Hamlet’s Tragedy “To be or not to be-that is the question…” (3.1.64). This may be one of the most famous lines in western literature. In this part of a monologue of the play Hamlet is deciding whether it is worth living or perhaps dying. This idea of life or death and mortality of men reoccurs through Hamlet’s mind until the last act when the time for his death arrives. The text of the play, the Blackfriars production, and the film production by the Royal Shakespeare Company all represent different interpretations of the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare. Act 5 Scene 2 is interpreted in different manners by each production of the play. The Blackfriars production takes a path of Hamlet’s death being a error with him accidentally touching the blade. While the film production projects Hamlet death as Laertes cheating and striking him from his back while Hamlet is unaware. The tragedy ends with the death of most of the main characters in the play, but most importantly whether their deaths were suicide or murder changes with each interpretation. This change later impacts the overall theme of the play whether it is revenge or the mortality of men. In the text of the play, Hamlet and Laertes have a fencing fight in which the king plots to kill Hamlet. The king has poison in a cup he will give to Hamlet, and Claudius also puts poison on Laertes sword in case he wounds Hamlet with it. Interestingly, Shakespeare does not give a lot of stage directions, or detail for the
Death seems to be the biggest mystery in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. From the start of the play with the Ghost of Hamlets father appearing to avenge his death, to Hamlet’s most popular “To be or Not to be” soliloquy, and to the plays bloody conclusion; the uncertainty of death seems to always be on our protagonist mind. Death has become a recurring theme throughout this whole play. His thoughts of death range from death in a spiritual matter, the truth and uncertainty in what death may bring, and the question of his own death.
In the beginning of the play Hamlet is faced with a very hard situation, the loss of his father. While grieving he discovers that his mother will be married to his uncle Claudius. Hamlet had to talk to the ghost of his father, and found out Claudius was the reason for King Hamlet’s death. He wants revenge, he is to kill Claudius, without hurting his mother Queen Gertrude. Hamlet writes a play to get
Hamlet rests in peace in his death, having got what he wanted. Although he does not live to see it, the society had got a different leadership which was free of malicious people like Claudius. The play is not a comedy where the hero lives. In Hamlet, the hero dies but he dies a hero having achieved his goal and the reason why he was called.
“The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them.” is a quote said by Lois McMaster Bujold. When someone loses their life, they no longer get the opportunity to get revenge. It is up to the living to get the revenge or justice that they feel is fair.
Throughout the last two acts of the novel, we see Laertes change from an impulsive instigator into a more wise and rational person who realizes he is in the wrong. After he first learns of his father’s death, Laertes is seething due to his misery, and consequently, strives for immediate retaliation. Contrastingly, at the conclusion of the duel scene, he is downcast over his looming death and the fact that he has caused Hamlet’s death, while also being ashamed of how quick he was to murder. Though to some, Laertes may be a seemingly insignificant character, it is Laertes affliction (as a result of his father’s death) that ultimately drives the novel to its grievous climax. Albeit tragic, if the end scene would not have happened, Laertes would not have had the opportunity to discover that he was wrong, and thus change.
Wretched queen, adieu! You that look pale and tremble at this chance” (Act 5 Scene2 354-366). The ending is a chaotic state. Hamlet killed Laertes with a poisonous sword and he died also because of the poisonous sword. Claudius and Gertrude died because of the poisonous wine.
The two men serve as foils to Hamlet with respect to their motives for revenge, the way they take action, and their behavior while carrying out their plans. Laertes learns of his father’s death and wants to seek vengeance immediately. He shows that his revenge is to prove his love for his family by saying he will “be revenged Most thoroughly for
His suicidal thought and his erratic behavior cause for the king, queen, Ophelia and his friends to begin to spy on him just pushes him over the edge. His action cause concern for King Claudius who shows in ways that he is not trusting of Hamlet because of this the King begins to plot with Laertes to kill hamlet in fencing dual. During this dual Hamlet is stabbed and dies from the poison that was on the blade. Gertrude is seems to be a shallow woman in some ways yet King Hamlet, Hamlet and King Claudius are all devoted to her.
In The Tragedy of Hamlet , by William Shakespeare, some of the most significant events are mental or psychological events that make the audience feel and have an emotional connection with the characters. Moreover, these significant events are categorized as new awakenings, discoveries, and changes in consciousness that set off a mental or psychological effect to the readers. The author, Shakespeare, gives these internal events to characters such as Ophelia, Gertrude, and Hamlet throughout the play to give the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax which associate with their external action. Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius and the sister of Laertes, who both tell her to stop seeing Hamlet. To Polonius, Ophelia is an eternal virgin who
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.
The uncle that took his crown and now his father’s ghost who tells him Claudius murder his father. Will he get avenge for his father’s death? So now Hamlet begins to question his life is it worth the living “To be, or not to be?
Jan-Erik Aavik IB English HL B. Raid 04.11.2016 Written Task 2 Outline: Part of the course to which the task refers: Part 3 Literature - text and context Title of the text for analysis: Hamlet, William Shakespeare 1599
This quote reveals how all these things have affected Hamlet psychologically and emotionally. The death of King Hamlet has led the play toward more death themes, making this the most tragedy
Hamlet’s hesitant nature is well presented in the play. For one, Hamlet cannot bring forth the strength to end his own life; his indecision of whether or not to commit suicide plagues him for more than half the play.
Over the course of Hamlet, many of the main characters engage in role play as a mechanism to achieve their own interests. Prince Hamlet is one of these characters, and his act proves to be one of the most important aspects of the play. Throughout the play, role-play (especially Hamlet’s) significantly affects the plot, and ultimately strains the relationships between several characters. Hamlet is among one of the most important characters to engage in role play. In act one, scene 5, shortly after being told that Claudius killed his father, Hamlet tells Horatio and Marcellus that he plans to feign madness, and he says, “As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition