Preview

Hamlet

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
539 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hamlet
Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the titular character struggles to engage in his desired plan of revenge. The central dilemma in Hamlet is the character and life’s journey of a man whose mind is in paralysis. Hamlet shows throughout the play that he is inconsistent, indecisive, and unsure of himself, as well as his actions. Hamlet continuously fails with acting out his revenge at opportunistic moments because of his indecisive personality. Hamlet stopping to think about every situation immensely affects so many people in the future if he would just act on instinct, than hesitancy and inconsistency would never be an issue.
In many cases Hamlet is right to think before he acts but in this case it would have been better for him to just act on instinct. “To be, or not to be, that is the question”, meaning he is deciding whether to commit suicide or not. I think that if he had committed suicide instead of contemplating whether he should, then there would have been a drastic change in the gruesome ending of the play. He also wants to commit suicide when the play starts saying, “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!...His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” Hamlet believes the world he sees is so totally corrupted that he wishes his “flesh would melt.” But there’s a problem because “self-slaughter” is a sin. Hamlet is fated to his own destruction. Hamlet should’ve just killed Claudius when the Ghost first told him that Claudius was a murderer instead of trying to give Claudius chances to prove him self innocent. For example after he watches the players, Hamlet berates himself for his inability to avenge his father’s murder, “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!....monstrous that this player here….could force his soul so to his own conceit.” Also when Hamlet says, “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven; And so am I revenged”, Hamlet is about to kill Claudius while

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    One of Hamlets main dilemmas is that he is forced into getting revenge on his uncle for killing his father, marrying his mother, and ultimately becoming king. However, due to Hamlets inability to turn his action into thoughts, this revenge was severely delayed. This inability is a result of his conflict between his physical and inner self, the former being thoughtful and contemplative, while the latter is rash and impulsive. The clash between his personalities often results in the accomplishment of nothing. Although this uncertainty is the main theme of the play, it also portrays Hamlet as a man incapable of making decisions in times of need.…

    • 520 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    hamlet

    • 3282 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Context: In Act 2, scene 2, a troupe of traveling players visits Elsinore, and Hamlet convinces one…

    • 3282 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Shakespeare’s famous Hamlet, Hamlet is driven by a singular goal; to exact revenge on his uncle for his father’s murder, and by achieving this goal, to set his broken world right again. His revenge is slow, meticulous, and well thought through. If his revenge is not done at the right moment, Hamlet will not be able to achieve his goal: Not only wants to make Claudius pay for his father’s murder, but he wants to punish him in the worst way he knows: eternal damnation. He wants Claudius to suffer in the worst way he knows, and in the same way his father was forced to suffer. Hamlet’s extravagant plan on vengeance is an attempt to right the wrong that Claudius has set on him.…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    hamlet

    • 518 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Any Christian knows that as humans we are all sinners and we are forgiven every day. Hamlet in this story ends up killing two men which are Polonius, and Claudius the present king of Denmark. The act of murdering another human is the ultimate sin to most Christians however, I think hamlet did what he thought was right to avenge his father’s unfair death. Hamlets father comes to him as a ghost asking him to seek revenge. Hamlet is unfairly pressed to a sinful act. Hamlet also has a thought of suicide. Suicide is a sin that will send whomever straight to hell. Hamlet does not act on the thoughts of self-death. The time period and legal aspect of this story also has a little to do with the act of murder.…

    • 518 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    hamlet

    • 252 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A huge evolutionary leap is about to take place in our world. Children being born now should be nurtured and cared for with loving arms, so that they can unlock their full potential. “Namastecafe.com” says, “these children are here to show us the way, and so the information can be applied more generally to all of us as we make the transition to the next stage of our growth and evolution”. These children are known as “The Indigos”, Indigo because in the psychic perspective they emit an indigo color light or aura in the spiritual world. The Indigo’s have a warrior’s spirit and they are here to abolish government, educational, and legal systems that lack integrity. Every society undergoes evolutionary change to better the world in which we live in. The generation of Indigo’s is the next evolutionary step, they live by the “Law of One” meaning everyone is equal and everything they do is to better the community as a whole. This “Unity Consciousness” will help reveal to us our inner power and divinity. Our world as we know it is in a dysfunctional state of authority and power, it is falling apart. We should acknowledge these extremely powerful children, with their reluctant force of love and peace, they will be the next generation to bring the light onto our planet.…

    • 252 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hamlet

    • 2585 Words
    • 11 Pages

    A great number of lessons can be learned from Hamlet by Shakespeare. A very important lesson is that not everyone wants a leader, but every kingdom needs one. What is meant by this is that in a kingdom there will always be people who are not in favor of the person in charge. However, in a functioning kingdom a strong leader is of essence. The arrival of Fortinbras in Act 5 Scene 2 of Hamlet is clear evidence that Shakespeare was in hopes of a noble leader replacing Elizabeth. Shakespeare believed that corruption was swarming in the state of England, and a noble leader was needed to replace her.…

    • 2585 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Reread Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy below; it is found in the play in Act 4, Scene 4. Then answer the questions on this page and provide director’s notes that indicate how you would instruct an actor to speak and behave while delivering this soliloquy.…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hamlet

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “Most people who drink alcohol do not become alcoholics.”(Gale pg.2 Para 2) An alcoholic addiction stems from other personal problems of the past or a current problem. Many people may think that an alcohol addiction is a disease or they may not. Alcohol has become a self-medication so that people can dismiss their problems for the time being. If someone feels they have an alcohol addiction, or others do, there are different treatments to help the matter but someone who is addicted to alcohol is usually in denial and treatment will only help a person if they are willing to except it themselves.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Throughout Hamlet, many characters develop showing their change of mind and emotions. Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mother, is an exception. Throughout the entire play she thinks only of herself. Even when she tries to think of or help others, her final decision revolves around her life and how the situation will affect her. Gertrude's selfishness is displayed in her marriage to Claudius, her forcing Hamlet to accept Claudius as his father, and her betrayal of Hamlet to Claudius after Hamlet sees his father's ghost.…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A foil character is a character who provides a contrast to another character. In the play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare there are multiple foil characters who not only provide a contrast to one another but share some similarities as well. All the foils in this book are foils of none other than the main character, Hamlet. The first foil character is Fortinbras, although he is not a major character in the play he does play an important role. Like Hamlet, Fortinbras’ father has also passed away and his uncle has taken over as the King of his country, Norway. However, unlike Hamlet he is not set on vengeance due to the death of his father. Fortinbras also takes leadership into his own hands by creating his own army and taking on the land of Poland when Hamlet can’t even make the decision to kill his uncle or show his true feelings about the marriage between Gertrude and Claudius. Laertes, son of Polonius and brother to Ophelia is also a close foil to Hamlet in this play. Although he does not truly become a foil to Hamlet until act 3 he still plays an important role. In act 3, Hamlet murders Polonius thinking that he is Claudius when coming out from behind the curtain. It is shortly after this scene that Laertes becomes enraged and is then made into a foil of Hamlet. They are both in similar situations of dealing with the murder of their fathers as well as the belief of having to avenge those murders. With Laertes’ revenge he does not wait patiently and think about what he must do like Hamlet does throughout the play, instead he acts on impulse and without thought. He knows and believes that he has to avenge his fathers death and has the passion and dedication to do so right away unlike Hamlet. Hamlet is patient with the avenge of his fathers death and for many logical reasons. He has to make sure what he is being told by the ghost is in fact what happened and by changing himself to act crazy and planning the play to catch Claudius’ reaction was a smart way of…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hamlet

    • 1435 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hamlet is one of the most complex characters and stories in western literature. Shakespeare has loaded this play to the brim with philosophy and ideas far beyond his years. Hamlet himself can be dissected and interpreted in thousands of different ways; but most notably he is dramatic. Dramatic in every sense of the word, he enjoys acting and plays and he is extremely animated in all of his interactions. The same drama that impassions him, tortures him; so much so that he often contemplates suicide. Possibly the most significant drama in the play and in Hamlet surrounds the sanctity of the, and specifically, Hamlet’s mind. Hamlet doesn’t allow anyone to intrude his mind for many reason none more important then the other. The reasons that seem the most profound all surround the validity of his own sexuality and the judgments of the gender relationships he is apart of. Hamlet seemingly blames his mother for parts of his fathers death. He knows she didn’t actually kill him but he blames her for her lack of grief and also her marriage to the swine that is Claudius. He even goes as far as to say to her “aye madam, it is common” right after Gertrude told him about how all life ends he basically calls her a hooker. (I, ii, 13) It is peculiar that he has such a reaction to a mother trying to comfort her grieving son. Throughout the play Hamlet comes up against many trials but none greater then the challenge of accepting who he is versus what he is trying to be. All of Hamlet’s greatness and all of his flaws come from the same source his extreme aversion to the gender relationships posed in his world. In order for us to truly understand hamlet we have to penetrate what he so actively tries to protect; which in Hamlet’s case is his mind and his understanding of love, and his own sexuality.…

    • 1435 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Act 3 Scene 1 - Hamlet's turmoil
Claudius and Polonius eavesdrop when Hamlet meets Ophelia. Hamlet speaks the famous soliloquy ('To be or not to be') and rejects Ophelia, whom he had previously professed love to, believing that she is in league with his uncle and Polonius.
Hamlet Get thee to a nunnery, go, farewell. Or if thou needs must marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hamlet

    • 874 Words
    • 3 Pages

    II. Hamlet becomes a disgusted observer because of all the many things that happen to him after his father’s death. His mother so soon to marry his uncle, “But two months dead- nay, not so much, not two!” (1.2.138) shows how disgusted he is with his mother. Hamlet wasn’t quit over his father’s death yet when his mother married Claudius. Hamlet didn’t care much for his uncle Claudius, “Hyperion to satyr, so loving to my mother” (1.2.140) goes to show that Hamlet liked the way his father treated his mother compared to Claudius. Hamlets father was much more handsome from what Hamlet quotes. From the word Hyperion is his father that means like a handsome Sun God in Hamlets eyes. The word satyr is weird looking like a goat which is what Claudius looked like to Hamlet.…

    • 874 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One of humanity's most basic instincts is that of revenge. Revenge is one of the defining traits…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the play Hamlet, Hamlet declares, “conscience doth make cowards of us all” (129), which is an accurate statement and testimony to his own character. Hamlet had no control in the death of his father, causing Hamlet to find himself obsessed with revenge when he suspects that the man who killed his father was King Claudius. The decision of Hamlet to take action into his own hands leads Hamlet on a prolonged journey to avenge his father’s death, however Hamlet’s over analyzation and series of missed chances or opportunities to kill King Claudius, proves Hamlet to ultimately be procrastinator who is responsible for his own fate, whatever the outcome.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays