The Real Cause Of Tragedy In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Superior Essays
Hamlet
Carnegie, Dale. "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet; evidence suggests that Hamlet would have made a bad king due to his inability to quickly execute his goals with deliberate purposeful action as a result of constant over articulation. After returning to Denmark from the University of Wittenberg, Prince Hamlet encounters the Ghost of his late father, King Hamlet. The Ghost reveals the evil nature of Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, who was recently crowned the new King of Denmark. The Ghost tells Hamlet the real cause of his death in which the Ghost states: Now, Hamlet, hear.
…show more content…
But know thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears his crown.
(I.v.34-39)
The Ghost directs Hamlet to take revenge against King Claudius, “If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not. Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and Damned incest” (I.v.86-88). Hamlet swears to avenge his father’s murder, however, Hamlet lacks the ability to act quickly on his intentions with deliberate purposeful action due to his constant over articulation.
Hamlet is introduced as a witty intellectual who is often playing on words. However, it is Hamlet’s intellectual aspect that ultimately prohibits his ability to execute a plan of revenge against his uncle. Hamlet is a thorough and thoughtful young man. In 1.5, Hamlet swears to the Ghost that he will take action against King Claudius. However, in 2.2, Hamlet questions the authenticity of the Ghost and creates an elaborate plan, which involves a play reenacting the murder of King Hamlet to confirm what Hamlet had been told by the Ghost:
May be the devil, and the devil hath power
T ' assume a pleasing shape. Yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have
…show more content…
And how his audit stands who knows save heaven?
But in our circumstance and course of thought 'Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged
To take him in the purging of his soul
When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?
No.
(III.iii.74-88) Hamlet’s thorough and articulate nature is also illustrated through his personal conflict between life and death: “To be or not to be? – That is the question” (III.i.57). In 3.1, Hamlet expresses his thoughts on existence and non-existence and debates between accepting the trouble that life presents or simply ending all those troubles by ending ones life. Hamlet considers death and comes to the theoretical conclusion that one would bear the sufferings of life if death were worse. As a result, Hamlet cannot bring himself to take his own life because he is worried about the afterlife stating: For who would bear the whips and scorns of time…
To grunt and sweat under a weary life
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveler returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Why Is Hamlet Insane

    • 1052 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the beginning Hamlet plans to act crazy to distract Claudius and the Queen from his intentions of exposing his father’s killer. Hamlet tells his best friend Horatio that his father’s ghost came…

    • 1052 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the beginning of the play Hamlet sees a ghost of his father who has passed away. The ghost tells him to avenge his death by stating, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.4.29). This demonstrates that the ghost wants Hamlet to kill the one who has taken his life. The ghost not only tells Hamlet that he was murdered but gives information of who the killer is by saying, “ The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (1.4. 44-45). This shows that the ghost wants Hamlet to take the life of Claudius and get revenge for what he did to Hamlet’s father. This…

    • 619 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark is a drama filled with betrayal, espionage, love, ghosts, and death. Throughout the drama, Prince Hamlet, the main character, struggles with his father’s untimely and unexpected death; also, his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle. The ghost of the belated King Hamlet appears to Prince Hamlet and Hamlet’s friends informing Prince Hamlet that he [the late king hamlet] was murdered by King Claudius. Hamlet begins to question the trust of all those around him, and begins his mission to avenge his father’s death. King Claudius tries to keep a close eye on Hamlet to make sure that Hamlet is going to be harmful, but because of this many of the spies get killed. This act of spying causes Hamlet to question everyone’s loyalty, including his own mother’s loyalty to Hamlet’s belated father. This issue with loyalty also causes Hamlet to be rude to all those around him. During the drama, Shakespeare uses dialogue, staging, and irony to show that when Prince Hamlet and Queen Gertrude were arguing the ghost that Hamlet sees isn’t there,…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Hamlet knew that the ghost was telling the truth, which only drove him to complete the task. Hamlet also, noticed his uncle reaction of his father's death. Hamlet did not like his uncle Claudius, because of the lack of emotion Claudius showed towards his fathers passing. Claudius did not mourn the death of his brother, he celebrated by marrying his brother’s queen. Claudius married Hamlet’s mother Gertrude, which only infuriated Hamlet. Hamlet became disillusioned because he struggled coming to terms with his mother’s second marriage. His disillusion came from the anger he had towards his uncle Claudius and his mother Gertrude. Hamlet’s disillusions worsened due to his lack of mourning. Hamlet had no time to mourn his father's death because he was forced to celebrate the new marriage of Claudius and Gertrude. His anger increased, Hamlet just wanted to pursue his plan to kill Claudius to revenge his father…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Acts Of Revenge In Hamlet

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hamlet sees a ghost, later we find out the ghost is Hamlet's father, telling hamlet to seek revenge. Hamlet replies to his father, "Speak; I am bound to hear." by him saying this he implies that its duty to listen to his father "So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear"(act 1 scene 5). Shortly after the ghost restates the message, but more blunt. "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder"(act 1 scene 5 ) meaning if hamlet ever truly loved his father he will seek revenge. "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love, / May sweep to my revenge" (act 1 scene 5) Hamlet tells his father to tell the story of his death and revenge will shortly…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When the play begins, the audience learns that the old king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who is now ruling over Denmark. Ever since the death of the old king, Hamlet, the son of the old king, has been very unhappy due to the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother. As Hamlet is mourning the death of his father, a ghost appears. The ghost tells Hamlet that he must kill King Claudius to avenge his father. Later on in the story, as Hamlet is trying to fulfil the…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While preparing his revenge for Claudius, everyone thought he was crazy. Hamlet was neither of those. He was acting under the orders of his deceased father. When the actors come to perform in Act 2, it inspires him and takes him back to a time where he loved acting. After watching and listening to the actors perform, he realizes that “For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak/ With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players/ Play something like the murder of my father/ Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks.” (2.2.556-559). Hamlet aims to utilize the actors to force Claudius into remembering the murder of his brother and show his guilt. Hamlet must not forget his father’s wishes to get vengeance for his death. “O, vengeance!/ Why, what an ass am I” (2.2.544-545). He forgot his objective; instead he’s just been standing around cursing like a whore. The appearance of the ghost in Act 1 acted as a performance put on for Hamlet in order to solidify King Hamlet in his memory (Shakespeare and Memory – Abstracts). The theater company acts as a reminder to Claudius just as the ghost is a reminder to Hamlet. By seeing with his own eyes a clear picture of the past reflected on a stage, Claudius is forced into confronting his memory directly and in Act 3, he demands the play end and leaves abruptly, thus solidifying Hamlet’s…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Having lost his father, Hamlet felt anguished and devastated with his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle, Claudius. However, even with the disgust and hatred that he felt, it had never crossed his mind that his father’s death was a murder, committed by someone that he considered family. When Horatio, Bernardo and Marcellus explain to Hamlet their glimpse of the ghost of old King Hamlet, he decides that he wants to join the men and witness it for himself. That night, the ghost approaches Hamlet and beckons to speak alone. Hamlet follows, and after the eye-opening conversation with the soul of his father, he finds out that old King Hamlet was poisoned by Claudius. Hamlet was quick to understand that he was entitled to avenge his father’s death. This shows that many are frequently influenced by the voice in our head that tells us to do something even when we know we should not. Although Hamlet was convinced he must retaliate against his father’s death, he insisted on gaining proof before killing Claudius due to Horatio’s belief that the ghost was an evil spirit, “Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason / and draw you into madness? Think of it” (1.4.76-77). Hamlet did not want the people of Denmark to believe that he was so evil to be plotting to kill his stepdad with his proof coming from a dead soul. Hamlet attains an opportunity to prove that Claudius is…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hamlet is initially a logically sound individual who does not want to perpetrate acts of evil. However, the thoughts that come to his mind after interacting with “the ghost” go on to show the influence that people close to us can have on our thoughts and actions. The personality of the protagonist and all the diverse factors that come into play to further his indecisiveness only increase Hamlet’s state of melancholy. It is imperative to note that Hamlet remains passive and hesitant to commit suicide as well as to kill Claudius during prayer, until the ghost of his father influences…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hamlet doubts Gertrude’s sincerity because she should have “mourn’d longer” (1.2.151). And although Gertrude cried “like Niobe,” her actions revealed that she was not full of grief (1.2.149). With Hamlet’s repetition of the word “month,” he states the view that Gertrude’s love was all an act because who loves someone but moves on in so little time. Unable to cope with what his mother and uncle did, Hamlet resulted in disillusionment. The incestuous marriage led to the resignation of Hamlet because no matter what he can say or do, he knew that there was nothing to be done. Although Hamlet could not take action, the concept of revenge draped over his conscience. Not only did his mother’s actions underscore Hamlet’s anger, but also with his high regard of Old Hamlet, “like a Hyperion,” his grief was intensified (1.2.141). Because of Hamlet’s reverent view of Old Hamlet, the encounter with the ghost deepened Hamlet’s anger towards Claudius. When speaking to the ghost, Hamlet was given the story of how Old Hamlet was actually killed. The knowledge of Claudius’ mischievous actions causes Hamlet to seek revenge, fulfilling the ghost’s wishes. In respect for Old Hamlet, Hamlet knows he must take action.…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mystery Of Death In Hamlet

    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” is believed to have been written between the year 1599 and 1601, and although the play actually takes place in the Middle Ages occasionally reference to the Elizabethan era are made. During this time plays revolving around revenge and tragedy were quite popular. It was not uncommon to see at the end of a play that all the major characters end up dead. In this particular revenge tragedy, Prince Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost who tells him his uncle Claudius is responsible for his murder, who did it in order to become king and marry his mother. Hamlet becomes a sort of a madman trying to prove his uncles guilt before actually taking his revenge. To test his uncles conscious Hamlet directs…

    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In scene 5, the audience sees the ghost communicating verbally for the first time, and it is with his son Hamlet. The ghost tells Hamlet than he has come on a nightly walk from the Purgatory. The ghost mentions his soul is under continual torment for the sins of his life. Next, the ghost reveals a major point to move the plot along, revealing that he was not killed a viper as officially announced, but was murdered by non-other than Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. It is revealed that Claudius snuck into the garden where King Hamlet was taking his afternoon nap, and Claudius poured poison into King Hamlet’s ear killing him painfully. As a result, Claudius now wears King Hamlet’s crown and sleeps with his wife. The ghost demands vengeance, telling Hamlet not to focus on his mother and leave her to the heavens stating she is weak and lustful, but to focus his revenge fully on Claudius.…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The play, Hamlet by Shakespeare, is a tale of revenge. The notion of revenge is presented when the story begins. The ghost of Hamlet’s father appears at the stroke of midnight to Hamlet and tells him of how he was murdered by his Uncle Claudius (who is the current ruler). Hamlet is reluctant to believe this information, but cannot bring himself to deny that it is true. The ghost implores Hamlet to seek revenge upon his Uncle for the traitorous act of poisoning the King. Shakespeare is known for writing about death and attracting the audience of his many plays to the intricate lives of his developed characters. The notion of revenge pulls the audience into the storyline of Hamlet’s insanity and revenge plot. Hamlet is faced…

    • 1514 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A tragic hero will evoke both our pity and our terror but never is completely good nor is the hero ever completely evil. To justify the tragic effect, the hero will appear better than we are, in the sense that he is of higher moral worth. The hero will have to suffer a decline from a state of being happy to one of being sad, brought about by his tragic flaw. Making the King confess took a lot of strategic planning and also with logical thinking. According to the portrayal of the ghost, Hamlet was faced with a supernatural conundrum, in which he had to decide whether the ghost was evil or sending a message from the dead. The ghost claimed to be Hamlet’s father and even revealed he had been murdered by his own brother, who had taken the crown from Hamlet’s father. After some thought, a chance arose for Hamlet to catch King Claudius showing a sign of regret for murdering his own brother, taking the crown from him, and also taking his wife at the same…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and damned incest.” (1.5.82-83) The word choice Shakespeare employs through the ghost in these lines express the theme of revenge. This sends Hamlet on a mission to avenge his father and to figure out the exact moment to make his move. His father also presents the theme of revenge by instructing him to take action against his uncle Claudius. “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.25) In this line, Shakespeare clearly shows the motive behind the ghost and reveals that the ghost has only one purpose in appearing in the world of the living. This becomes Hamlet’s mission throughout the course of the play and will lead to his ultimate destruction by hurting the people he loves and cares about. On the other hand the theme of madness is also present in Hamlet. Like mentioned earlier, the scene between the ghost and Hamlet also creates the origin of Hamlet’s madness which only worsens as the play goes on. In the beginning Hamlet’s madness is merely a means to an end in order to get close to his uncle and mother, but this idea becomes less clear as the play progresses. Later the ghost reinforces the theme of madness when the ghost appears in the bedroom where Hamlet is talking to Gertrude. “On him, on him! Look you, how pale he glares! His form and cause conjoin'd, preaching to stones, Would make them capable.” (3.4.126-28)…

    • 1487 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays