...Annotated Bibliography for Hamlet Thesis: In Hamlet, Ophelia faces the constant struggle to find her identity, due to male superiority and lack of mother. If Ophelia were to live in today’s world, she would most likely suffer from depression, abuse, and eating disorders due to her lack of personal identity. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Dover Publications, 1992. Print. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare is the main text used for relations to Ophelia and her lack of personal identity. This play provides us with first-hand information on Ophelia’s downward spiral into insanity, which results in her own personal demise. This source is very appropriate, due to the fact that it is the first-hand insight into what Shakespeare portrayed Ophelia as, in her role in Hamlet. Therefore, it is believed that all information found in it, can be trusted and used accordingly, to relate Ophelia and her insanity due to contributing factors in her social environment. I found this source, in class, as it was our primary learning source in the discussions we had about Hamlet. This source is unlike my other sources, due to the fact that it is the base text for my work. From this source, I can learn how Ophelia slowly fell into madness, and what events helped lead up to her peak of insanity in the play. This helps develop my essay, because it is the main source that I will be using in relation to my other research sources. Considering that this is my base text, it is relatable to both my...
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...interpretation. The successful public voice must then consider the nature of the interpreters themselves, and whether or not they register what is being said to them (even if they misinterpret it completely!) rather than simply dismissing what they hear. If the concept of public voice is to be largely dependent on this feature, this paper then seeks to examine and prove Ophelia’s inability to completely achieve a successful form of public voice throughout the play with the characters that surround her – the majority of whom are male! As mentioned, a public voice may be thought of as necessitating some affect on its audience. Even from Ophelia’s entrance in the play, her various audiences go largely unaffected by the things she voices. When we are introduced to Ophelia in Act I Scene III, her brother Laertes affirms his (negative) stance on Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet, and tells her almost explicitly how she should behave regarding this relationship with her lover. Appointing himself a rather aggressive role in his sister’s love life, Laertes instructs his sister to “fear” (1.III.32) the advances and desires of Hamlet in hopes...
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...Fear is Fate For many people, death is the source of an all-consuming - if abstract - terror. The manner in which an individual deals with this fear is often a reflection of their ability to accept their ultimate fate. Oftentimes, an individual's inability to cope with the idea of death leaves them filled with a profound sorrow, and leads to a great deal of suffering. The sociable nature of our society makes death particularly difficult to handle: society expects us to "deal with" death and to return to normal activities relatively quickly, and looks down upon those who cannot achieve this. People respond to death in a wide variety of ways, ranging from grief, to rage, to deep depression bordering on insanity. It is this last response that the public views least favorably. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the titular protagonist has difficulty accepting the death of his father, and many of the coping mechanisms that he employs are still seen by individuals forced to deal with death in modern society. Hamlet's struggle with his father's death is the primary mechanism behind his inability to fall in line with the dictates of society. Hamlet is raised by his mother and father, the King and Queen of Denmark. As a child, Hamlet is relatively sheltered from death, and it is this unfamiliarity that leaves him unable to cope with it as an adult, when his world is shattered by the murder of his father. Initially, Hamlet does not know the cause behind his father's passing, but his father's...
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...Thamara georges Period:8 Hamlet Essay Violence is not the answer! This statement has been repeated for years. But we never seem to get the message across. William Shakespeare wrote The Tragedy of Hamlet, which include many violent scenes. In the play, Prince Hamlet is the son of King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude. King Hamlet has recently died and Claudius, and king Hamlet brother, has been crowned the new King and has married Gertrude. Shortly after his mother's marriage, Prince Hamlet meets his father's ghost. The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius killed him and encourages Hamlet to avenge his death by killing Claudius. Moreover, Ophelia was one of the victims of violence, her father was murdered, and later she committed suicide. Violence affected her future by not allowing her to explore her relationship with Hamlet....
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...The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudius's brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king's widow and Prince Hamlet's mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness – from overwhelming grief to seething rage – and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption. Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language, with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others." The play was one of Shakespeare's most popular works during his lifetime It has inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch, and has been described as "the world's most filmed story after Cinderella". Shakespeare based Hamlet on the legend of Amleth, preserved by 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum as subsequently retold by 16th-century scholar François de Belleforest. He may also have drawn on or perhaps written an earlier Elizabethan play known today as the Ur-Hamlet. He almost certainly created the title role for Richard Burbage, the leading tragedian of Shakespeare's time. In the 400 years since, the role has been performed by highly acclaimed actors and actresses from each successive age. Three...
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...Hamlet Essay Tragedies commonly involve disasters, horrible mishaps and death. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that a tragedy must have action which is pushed along by the character flaw of a “great” man. This idea of a “great” man or a person of high ranking being the protagonist in a tragedy is perpetuated in all of Shakespeare’s work. This leaves to speculate on the average person. The average person is not completely safe from the misery of tragedy. A supporting character is just as likely as any main character to experience tragedy. According to Arthur Miller, the “common” person is just as suitable for tragedy as any “great” person. The ideas of Aristotle and Miller contrast each other however both elements are noticeable in the play Hamlet. When a “great person” or the main character goes through a tragedy, it is rather evident. Ophelia and her father Polonius are considered “common” characters in the play that also experience great tragedy. In Miller’s essay, he outlines three main aspects that a “common” person would exhibit in a tragedy which makes their circumstances tragic. Firstly is the presence of a character that is ready to lay down their life to secure their personal sense of dignity. Next is the fear of being displaced and torn away from ones chosen image of their self. Lastly is being capable of victory. Ophelia and Polonius have chosen images of themselves and what their lives should be like and are willing to lay down their lives for their...
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...The tragic play of Hamlet has been passed on from generation to generation since it was written in 1609 by English playwriter, and poet, William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest poet of recent times, his pieces are still relevant to this day. Furthermore, one of his more relevant and popular pieces is the tragic play of Hamlet. This play was about a son of Danish royalty seeking out revenge for the mysterious, and suspicious death of his father. Hamlet believes that his uncle, Claudius is to blame. Throughout the play, Hamlet is found conversing with the ghost of his father, or so he thinks. Many skepticize that the ghost Hamlet was supposedly talking to didn't actually exist. Some believe that the ghost was Hamlet’s sub-conscience rather than the ghost of his father. Throughout the play, the...
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...Hamlet is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Many know that Hamlet is about revenge, but Hamlet is also a tragedy. Arthur Miller in “Tragedy and the Common Man” concludes that the tragic hero does not have to be the king or a noble, but can be anyone as simple as the common man. Whereas Aristotle believed that they tragic hero is someone “Great”, usually someone in high power or regard. In Arthur Miller’s essay he states that the “common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were.” In a tragedy the tragic hero has a tragic flaw, which is his downfall. Arthur miller states, “ Only the passive, only those who accept their lot without active retaliation, are flawless. Most of us are in that category”(Miller 1) Most people are passive when faced with a challenge that goes against them, that is what makes them flawless, but in a tragedy the character does go against the challenge, that is what makes it a tragic flaw. In Hamlet we see that it is not only the tragedy of Prince Hamlet but of others such as, Polonius, Ophelia and Laertes, caused by their tragic flaw Polonius is the chief counselor of Claudius’s court he is a very conniving person. Like many of the other characters in Hamlet he also has a tragic flaw. In Hamlet Polonius’s tragic flaw is his inability to keep to himself, which ultimately leads to his demise. An example of this is Act 2 scene 1 when Polonius tells Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. “Before you visit him, to make inquire...
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...In the past, women have been subject to the “cult of domesticity.” This ideal lasted for centuries and ensnared women within a value system created by society that defined what a woman’s role should be. The cult presented women with four cardinal virtues: piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness. In the ages when these ideals were held at a high standard, works of literature written during this time reflected the societal standard. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, various essays, and our culture also depict the cult of domesticity that still exists regardless of the success of the feminist movements throughout history and in present day; meanwhile, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is a great example of women who lived within the “cult...
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...One of the most unique things about the play Hamlet (with Hamlet playing the main character) is the way relationships between the main and lesser characters have not changed from Shakespeare's time period in which he wrote this play to the modern dilemmas of today. The character Hamlet relates through individualism of self to others in the play and Shakespeare uses this confusion of self and nature thus assuring many types of readers who can relate to his Hamlet characterization. Hamlet portrays himself with all his human flaws, but it is this humanity that makes him distinctive from everyone else in the story. In addition, all of Hamlet's waking hours are preoccupied with his own thoughts thus adding more intensity to his feelings and perceptions about where he sees imperfections, worry and tension as well as confusion, but without a doubt it is these human qualities which makes his situation so impossible for him to resolve easily. Another tragic role of the play is its irony. The irony allows the storyline to show humor as well as the cause and effects of each action taken. There is usually little reason for a tragedy to be funny so Shakespeare has used this type of humor to add more irony to the already tragic events of the play. Pause for thought is in the types of conflict that play a major part in the play and the relationships between Hamlet and the two people who have been closest to him; being Ophelia and the ghost. Hamlet cannot share his strong feelings and emotions...
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...1712-8056 Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture Http://www.cscanada.org Http://www.cscanada.net E-mail: css@cscanada.org; caooc@hotmail.com Vol.5 No.5 2009 10/31/2009 Hamlet’s Femininity L A F É MINIT É D E HAMLET GUO De-yan1 Abstract: The charm of Hamlet over the centuries largely lies in Shakespeare’s subtle treatment of Hamlet, and many critics have interpreted Hamlet’s tragedy as a result of his indecisive character, his obsession with philosophical thinking or his Oedipus Complex. This essay holds that Hamlet’s struggle with his femininity also contributes to his tragedy. Hamlet does exhibit some masculine traits such as courage, rationality and aggressiveness, but at the same time he is agonized to find that he is as weak, emotional, passive and dependent as a woman. In whatever cases he is placed either as a prince, a son or a lover, he is more identified with women than with men. Such a discovery tortures him and produces in him some sense of self-negation and self-hatred. Because of his deep-rooted patriarchal concept of gender identity, Hamlet cannot make a compromise with the feminine traits in him, and it somewhat prevents him from taking a masculine action to avenge his father. Key words: Hamlet; Femininity; Masculinity; Tragedy; Self-Hatred Résumé: Depuis des sicècles, le charme d’Hamlet se trouve largement dans un traitement subtil de Shakespeare de ce personnage et de nombreuses critiques ont interprété la tragédie d'Hamlet...
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...think that Hamlet was more tragic in comparison to Agamemnon. The reason being is because in Hamlet Claudius is driven to kill his own brother, King Hamlet, just so he can marry his own sister-in-law. Hamlet is plotting to kill his own uncle and is speaks of his own mother in a hateful manner e:g Within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her gallèd eyes, She married. O most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! A son is talking about her own mother like this and ...isn't an essay you were looking for? GET THAT PERFECT ONE starting from $7.50 per page only! YOUR E-MAIL ORDER NOW at the same time he has lost hope in life. Hamlet claims that he wants to die, if only suicide wasn’t forbidden by God. Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! So from the beginning of the play the protagonist is in a pitiful state. This was not the case with the protagonist of Agamemnon. In Hamlet the protagonist was driven to avenge his own father death and in the process ended up killing 4 innocent person. His own love of his live Ophelia, and mom, Queen Gertrude was killed by the poisonous drink which was meant for Hamlet. Ophelia’s father and brother ended up dead. In Agamemnon only two innocent lives were lost, Cassandra and Iphigenia. In my opinion i think Agamemnon deserved his tragic end. He...
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...Dolabaille ENG 4U Tuesday, July 17th, 2015. Hamlet William Shakespeare's longest play Hamlet is a late 16th century tragedy set in Denmark. It revolves around the son of a deceased king, Hamlet, of which the name of the play is coined. Hamlet is perturbed by the death of his father, and becomes vengeful upon learning the truth about his murder. This play takes a twist by involving the subplot romance between Hamlet and Ophelia, and the dangerous role their love plays in the death of majority of the characters. This play crosses the importance of many of the characters values, the problems ensued, and the consequences. In this essay I will argue that the audience's cultural, economic, and social values do affect their interpretation of the play by using the speech given by the gravedigger. "Her obsequies have been as far enlarged As we have warranty. Her death was doubtful, And, but that great command o'ersways the order, She should in ground unsanctified have lodged Till the last trumpet. For charitable prayers Shards, flints and pebbles should be thrown on her. Yet here she is allowed her virgin crants, Her maiden strewments, and the bringing home Of bell and burial." (V, i, 200-208) Culturally, suicide is considered a sin or an act of blasphemy to a Christian. In Shakespeare's Hamlet the character Ophelia was thought to have committed suicide after the loss of her father, Polonius, and her love, Hamlet. She is denied a full Christian funeral by the...
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...Hamlet Worldviews Essay There are many versions of the famous play ‘Hamlet’, which all follow the same tragedy, but the target audiences for each version of the artwork naturally interpret the play/ films differently than the original target audience. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” targets the audience of the Globe theatre in the late 16th to 17th century, while the very popular Kenneth Branaugh’s “Hamlet” targets a completely different audience, targeting the 19th century audience. Both versions are quite similar, however; Branaugh modified his version appropriately so that his audience could have a better understanding of the madness and religion and views on suicide displayed in “Hamlet”. Shakespeare’s audience would interpret Hamlet’s madness differently than Branaugh’s audience in the sense that Shakespeare wanted to portray the idea that Hamlet was mad because his evil conscience was demanding that he took revenge, and this ultimately took control over him—causing him to go mad. Today’s audience would be more likely to assume that Hamlet has gone mad as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder caused by his uncle murdering his beloved father. This is a significant impact on the target audience because Shakespeare wouldn’t have been familiar with the disorder, and Branaugh does well in creating the effect that Hamlet wasn’t just mad because of his conscience demanding revenge, but the trauma of losing his father through an atypical death. Hamlet: “Not where he eats but where...
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...Psychoanalysis of Hamlet’s Subconscious Psychoanalytic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet In the first half of the 20th century, when psychoanalysis was at the height of its influence, its concepts were applied to Hamlet, notably by Sigmund Freud, Ernest Jones, and Jacques Lacan, and these studies influenced theatrical productions. Freud suggested that an unconscious oedipal conflict caused Hamlet's hesitations. (Artist: Eugène Delacroix 1844). In his The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), Freud's analysis starts from the premise that "the play is built up on Hamlet's hesitations over fulfilling the task of revenge that is assigned to him; but its text offers no reasons or motives for these hesitations".[83] After reviewing various literary theories, Freud concludes that Hamlet has an "Oedipal desire for his mother and the subsequent guilt [is] preventing him from murdering the man [Claudius] who has done what he unconsciously wanted to do".[84] Confronted with his repressed desires, Hamlet realises that "he himself is literally no better than the sinner whom he is to punish".[83] Freud suggests that Hamlet's apparent "distaste for sexuality"—articulated in his "nunnery" conversation with Ophelia—accords with this interpretation.[85][86] John Barrymore's long-running 1922 performance in New York was characterized as "revolutionary in its use of Freudian psychology; in keeping with the post World War I rebellion against everything...
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