Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has remained the most perplexing, as well as the most popular, of William Shakespeare’s tragedies. Whether considered as literature, philosophy, or drama, its artistic stature is universally admitted. To explain the reasons for its excellence in a few words, however, is a daunting task. Apart from the matchless artistry of its language, the play’s appeal rests in large measure on the character of Hamlet himself. Called upon to avenge his father’s murder, he is compelled to face problems of duty, morality, and ethics that have been human concerns through the ages. The play has tantalized critics with what has become known as the Hamlet mystery, that of Hamlet’s complex behavior, most notably his indecision and his reluctance to act.…
Shakespeare’s texts have been re-visited, re-interpreted and re-invented to suit the context and preferences of an evolving audience, and it through this constant recreation it is evident that Hamlet “does not define or exhaust its possibilities”. Through the creation of a character who emulates a variety of different themes, such as revenge, realisation of reality and the questioning of humanity, we can see the different possibilities within Hamlet as an “admirable text” with enduring human value. Furthermore, the emotional journey of Hamlet and his progression of madness provide further opportunity for differing interpretations. Hamlet connects with audiences from a variety of socio-historic contexts primarily due to its address of fundamental human issues and what it is to be human.…
Detail 1: To begin with, Prince Hamlet in “Hamlet” is considered to be a scholar, a thinker, and the kind of person who would not act without thoroughly analysing the circumstances. Hamlet’s flaws as a central character become evident when the intrigue begins to take shape. The intrigue in “Hamlet” shows Hamlet’s father coming to him, as a ghost, and pleads revenge for his death. Hamlet becomes aware that his uncle, Claudius,…
Any critical evaluation of the play “Hamlet” must be chiefly concerned with the character of Hamlet. Unlike Shakespeare’s other tragedies, “Hamlet” is singular in purpose and scope-it is the story of one man’s personal and moral collapse under the weight of his own (and other’s) decisions, intentions and machinations. The play is not complicated with subplots and extraneous secondary characters, but is wholly focused on the man himself. This dedication to a singular dramatic intention paradoxically makes for “Hamlet” to be, subjectively, Shakespeare most confusing play. It is problematic in its protagonists’ inscrutability, his missing motives, his contradictory actions, and his utter implacability to settle into one stable character. Almost everything he does further contradicts him as an individual in the world of the play and as a dramatic character. For this reason my critical evaluation of the play is that it is artistically self defeating due to its own subversions of character and dramatic convention, and this should render it unfulfilling and disappointing as a dramatic performance. Paradoxically, the plays confusion renders it all the more infuriatingly readable-it is both alienating and enticing, a work which defeats itself in its own realisation and at the same time is only worthwhile and meaningful in this artistic enigma-the individual components should not work, yet it does strike a powerful emotional and dramatic resonance in its completion. Many aspects of “Hamlet” as a text are easily criticised-it is certainly a work with a large amount of problems. However, in a rather subversive and mysterious manner the play is a wonderful work of literature.…
A revenge tragedy was a popular form of writing during the Elizabethan age, in this form of writing the main character is directed by a ghost of his murdered father or son and the ghost inflicts retaliation, amongst a powerful villain. Revenge tragedies usually include the following; violence, bizarre criminal acts, insanity, a hesitant protagonist, and the use of soliloquy. Thus Hamlet becomes a Revenge of Tragedy it follows all the guidelines and in some cases go above and beyond.…
The following are journal entries for our reading of Hamlet. Each entry should be completed after we have finished reading and/or viewing that scene in class. The purpose is to prepare you for class discussion; therefore, you should have something written for each entry before we discuss it in class (even if it’s only a question). See Ms. M with questions ahead of time – don’t expect to be given answers in class! Be sure to cite textual evidence to support all your answers – remember to record act, scene and line numbers.…
Most people believe that Hamlet was written in the 3rd person point of view. However, some literary critics argue that Shakespeare’s characters possess individuality too great to be bound under a fixed point of view. Like actual people, they act with intentions we cannot completely comprehend. This lack of fixed point of view allows the work to be up to interpretation, as it has been analyzed in a variety of ways.…
The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast two movies made about Hamlet. I will present and discuss different aspects of the version directed by Kenneth Branagh to that of Franco Zefirelli. During this paper you will be presented with my opinions in reference to determining which version of Hamlet best reflects the original text by Shakespeare. I will end this paper with my belief and explanation of which movie is true to the original play.…
What comes to your mind when you think of Hamlet? Is the love Hamlet had for Ophelia, or maybe it is all the killing that happens in the play? Have you ever thought about the political and ethical dilemmas in the play? Some of the dilemmas only pertained to Shakespeare’s time. While others were universal applying to all times. There were many political and ethical dilemmas that pertained to Shakespeare’s time and all times, one of the political dilemmas is when Demark needed to know if Norway was going to go to war, and an example of one of the ethical dilemmas would be Lord Polonius telling his daughter not to have anything to do with Hamlet anymore, and there were many more.…
Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet was composed in the early 17th century Elizabethan Era, reflecting this society’s preoccupation with retribution and vengeance. It explores key concerns and concepts of everlasting relevance to audiences of all ages. The tragic hero Hamlet is intensely human and his struggles are familiar to all audiences. He educates the audience via vicarious learning, sharing his experiences as he explores fundamental issues of morality and mortality through his intense interactions with the lead female characters. Key concerns that are the driving forces in Hamlet include: deception and revenge. These overarching concerns help the audience to understand the prevarications and motivations of Hamlet, along with the multifaceted relationships between Hamlet, Ophelia, Gertrude and Claudius.…
What have you come to understand about the intense human relationships of Hamlet? How has this understanding been affected by the perspectives of others? In you response you should focus on 3 scenes in the play and a range of perspectives.…
Hamlet was much more tragic than I could have ever imagined. In my opinion, this is the most catastrophic of all Shakespearean work. The play starts off with the three appearances by the ghost of the late King Hamlet, father to Hamlet. It was not until the third appearance that Hamlet actually saw his dad. I thought it to be very interesting that the late King Hamlet’s ghost would only speak to his son, Hamlet. He wanted his murder to be avenged and he came to Hamlet to make that happen. Although, the revenge did not go down as King Hamlet wanted it. The play also has the story of love and perhaps hate between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet, however,…
“No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man’s mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time”…
Contrary to popular belief, ignorance is not, in any shape or form, ‘bliss’, however it is not restricting either. No one can truly live in a constant state of ignorance, because just as time heals all wounds, time also inflicts them. Sometimes not knowing is antagonizing than knowing. However, knowledge can place a person in a situation where they feel that they have no other option but to perform an act of some kind. In the Shakespearean play “Hamlet”, the main character’s, Prince Hamlet, revelations of the sins committed by his uncle, Claudius, adds to the tension that already existed between the two and is the catalyst to the tragic events that take place within the play. The grievances that Hamlet had against his Claudius, now his step-father and King, is the murder of his father, the theft of his crown and Claudius’ hasty marriage of his mother and queen, Gertrude.…
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark who has come home from Germany only to find his father dead and his mother married to his father’s brother, Claudius.…