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Hamlet: A Tool Of A Higher Power

Hamlet: A Tool of a Higher Power

Kristine Theobald

Throughout Shakespeare's Hamlet, it seems that a higher spiritual power is
influencing the events taking place in the state of Denmark.   A ghost of the
recently deceased King Hamlet appears to Young Hamlet telling him of his "most
foul and most unnatural murder" (1.5.30). This begins a chain of events leading
up to the martyrdom of Hamlet, and the spiritual cleansing of the throne of
Denmark.

Firstly, Hamlet sees the evil and contemptible state of life in Denmark.
Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and the Queen of Denmark, marries his Uncle soon after
the death of his father. ". . .The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth
the marriage tables" (1.2.189-90).   Depressed, and most likely confused, Hamlet
speaks his first soliloquy in the play, else named 'the dram of evil' speech,

          ". . . Frailty, thy name is woman!—
          A little month, or ere those shoes were old
          With which she followed my poor father's body
          Like Niobe, all tears—why she, even she
          married with my uncle . . .
          With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
          It is not, nor it can not come to good."
          (1.2.152-158,163-4). In addition, Hamlet sees the corruption in
Denmark when the ghost of his recently deceased father appears to him.   The
ghost claims that he is "doomed to walk a certain term to walk the night / And
for the day confined to fast in fires" (1.5.15-16).   Also, the spirit explains
how Claudius murdered him by pouring the 'cursed juices of Hebenon' in the
porches of his ears.   Hamlet is encouraged further by the spirit to take revenge
upon his father's death.

Because Hamlet is a philosopher and a dreamer, illustrated in his famous 'To be
or not to be' speech (3.1.64-98), he needs additional proof before he takes his
revenge on Claudius.   To prove this, Hamlet has the players act out a scene that
was close to the ghost's story about the death of King Hamlet.   Claudius...