Experiencing Pressure from Society
Everyone remembers their teenage years. The pressures, the memories, the responsibilities become engraved in people’s minds forever. But as years continue to pass, teens begin to realize that the best years of their lives become increasingly harder. Despite what they would have us believe, teens experience large amounts of pressure everyday. Through pressures put on them by their families and school, teens can relate to the story of Hamlet and the pressures he faced. Every day teens deal with the massive amounts of pressure cast on them from American society, similar to the pressure Hamlet felt in the play.
Although nobody can choose their family, it’s a given that we must depend on family from the beginning. …show more content…
Hamlet deals with an absence of trust after the murder of his father and a quick remarriage of his mother. Hamlet shows distress to his mother about her quick remarriage and she responded with “Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off/And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark/Do not for ever with thy vailèd lids/Seek for thy noble father in the dust/Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die/Passing through nature to eternity” (l.ii.68-73). In that quote Gertrude basically tells Hamlet to quit mourning over his father's death as she argues that death is “common”. While Hamlet’s mother pleads that death happens often and that people shouldn’t grieve over it, one in every twenty kids aged fifteen and younger experience a loss in one or both of their parents (Owens). With Gertrude’s quick remarriage to Claudius, the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude begins to unravel when she doesn’t understand Hamlet’s emotions and assumes that death is common. Grasping the idea of death even as a teenager remains as hard to handle; the impact of bereavement on teens can cause life-defining experiences for them. Effects like depression and low self-esteem come along with bereavement and can stay for years after the death, while Gertrude wanted Hamlet to move on within months after his death (Hensley). Hamlet and Claudius …show more content…
Schools can give off a lot of this pressure for teens. For most people, it’s not a surprise that school increasingly gets harder for students as years pass. The increase in higher demand for jobs that require 4 years of college or more continues to grow every year and schools try to prepare students for that future. More testing is being implemented, more college courses are being offered earlier in a high schooler’s life. But society turns a blind eye to the effect this has on teens. The pressure cooker we call public school certainly takes its toll on young adults in America. Despite what most people believe, the intense pressure schools put on students doesn’t just start in college. “The nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, burnouts, and depression are also apparent in many younger students” (Kaur). In schools, students feel a range of academic pressure from both parents and teachers. Whether they strive to get that A+ or can barely make a C-, students can feel the pressure to strive for perfection on all levels. With students taking multiple classes a year, it can feels harder for them to make sure they have their workload under control. On the other hand, while trying to accomplish the A+, students still try to complete all the testing forced onto them by law. The Department of Education says “One essential part of educating students successfully is assessing their progress in learning to high standards. Done well and
Everyone remembers their teenage years. The pressures, the memories, the responsibilities become engraved in people’s minds forever. But as years continue to pass, teens begin to realize that the best years of their lives become increasingly harder. Despite what they would have us believe, teens experience large amounts of pressure everyday. Through pressures put on them by their families and school, teens can relate to the story of Hamlet and the pressures he faced. Every day teens deal with the massive amounts of pressure cast on them from American society, similar to the pressure Hamlet felt in the play.
Although nobody can choose their family, it’s a given that we must depend on family from the beginning. …show more content…
Hamlet deals with an absence of trust after the murder of his father and a quick remarriage of his mother. Hamlet shows distress to his mother about her quick remarriage and she responded with “Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off/And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark/Do not for ever with thy vailèd lids/Seek for thy noble father in the dust/Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die/Passing through nature to eternity” (l.ii.68-73). In that quote Gertrude basically tells Hamlet to quit mourning over his father's death as she argues that death is “common”. While Hamlet’s mother pleads that death happens often and that people shouldn’t grieve over it, one in every twenty kids aged fifteen and younger experience a loss in one or both of their parents (Owens). With Gertrude’s quick remarriage to Claudius, the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude begins to unravel when she doesn’t understand Hamlet’s emotions and assumes that death is common. Grasping the idea of death even as a teenager remains as hard to handle; the impact of bereavement on teens can cause life-defining experiences for them. Effects like depression and low self-esteem come along with bereavement and can stay for years after the death, while Gertrude wanted Hamlet to move on within months after his death (Hensley). Hamlet and Claudius …show more content…
Schools can give off a lot of this pressure for teens. For most people, it’s not a surprise that school increasingly gets harder for students as years pass. The increase in higher demand for jobs that require 4 years of college or more continues to grow every year and schools try to prepare students for that future. More testing is being implemented, more college courses are being offered earlier in a high schooler’s life. But society turns a blind eye to the effect this has on teens. The pressure cooker we call public school certainly takes its toll on young adults in America. Despite what most people believe, the intense pressure schools put on students doesn’t just start in college. “The nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, burnouts, and depression are also apparent in many younger students” (Kaur). In schools, students feel a range of academic pressure from both parents and teachers. Whether they strive to get that A+ or can barely make a C-, students can feel the pressure to strive for perfection on all levels. With students taking multiple classes a year, it can feels harder for them to make sure they have their workload under control. On the other hand, while trying to accomplish the A+, students still try to complete all the testing forced onto them by law. The Department of Education says “One essential part of educating students successfully is assessing their progress in learning to high standards. Done well and