Freedom. We all crave it. There’s beauty in being free from constraints and obligations; there’s joy in knowing that you are only accountable to yourself. However, is this ever really achievable? The inevitable struggle for every child is whether to maintain their allegiance to their own desires and thoughts or to obey the will of their parents. Remaining true to oneself is to have free-will and choice over one’s actions and overall fate; to be the director of one’s own play. Every child wishes to be free in their decisions and inclinations without the overbearing presence or controlling nature of their parents; however as children it seems we all face filial obligations, the duty of obedience and respect to our parents, the people who gave
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Polonius first exercises the extent of his controlling nature when he tries to prevent Ophelia from seeing Hamlet in order to maintain the legacy and glory of the family name. Convinced that Hamlet’s vow of love to Ophelia is “But mere implorators of unholy suits/Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds,” Polonius upbraids Ophelia’s naïve behavior and rash acceptance of Hamlet’s affections (3.1.129-30). He savagely vilifies Ophelia’s explanations of Hamlet’s love declaring that, “When the blood burns, how prodigal the souls/Lends the tongue vows,” implying that any man would claim love for Ophelia if it meant having sex with her (1.3.116-17). Polonius believes that Hamlet simply lusts after her, valuing only the benefits of her sexuality. Polonius exclaims, “Tender yourself more dearly/…/ Tend’ring it thus you’ll tender me a fool,” demanding that his daughter protect her chastity or else she’ll become pregnant and worthless; he fears Ophelia’s naivety will cause her to lose the power of her virginity to someone who might be unfaithful to her (1.3.107-09). Polonius does not care about his daughter’s emotional state or whether she is actually in love, he only values her sexuality as without her virginity, Ophelia has no value. His daughter is merely a sex object in his eyes. In Shakespearean England a woman’s virginity was considered absolutely necessary …show more content…
However when he does finally figure out Claudius’ treachery he becomes crippled by anguish, confusion and insanity. Hamlet struggles between an irrational fear of death and a sense of justice. Hamlet recognizes that there are consequences to avenging his father’s death such that it could result in his own demise, yet he cannot live with the guilt of letting his father’s murderer go free. Ultimately Hamlet is able to make the decision to avenge his father regardless of his own mortality when he must look death in the face to which he responds, “Alexander died, Alexander was buried/Alexander returneth to dust; the dust is earth”(5.1.211-212). He contemplates the death of great kings and how they all become dust after their deaths. Hamlet recognizes that life is too short for his indecisiveness and that if he does not avenge his father’s death, he may never get the chance. Though killing Claudius is his filial obligation to his father, whether to actually go through with killing Claudius, and thus die himself, is Hamlet’s own choice. He doesn’t murder Claudius simply because of an obligation to the ghost who demanded it of him, but because of his inherent sense of justice. Hamlet chooses his own
Polonius first exercises the extent of his controlling nature when he tries to prevent Ophelia from seeing Hamlet in order to maintain the legacy and glory of the family name. Convinced that Hamlet’s vow of love to Ophelia is “But mere implorators of unholy suits/Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds,” Polonius upbraids Ophelia’s naïve behavior and rash acceptance of Hamlet’s affections (3.1.129-30). He savagely vilifies Ophelia’s explanations of Hamlet’s love declaring that, “When the blood burns, how prodigal the souls/Lends the tongue vows,” implying that any man would claim love for Ophelia if it meant having sex with her (1.3.116-17). Polonius believes that Hamlet simply lusts after her, valuing only the benefits of her sexuality. Polonius exclaims, “Tender yourself more dearly/…/ Tend’ring it thus you’ll tender me a fool,” demanding that his daughter protect her chastity or else she’ll become pregnant and worthless; he fears Ophelia’s naivety will cause her to lose the power of her virginity to someone who might be unfaithful to her (1.3.107-09). Polonius does not care about his daughter’s emotional state or whether she is actually in love, he only values her sexuality as without her virginity, Ophelia has no value. His daughter is merely a sex object in his eyes. In Shakespearean England a woman’s virginity was considered absolutely necessary …show more content…
However when he does finally figure out Claudius’ treachery he becomes crippled by anguish, confusion and insanity. Hamlet struggles between an irrational fear of death and a sense of justice. Hamlet recognizes that there are consequences to avenging his father’s death such that it could result in his own demise, yet he cannot live with the guilt of letting his father’s murderer go free. Ultimately Hamlet is able to make the decision to avenge his father regardless of his own mortality when he must look death in the face to which he responds, “Alexander died, Alexander was buried/Alexander returneth to dust; the dust is earth”(5.1.211-212). He contemplates the death of great kings and how they all become dust after their deaths. Hamlet recognizes that life is too short for his indecisiveness and that if he does not avenge his father’s death, he may never get the chance. Though killing Claudius is his filial obligation to his father, whether to actually go through with killing Claudius, and thus die himself, is Hamlet’s own choice. He doesn’t murder Claudius simply because of an obligation to the ghost who demanded it of him, but because of his inherent sense of justice. Hamlet chooses his own