Human Condition In Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a celebrated revenge tragedy which reflects the values and ideas of Renaissance Humanist era. The play depicts complexity through its interactions with themes such as revenge, verisimilitude, and madness. Also, the play’s structure, form, language, content are integrated together in order to create a text speaks in different ways. The play touches on the elaborate and every chasing forms of the human condition. Questioning basic human nature about life, death and truth, allowing audiences to create their own concepts. This play has endured the test of time whilst maintaining lasting integrity. The main story is about the Prince of Denmark young Hamlet and his self-conflict with seeking revenge for his father’s …show more content…
As critic Frank Kermode sees the play as ‘obsessed with doubles of all kinds’ mirroring the ideals of binary opposites as the false appearance is a form of ‘doubling’.This is seen through the numerous references to the repeated words such as “seems”, “appearances” and “pictures”, these aspects enhance Hamlet’s truth telling as the audience is able to identify the difference between reality and appearance. This is explored when Hamlet says “Seems, Madam? Nay it is, I know not ‘seems’, the repetition of “seem” depicts false or superficial appearance. Hamlet’s mourning for his father is deemed feminine, Hamlet believes as everyone presenting and not actually morning including his mother, Gertrude. Classics is the underpinning character with the reality vs appearance complex. His regal appearance does not compare to the murderous and adulterous reality. Hamlet as the truth teller expresses this through the oxymoron “Hyperion’ to a ‘satyr”, comparing the two brothers (doubles). Hamlet use of Greek mythology to describe Claudius as a lustful satyr t gives a good comparison between the two brothers. Additionally, Hamlet consistent conflict with appearance and reality is directly depicted when he attacks Ophelia for wearing makeup. He is against false identity and according to him, makeup is a form of dishonesty “God has given you one face and you make yourselves another”, depicts his mistrust even with the people he loves. Also, Shakespeare use of stichomythia as a dramatic technique gives a sense of violence and urgency. It also confirms the appearance of Hamlet’s madness is still a performance as he able to have witty replies compared the reality of Ophelia’s madness. As her madness is reality her use of song, metaphors and nature imagery gives audience members and understanding of the