Melancholy in Hamlet Essay

Synopsis By Act: Act 5 Hamlet arrives from England after being a prisoner on a pirate ship. Hamlet and Horatio meet at the graveyard and witness two clowns throwing skulls around and singing while digging graves and Hamlet thinks that their actions are disrespectful to the dead. Hamlet realizes as he talks to the gravediggers that no matter how powerful you are in life, you will end up in the dirt the same as everyone else. When Hamlet recognizes the skull of Yorick, a childhood jester that…

In "Hamlet" by Shakespeare, the phantom of Hamlet's father plays a huge role in the discovery of who killed the king. Claudius, the uncle of Hamlet, poisoned his brother in order to become king. The eye awakening realization that Hamlet experienced with the ghost exposing how his father died, resulted in Hamlet having impeccable determination in seeking vengeance on Claudius. Hamlet delays killing Claudius, because he is very analytical and he must completely think through all his actions. He…

William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet at a time when England was embroiled in debate about the nature of ghosts. The Elizabethan people believed in the existence of spirits. However, there was a discrepancy in how the people believed the spirits interacted and influenced the populus. The conservative held to the old doctrine stating that ghosts were spirits of deceased people and therefore not evil, while the reforming denied the possibility of ghosts in favor of spirits being evil devils. The…

Shakespeare has written many plays that seem to all revolve around a common theme of all the main characters suffering with an inner conflict. In Hamlet, hamlet has undergone a series of difficult events that cause him to so some questionable actions. A common question asked in regards to this play is “is Hamlet's character stable or unstable?” Being unstable consists of sudden mood changes, lack of emotional control and being highly violently reactive. Hamlet’s character shows none of these…

I believe that Shakespeare’s Hamlet is about mystery and the unknown. Throughout the play, characters struggled with their emotions and actions because of the overbearing sense of uncertainty that always seemed to be present. The play began with a mystery involving the presence of a ghost that “harrow [ed the guards] with fear and wonder” (1.1.53). This sighting led to more uncertainty when Hamlet became unsure if the ghost was an honest spirit or a devil in “a pleasing shape… [that was using…

In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, the state of mind of the main character, Hamlet, is questioned throughout a series of events that begins with his father’s death. Shortly after his death a few guards, including Hamlet, encounter the spirit of the former king while keeping watch of the castle. The ghost of King Hamlet tells his son that when he was napping, Claudius, his brother, poured poison into his ear which kills him. Many people believe that the king was simply killed…

nothing but lust. Hamlet was so consumed in revenge that he ended up killing people who cared for him. In the play Hamlet, Laertes felt that Hamlet never loved Ophelia and only wanted sex from her. This was one of the reasons why Laertes hated Hamlet. Laertes also believed that Hamlet would only marry Ophelia just to become king and not because he truly loved Ophelia. Claudius also thought the same way Laertes did, that Hamlet would never want to marry Ophelia and that Hamlet only wanted her…

customary suits of solemn black, / nor windy suspiration of forced breath, / No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, / Nor the dejected havior of the visage, / Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, / That can denote me truly” (I.ii.77-83). Hamlet explains to his mother and Claudius that nothing can truly encapsulate the emotions he feels following the death of his father. Shakespeare’s use of “’Tis not alone” sets up a list of symbols of grief, such as “inky cloak,” “solemn black,”…

Decay and disease are ever present within the natural world, in both physical and metaphorical forms. Disease may entail physical degradation, while an internal interpretation may represent corruption or emotional turmoil. In Hamlet, Shakespeare weaves motifs of disease and decay into every scene to illustrate Denmark’s underlying corruption. Images of decay and rotting, plus their spreading effects, are present symbols of the infectious quality of sin. The motifs of disease and decay manifest…

he fails, then he will find himself on the brink of insanity. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s resilience is tested through a series events. The death of Hamlet’s father, the encounter with his father’s ghost, and the rushed marriage between his mother, Gertrude and his uncle, Claudius, are all incidents that lead Hamlet on the verge of insanity. With the realization dawning on him that the late…