ipl-logo

Effects Of Pride In Hamlet

763 Words4 Pages

Pride. To be able to take great satisfaction in one’s life or achievements. Pride can be the cause for people to do great things so they can have a good reputation or be respectable; however, pride can be the beginning to hatred, evil, and of course, one’s downfall. Pride is known to be the worst sin there was and also the sin in which all other sins arise from. In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet this negative effect of pride is shown perfectly throughout the whole play. Pride is the main cause for all of the tragedies in Hamlet. In this play every character portrays the sin of pride. One character in particular is Claudius. Every mean, selfish, evil thing he does has to do with the worst sin of all, pride. In the first act of the play Claudius proves to us that pride was a reason for the very first tragedy. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 40-41). Claudius wanted to be more important (the king) so he took his own brothers life just …show more content…

Another character that really shoes pride is Laertes. “My lord, I will be ruled, the rather if you could devise it so that I might be the organ” (Act 4, Scene 7, Lines 70-73). Laertes and Claudius are plotting to kill Hamlet. Instead of stopping Claudius, Laertes wants to be the one who kills Hamlet. With a fencing match and a poison tipped sword he believes he will be able to kill him. In act five Ophelia gives us another reason to believe that pride is the cause for the tragedies. “...If I drown myself wittingly, it argues an act, and an act hath three branches-it is to act, to do, to perform. Argal, she drowned herself wittingly” (Act 5, Scene 1, Lines 10-13). Everyone thought Ophelia drowned on an accident but, she actually killed herself. After her father’s death she went crazy. She couldn’t take the pain anymore. Committing suicide was one of the worst things someone could do and that goes along with pride. Pride was the worst sin of

Show More
Related

Comparing Pride In The Necklace, And The Odyssey By

196 Words | 1 Pages

Pride is an admirable quality to have, when expressed moderately. However, an excessive amount can lead to a terrible downfall in works such as “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, and “The Odyssey” by Homer. In all of these works, pride leads to the downfall of the characters. It is important to have pride and dignity, however too much pride is not the way to go. In “The Necklace”, Mathilde Loise was a beautiful woman who envied those of the lavish lifestyle.

Read More

The Importance Of Pride In 'The Scarlet Ibis'

710 Words | 3 Pages

What is pride? Pride is “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” But what does pride mean to others? A debate was started online at “Debate.org” about pride. People debated if pride is bad or good, 43% said it was bad and 57% said it wasn’t bad.

Read More

Figurative Language In Hamlet's Soliloquy

741 Words | 3 Pages

Claudius is then compared to the internal organs of slaves and a man without morals, remorse or kindness (Ham.2.2.607-608). The powerful metaphors and adjectives used to describe Claudius not only express Hamlet’s intense contempt and disdain towards him, but also serve to convince Hamlet to commit murder. However, Hamlet depicts himself as a whore, a prostitute, and a swearing kitchen maid (Ham.2.2.614-616), reiterating the notion that he is worthless, as well as weak for expressing his emotions through words rather than actions. The shift from metaphors to similes indicate Hamlet’s failure to move past his cowardice and proceed with an act of revenge that would inflict

Read More

Claudius Deceiving Character Analysis

1517 Words | 7 Pages

Claudius doesn’t care who he uses or what he has to do to come out on top he will do anything in Spellman, 5 his power to make sure he is secure. The king’s greed and self loathe are his fatal flaws that ultimately lead to his downfall. Instead of doing things honestly and fair Claudius is a character who would rather play dirty and scheme behind peoples backs to find quick and easy solutions to his problems. Overall Claudius deceived his best friend, his nephew, and his wife to try to end up on top and in power but he ended up losing everything he had almost the exact same way that he received through a tragedy caused at the hands of another

Read More

Theme Of Envy In Hamlet

481 Words | 2 Pages

Hamlet's uncle claudius killed king hamlet out of envy. It was envy for the throne and for the power to be the king of denmark. In act three scene three he clearly states that he murdered king hamlet for his own ambition, for the crown and for the queen of denmark, Gertrude. A lot of the deadly sin envy goes around throughout the story of hamlet. A lot of people want something someone else has.

Read More

Self-Confidence In Hamlet

565 Words | 3 Pages

It is an aspect of human nature to desire the ability to take decisive action, since often the choices individuals make display their beliefs and establish self worth. When making these decisions, successful outcomes are determined by the individual’s resolve to stay committed to the decided course of action or completely abandon it. Individuals who posses this ability display confidence in their intuition have a strong sense of personal identity and self confidence. If they stray from the path of their choosing, they may often become confused, doubt their judgment, and lose sight of their goals. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet becomes conflicted between action and inaction after learning the details of his father’s death.

Read More

Rhetorical Devices In What Dreams May Come

1592 Words | 7 Pages

Like many British rulers (e.g., Henry IV, Elizabeth I, Richard III), Claudius kills a family member, performing “an act of state” and following “a tradition which every English monarch had had to accept for two hundred years” (45). Once on the throne, he must begin the process of securing his position: praising the dead king, forming political alliances, marrying Gertrude, dealing with the threat of Fortinbras, conciliating ministers (e.g., Polonius), and attempting a reconciliation with his primary rival Hamlet. Because Hamlet refuses to embrace the new king, Claudius must engage in spying tactics to gain knowledge about his potential enemy and, ultimately, decide to terminate the threat. But in Shakespeare’s political tragedy (unlike the realities of British history), murderers are destined to fail. Aside from the fact that all of his supporters die (e.g., Polonius, Laertes), Claudius proves a weak leader because he “invariably prefers compromise to confrontation, placatory gestures to open defiance” (51-52).

Read More

Family Dynamics In Hamlet

928 Words | 4 Pages

It seems that Claudius was not happy with just taking his brothers throne, he also took his brother’s wife. Hamlet feels that the new king is full of greed and has taken over their lives. On top of his obsession with revenge Hamlet also appears to have sexual desire for his mother. The loss of his father along with his mother’s marriage to Claudius and his confusion to his feelings for his mother have set hamlet on a dangerous.

Read More

Greed In Hamlet

445 Words | 2 Pages

There are a variety of sins committed in the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. Much of the conflict is caused by different levels of lust, envy, greed, and wrath. However, the most prevalent of all sins that keeps showing up throughout the work is pride. The character of the play that shows most pride is the main protagonist, Hamlet.

Read More

Abuse Of Power In Elizabethan Era

1534 Words | 7 Pages

Firstly, Hamlet is a play of a man by the name of Hamlet, whose father was murdered by Claudius, his uncle. Claudius murdered the king by pouring poison in his ear to claim the throne for himself. Hamlet is then told by a ghost to murder Claudius for revenge, and he struggles within himself for the length of play whether to do it or not. When Hamlet begins to hesitate it does more damage than good and causes a chain reaction of tragic events, and makes the readers question whether Hamlet is truly sane or not. Claudius’s corruptness begins to show when he uses his authority to order those around him to rid of Hamlet.

Read More

Similarities Between Hamlet And Machiavelli

910 Words | 4 Pages

Michael Olufunsho Fafemi Alan Rosiene HUM 2052 February 6 2018 Hamlet, The Claudius similarity and Machiavellism Shakespeare through the play Hamlet portrays many complex themes through the various characters in the play. Hamlet, the protagonist is in particular a mesh of various complexities and ideas. He is often caught in between his own opposing characteristics and these ultimately affect the course of his actions.

Read More

The Importance Of Happiness In Hamlet

1124 Words | 5 Pages

The character of Hamlet is expressed as a protagonist. His irritated attitude towards Claudius in scene 2 of act 1 leaves the audience with a clear first impression of his nature. He is deceitful of the king, his uncle Claudius who is now the ruler of Denmark after his brothers “death”, and disgusted of his mother marrying his uncle. Hamlet is an example of someone who has compromised his happiness, in order to avenge his father’s murder.

Read More

Desire For Revenge In Hamlet

749 Words | 3 Pages

Claudius himself is another example of the complexity of action shown in the story, for after executing his own sibling and therefore gaining access to the crown, the haunting memories of his action taunt him until his final breath

Read More

Definition Essay On Pride

714 Words | 3 Pages

Pride Pride is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired. The word pride both positive and negative meanings that can be seen throughout history. The usage of the word pride gives it a negative cynical connotation, describing people as vain, arrogant or belittling other people. An example of this could be when someone famous thanks “all the little people” as seen as in movies and TV as a joke.

Read More

Essay On Hamlet As A Tragic Hero

943 Words | 4 Pages

Many tragic heroes holds pride as their primary cause to his downfall, but Hamlet’s hesitation throughout the play is his key weakness. During the play of The Murder of Gonzago schemed by Hamlet to confirm Claudius’s act of crime, himself was overwhelmed by self-contempt and guilt. Hamlet blames himself for just standing around cursing like a whore, and urges to seek revenge by heaven and hell. After the performance, Hamlet observes Claudius and found him guilty and prays for forgiveness. But Hamlet give up the good opportunity of killing Claudius because he hopes that his revenge for his father for a moral sake, not committing an impulsive revenge.

Read More

More about Effects Of Pride In Hamlet

Related Topics

Open Document