamlet is the only one who knows so he hatches a plan. He has made a few attempts of Claudius' life but failed.…
I disliked the fact that Hamlet over thought every little thing and was unable to kill Claudius when the many opportunities he was given arose. But when it came to killing Polonius, and sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths, after finding his own letter ordering his death, that was easy and he acted on impulse. Which is what made me question Hamlet’s sanity. Was Hamlet enjoying acting insane and subconsciously did not want it to end therefore not really wanting to kill the king? When Hamlet was in the graveyard and met the grave digger who had no sympathy for the dead which offended Hamlet, I agreed with Hamlet.…
It is very interesting how Fortinbras, Laertes and Hamlet have in common, but the outcomes of their individual lives are so different. First, it is true that Fortinbras and Laertes serve as ‘foils’ in Hamlet. A foil is a character that is quite different from another character bringing out noticeable difference, bringing to light those specific differences in the other character. Fortinbras and Laertes suffer the same loss as Hamlet, which is the murder of their individual fathers.…
Hamlet Final Project: Psychological Profile of Hamlet The patient’s name is Hamlet and he is around the age of 30 according to the character Gravedigger and because of the fact that he is a college student. Hamlet appears as a white, average looking male who of late has been very down casted and because of the death of his father King Hamlet, Hamlet’s mood is dictated by his depression. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet wears an unusual all black outfit to represent the mourning of his father’s death.…
Hamlet is portrayed as a gritty anti-hero with human flaws and qualities such as arrogance, apathy and paranoia, which are revealed in his hamartia and peripeteia. Hamlet’s selfishness fuels his revenge against Claudius but he follows through intelligently, but arrogantly as he refuses to consider the welfare of others. Hamlet’s revenge triggered a series of remorseless murders in the name of his father. The constant surveillance on Hamlet instigated his constant paranoia of being watched and plotted against because his trust was always betrayed. Gertrude’s hasty marriage and Duncan’s surreptitious murder infuriates Hamlet’s enough to feel obligated to avenge his father’s death mercilessly while demonstrating anti-heroic qualities of hamartia…
Aristotle once said, “a tragedy is the moment where the hero comes face to face with his true identity”. In life, every individual is flawed; however one must be able to identify the difference between flaw, and tragic flaw. William Shakespeare is famously known for the concept of the tragic hero, and The Tragedy of Hamlet is no exception. A tragic hero can be defined as a noble character whose fatal flaw leads to their own destruction. In this tragedy of the Elizabethan era, one will come to understand what makes a true tragic hero, and how this ultimately leads the character to their downfall.…
Many scholars research Shakespeare’s plays to learn about him, his lifestyle, and the customs of that era. Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare in about 1599, is read and studied by nearly every student. Even though countless scholars have researched it, the play ultimately leaves them puzzled. Each person that has studied Hamlet has come up with a unique opinion and conclusion of the play. Although Graham Bradshaw and William Empson both have different views on the way Hamlet was written and the famous “Hamlet Problem”, William Empson has a more valid argument on the new play.…
The story of Hamlet mostly takes place in Elsinore, Denmark during the late middle ages. However, it also has aspects of Shakespeare’s time, the 16th century, scattered throughout the play. During both the 15th and 16th centuries, public image played a crucial role in every noble’s life. How society viewed a noble was just as important as a noble’s honor. Hamlet, the main character of the play, grows in that society, but he fights against the pressure to maintain a positive public view.…
Hamlet 's indecision and continuous delay of Claudius 's murder until the end is explained through several concepts of psychology, delving into his innermost thoughts which act as the driving forces behind his behavior, actions, and attitude towards other characters. From a psychological perspective, Hamlet’s lack of action towards his intended goal is not surprising, especially from a person who shows many symptoms of major depressive disorder including inactivity, thoughts of suicide, frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, agitation, anxiety, and hopelessness. Despite being dead set on getting revenge for his father after he met 'his ghost ' in act 1 scene 4, Hamlet soon began contemplating suicide in his ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy…