Shakespeare’s Comment on the Effects of Adversity on One’s Identity
How morally unjust can one be in order to outstep obstacles and achieve his goals? One of the most important aspects of a human being’s identity is ethical integrity, and as such, one should question the extent in which this aspect can be expended. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one can observe and explore this question and discover the answer primarily through the actions of Hamlet. Shakespeare displays how one’s moral identity will eventually deteriorate when enduring adversity by explaining obsession as a consequence, and exhibiting how one must dispose of moral values to overcome it. He also argues this notion by contrasting the behaviour of one who has beaten said adversity, …show more content…
When Hamlet encounters a Captain of the Norwegian army, he inquires about the reason for the great military presence in the area. The captain explains to him that Prince Fortinbras ordered the mobilisation of the military to attack and capture a useless area of land that once belonged to Norway. In the soliloquy that follows, Hamlet displays his jealousy towards Fortinbas’ decisiveness, pondering about how one could be willing to fight, and risk his men’s lives over a virtually worthless goal, when he himself hasn’t achieved anything despite having adequate reason and opportunity. Inspired, he then decides to remove all sense of moral ambiguity, and vows concentrate solely on enacting revenge on Claudius. The revelation that Hamlet experiences, displays his understanding that his largest source of adversity is his own morality. He realizes that in order to overcome this obstacle, he must purge himself of all ethical standards he once …show more content…
Shakespeare has Hamlet act increasingly obsessed with his task to the point where he makes a conscious decision to enact vengeance at any cost. He uses the character to explain how the growth of adversity is the direct cause of this obsession and subsequent distraction from morals. He also describes how the eventual overcoming of said adversity will result in the re-emergence of one’s ethics. This comment on the negative effects of hardship demonstrates how one will eventually be capable of disregarding the wellbeing of others to defeat
How morally unjust can one be in order to outstep obstacles and achieve his goals? One of the most important aspects of a human being’s identity is ethical integrity, and as such, one should question the extent in which this aspect can be expended. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one can observe and explore this question and discover the answer primarily through the actions of Hamlet. Shakespeare displays how one’s moral identity will eventually deteriorate when enduring adversity by explaining obsession as a consequence, and exhibiting how one must dispose of moral values to overcome it. He also argues this notion by contrasting the behaviour of one who has beaten said adversity, …show more content…
When Hamlet encounters a Captain of the Norwegian army, he inquires about the reason for the great military presence in the area. The captain explains to him that Prince Fortinbras ordered the mobilisation of the military to attack and capture a useless area of land that once belonged to Norway. In the soliloquy that follows, Hamlet displays his jealousy towards Fortinbas’ decisiveness, pondering about how one could be willing to fight, and risk his men’s lives over a virtually worthless goal, when he himself hasn’t achieved anything despite having adequate reason and opportunity. Inspired, he then decides to remove all sense of moral ambiguity, and vows concentrate solely on enacting revenge on Claudius. The revelation that Hamlet experiences, displays his understanding that his largest source of adversity is his own morality. He realizes that in order to overcome this obstacle, he must purge himself of all ethical standards he once …show more content…
Shakespeare has Hamlet act increasingly obsessed with his task to the point where he makes a conscious decision to enact vengeance at any cost. He uses the character to explain how the growth of adversity is the direct cause of this obsession and subsequent distraction from morals. He also describes how the eventual overcoming of said adversity will result in the re-emergence of one’s ethics. This comment on the negative effects of hardship demonstrates how one will eventually be capable of disregarding the wellbeing of others to defeat