Hamlet

Hamlet

"To be or not to be, -- that is the question." This famous verse from William Shakespeare's tragic drama, "Hamlet," resounds in many of our minds when imagining actors in the Elizabethan Theater. Written in the late 1500's into the early 1600's, Shakespeare's "Hamlet is a work of literature that shows an ordinary person looking at the futility and wrongs in life, asking the toughest questions, and coming up with honest semi-answers like most people do today (Friedlander MD 2). After reading this classic piece of dramatic literature, many are compelled to analyze and compare the thoughts feelings, and actions of this Shakespearean hero to those of our own. Through this analysis, character development, dramatic structure, presentation, and cultural significance will be examined.

Similar to those living in today's world, the thoughts feelings and actions of Hamlet are quite changeable. In Act I, Scene two, William Shakespeare ensures that the reader learns about the current situation faced by the main character, Hamlet. Only two months prior, Hamlet's father, who was the king of Denmark, passed away. We are introduced to the new king of Denmark, Claudius, who was the former king's brother, and Hamlet's uncle. Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, married the new king, her brother-in-law, shortly after the death of her husband. A child of any age, living in any time period would be distraught over this type of situation.

Hamlet attends the first public court held by the new king. Most attendees are dressed festively to celebrate the new ruler. Hamlet is still wearing mourning black. The king and queen notice Hamlet's visible display of sadness. Hamlet emotes that, "together with all forms, moods, shows of grief," and "these but the trappings and the suites of woe" (Ham., 1.2. 80-85). It is too soon for Hamlet to accept this new situation. When we examine our current society, we often say to ourselves, "What is this world coming to?" We hear of situations that may seem crazy, but in fact, many of these same situations have been happening since the beginning of time. Hamlet is faced with this celebratory atmosphere, when he feels the mood should still be somber. We grieve for those we lose, and would feel it to be improper if faced with a celebration soon after the death of a close loved one.

The queen sees her son's apparent grief, and explains to her son that everything must die. She wants to know why he is so sad, "though know'st Ð''tis commonÐ'--all that live must die" (Ham. 1.2.70-75). Hamlet reassures his mother that he is being true to his feelings. "That can denote me truly: these, indeed seem: But I have that within which passseth show; These but the trappings and the suites of woe" ( Ham.1.2. 85-90).

Hamlet relays his thoughts and feelings in a soliloquy, or a monologue where the player reveals the innermost information about himself. He announces his disgust for, his uncle, the new king, and his mother. Hamlet can not believe "that it should come to this" "Let me not think on Ð''t,---Frailty thy name is woman!---" (Ham. 1.2. 145-150). It is evident that Hamlet does not want to think about what was going on between his uncle and his mother before the death of his father. "Merely because the Ghost denounces Claudius as "adulterate," we are not justified in deciding that Shakespeare wants us to imagine that the King and Gertrude indulged in an illicit union before her husband was murdered" (Bertram 17). He suspected that his mom displayed weakness in love for her brother-in-law. Queen Gertrude did not waste time marrying Claudius after her husband's death.

At the end of this soliloquy, Hamlet states, "But break, my heart, ---for I must hold my tongue!" (Ham.1.2. 160-162). Although Hamlet is devastated by his loss, and his mother's new position, he knows he must not state his true feelings about this matter. At this point in the play, the reader will feel a shift in Hamlet's emotions. The change in Hamlet's feelings toward the current situation, seem to smolder deep inside of him. Perhaps he is moving past the initial shock of losing his father. Hamlet's outward display of mourning and confrontation with his mother and the new king foreshadow a hint of things to come.

Hamlet is visited by the specter of his father. This apparition gives accounts of the affair between the Queen and Claudius, and the details of his own murder. The ghost reveals that, "he was murdered by Claudius, who had been having sex with the queen" (Friedlander MD 7). This news caused Hamlet to put many unexplainable pieces together. Things are now making sense to Hamlet. He now understands how his father died. It is now evident that the unthinkable was occurring between his uncle and mother.

Hamlet's disposition moved from a state of grief and unanswered questions, to confirmed devastation on all accounts. He made a conscience decision to act crazy and devise a plan. "Hamlet was not mad but invented his "antic disposition" (Ham. 1.5.172). Yet the source provokes a similar question: it is not possible to tell where strategy leaves off and madness begins" (Welsh 9). Some readers believe that Hamlet "pretends to be insane so that people believe he poses no threat" (Welsh 10).

Throughout Shakespeare's work, "Hamlet," readers experience a sub plot involving Hamlet and his love, Ophelia. Ophelia's father, Polonius, forbid his daughter to accept Hamlet's advances. This restriction on his daughter occurred simultaneously with the apparent "madness" of Hamlet's character. "Polonius at once assumes that the loss of Ophelia's affections has driven Hamlet insane. He expresses regret that he ever asked his daughter to behave so heartlessly toward the love-sick prince, and he decides the King must know that Hamlet has gone mad" (Mabillard 2000).

Shakespeare's Hamlet is now faced with an unfaithful mother, a murderous uncle, a dead father, and an unresponsive lover. All of these gut wrenching realizations led Hamlet to recite his most famous soliloquy of the play. "Hamlet enters the room, talking to himself, in a state of desperation, contemplating suicide:" (Mabillard 2000). To be, or not to be, that is the question;" (Ham. 3.1 62). He says it seems to him that life is not worth living, mostly because people treat each other so stupidly and badly" (Friedlander MD 12). These thoughts can easily be translated to today's society. We often wonder why people can

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