King Claudius chief advisor Polonius was acting in the king’s best interest by spying on Hamlet due to unusual behavior. He was killed by a stab wound caused by Hamlet in Queen Gertrude’s closet. The queen later told King Claudius that Hamlet had killed Polonius on purpose and then dragged the body to a location unknown to all but Hamlet. Friends of the royal family tried to persuade Hamlet to admit to his crimes and tell them where the body of Polonius is located but Hamlet would not give up the location, but instead taunt them with riddles, eventually Hamlet revealed Polonius’s body was hidden under the stairs near the castle lobby. King Claudius sends Hamlet off to England escorted by his former friends from school instead of facing trial.…
He thinks that is something inside of Hamlet that is bothering him. Polonius also stated that Hamlet’s actions have methods to them. He thinks that to every action that is made by Hamlet they are logical (Act II scene 11). Hamlet says himself that he is not mad. He tells Horatio that he is going to fake his madness and that if he notices anything strange it is because he is putting on a good act (Act I scene…
Life is all about choices, therefore choices are easily tied to one’s life experiences. All actions have consequences, and sometimes one’s greatest vice is not listening to the whole precipice (meaning, lesson) in the advice (actions) from others. For example, in the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Polonius gives Laertes various pieces of advice before Laertes departs for France. Many of which are applicable to a multitude of characters throughout the play, and the characters who are not present while the advice is given may have benefitted from the messages that Polonius gives in his speech. However, the characters that are present to hear the advice, Polonius and Laertes, have the great advantage over other characters because they have…
Is Hamlet truly insane? There is much evidence in the play that Hamlet deliberately put on fake fits of madness in order to confuse and bewilder the king and his attendants. However, it is important to point out that the reason why Hamlet acted this way is because of the tragic incident of his father's death. This becomes evident right away when Hamlet contemplates suicide in the first soliloquy of the play. Hamlet gets the idea of faking insanity from Horatio's warning when he meets his father's spirit.…
Approximately 18.5% of adults in the United States population experience a mental illness in a given year (NAMI 1). Although this statistic can often vary, it is quite staggering. It was unclear whether or not Hamlet’s madness was truly real, but it greatly affected the content and the outcome of Hamlet. Not only was this a problem for Hamlet himself, but also for each character that encountered him and the kingdom that they were living in. Whether it was because they had to listen to his dramatic claims of seeing a ghost or because Hamlet was the main reason for their death.…
Although Hamlet believes he has killed Claudius through the curtains he feels no regret when he discovers that it was in fact Polonius. After this discovery Hamlet bellows: “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune. Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger” (3.4.32-34).…
In this scene, I expect Hamlet to be pretty crazy, as he is so driven to prove Claudius guilty that he disregards sanity. This craziness will add to the tragedy as it shows Hamlet’s flaw. Overall, this scene is supposed to showcase Hamlet’s craziness and prove Claudius’s guilt. After viewing several versions, I have determined that David Tennant’s interpretation of this scene matches my expectations and seems to showcase Shakespeare’s “true” intentions.…
First of all, Hamlet has his mind set that behind the curtain lies Claudius. His first thought is that this is his best chance at killing Claudius. He had no intention or desire to kill Polonius whatsoever. “He thought it was the chief and wished to kill him to avenge his father.…
Hamlet openly expresses his disapproval of Claudius when he calls him “A little more than kin and less than kind” (ENTER CITATION). Through these words, Hamlet’s disgust is unmistakable, and his vexation only intensifies once he learns that Claudius murdered his father. These series of events all happen within such a short span of time that Hamlet can barely process his feelings, much less address them. Clouded by his ire, Hamlet impetuously stabs Polonius, thinking it is Claudius hiding behind a curtain. Shakespeare implies how “excessive are his [Hamlet’s] indulgences in emotion” by making Hamlet base his decisions solely upon his emotions (ENTER CITATION).…
Hamlet originally planned the murder against Claudius, but impulsively executed Polonius first. However, when he realized he had killed Polonius, Hamlet felt no sorrow for his death (despite committing murder in the presence of his mother). “Thou wretched rash, intruding fool. Farewell, I took thee for thy better” acknowledges Hamlet after stabbing Polonius unknowingly behind the curtain. Instead of an ordinary hero seeking justice, Hamlet wanted Claudius suffering for his sins and felt no guilt for Polonius’ death, insulting and blaming him for his death due to his intrusion on Gertrude.…
Macie johnson Ms. Walter LA 12 1 APR.2016 Hamlet 's Revenge In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, multiple characters use revenge causing irrational behaviors. In Hamlet the main character Hamlet is seeking revenge on his uncle for the death of his father. Claudius killed Hamlet 's father because he was jealous of him having the throne and all the power.…
The idea of the play is to, “catch the conscience of the King” (Act.2, Scene.2, Line.634). Hamlet wants too see if Claudius, while watching the play, will show any facial expressions indicative of guilt, to prove that he killed Old King Hamlet. If it was not for his own father’s death, Hamlet would not have become so absorbed in discovering who the killer was. As Claudius is seeking forgiveness from Hamlet for his crime, the reader beings to further comprehend…
Polonius explains to Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet 's madness "reason and {sanity} could not so prosperously be delivered of" is too real to be faked (2.ii.228-229). The insanity of Hamlet develops quickly and turns from a plan into a problem. Hamlet 's madness attracts the attention of the commoners, more and more people involve themselves with the royal family affairs. Rumors spread throughout the commoners conversations, "by indirections find directions out" and consumes everyone in the disorder of the kingdom (2.ii.262). King Claudius could not…
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark written by William Shakespeare, is a play with a theme of revenge and madness. King Hamlet’s ghost comes to tell his son, Prince Hamlet, to get revenge on his killer. Hamlet follows his father’s orders. Hamlet is very clever. He begins acting mad in order to confuse and distract others.…
To be or not to be deceitful is a question that many often face. Works of literature commonly include characters who intentionally deceive others. These characters’ dishonesty often leads to distrust between them, testing each character’s morals. In his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare, incorporates characters with deceitful minds illustrate distrust between the Hamlet’s family and friends of the family. Throughout Hamlet a web of deceit develops because of the actions of Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius, leading to detrimental outcomes for each character, ultimately proving that one person’s deception can act as a catalyst to influence others’ deceit.…