...Hamlet: a Noble Prince Who Suffers From a Corrupt Environment “Hamlet is a noble prince who suffers from a corrupt world that is not suitable to his sensitive moral nature.” Though some may view Prince Hamlet, a fictional protagonist in the tragic play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, as a “madman,” he is simply misunderstood by the harsh society of Denmark. Mourning the loss of his recently deceased father, King Hamlet, Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, inherits the throne and even marries Queen Gertrude after just one short month. Through chaotic and twisted disastrous events, Hamlet must abide by a civilization that evidently has neither structure nor principles. After Prince Hamlet suffers from the death of his father, the rest of Denmark is delighted by the celebration of a new marriage. Claudius, the actual brother of King Hamlet, weds with his widow, Queen Gertrude. Claudius remarks that he wants to bring a new light into Denmark after the city was struck with King Hamlet’s death. The rest of the town is thrilled by the news, excluding Hamlet. How could the city of Denmark recover from their grief after just one month? Eventually, Hamlet’s trustworthy watchmen tell Hamlet that they have been seeing a ghost-like figure that represents the deceased King Hamlet. When the ghost visits yet again, he signals to speak with Hamlet privately. Hamlet quickly learns that Claudius is responsible for his father’s death as Claudius plotted a treacherous scheme to rule over Denmark...
Words: 1478 - Pages: 6
...EXTRA EXTRA! Prince Hamlet Fakes Insanity! HRH Prince Hamlet has faked insanity since the untimely passing of his father, the King of Denmark. Whilst everyone in the kingdom just thinks that Hamlet has simply gone mad, our sources reveal that this was merely just a ruse. Doting Polonius quite concerned of Hamlet and the discovery of the root to the madness states: ‘Madam, I swear I use no art at all. That he is mad, tis true: tis true tis pity; And pity tis true: a foolish figure; But farewell it, for I will use no art. Mad let us grant him then: and now remains that we find out the cause of this effect; Or rather say, the cause of this defect, For this effect defective comes by cause: Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.” (Act 2 Scene 2 Line 44) When our affiliates tried to reach out to Hamlet, he was quite hesitant to explain to himself but he hinted at he firmly suspects that Claudius is the main reason of his father’s tragic death. Our analysts have deducted that this adds up to the overall battle/conflict to this situation. It is quite vivid that Prince Hamlet is simply trying disarray others with his wild charade. By playing this strategically, this will allow him to attack Claudius when least expected and expose to the land that he is guilty for the murder of the late King of Denmark. Many people are aroused with excitement with Prince alleged plans and believe that he should be sole ruler of Denmark and carry out his late father’s legacy. Therefore...
Words: 306 - Pages: 2
...Analysis: Hamlet In the tragedy Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, Hamlet is this young man who experiences close relation death which was his father. He later finds out it was his uncle who murdered his father just to take heir to the throne. Hamlet constant brooding about death and humanity comes ahead. (Tennen) Hamlet is arguably the greatest dramatic character ever created from the moment we meet the crestfallen prince we are enraptured by his elegant intensity. (Mabillard) William Shakespeare hamlet follows the young prince Hamlet home to Denmark to attend his father’s funeral. (Stockton) In “Hamlet” the tragedy hamlet the prince holds a great internal conflict throughout the play. (Studymode) On a dark winter night a ghost walks the ramparts of Elsinore castle in Denmark. (Sparknotes)The first edition of hamlet was published in 1603 from a previous sketch composed several years earlier the second one following 1604. (Bates) Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy Bernado’s question betrays the mood of uncertainty that prevails throughout the play. (George) So speaks Shakespeare’s prince hamlet of the transient nature of all mankind throughout the play humanity and frailty is a common theme. (Mortensen) In Hamlet the tragedy, hamlet, the prince of Demark with holds a great internal conflict throughout the play. (Directessays) Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play and the play responsible for the immortal lines “to be or not to be that is the question” (Taylor) The story hamlet is set...
Words: 3813 - Pages: 16
...Hamlet Notes Tragedy is the downfall of a man because of a weakness in his personality. This weakness leaves him unable to negotiate successfully the conflict that he experiences in the outside world. Consequently, when he encounters evil, he is unable to make the right decision. A tragic hero has a moment of insight in which he realises his error. However, this insight comes too late for him to address his sillinesses/error. The tragic hero always dies. The key to understanding this play is a close and insightful study of the soliloquies in the play. Act 1 Scene 1( pg 3-13) Horatio will be the fall for the mercurial Hamlet. Horatio is quiet and well balanced and becomes a notable witness. At the beginning of the play, Denmark is not only socially, morally and culturally questionable but politically unstable. Norway, lead by Fortenbras is leading a campaign to reclaim the lands lost to Norway as a consequence of the Danish King Hamlet. At the end of this scene, the appearance if the ghost. King Hamlet. He was poisoned by Claudius. He was married to Gertrude, Claudius was Gertrude's brother-in-law—-> affair Act 1 Scene 2(pg 13-31) Set against the splendour of the court, scene 2 juxtaposes the mysteries and frightening opening scene. The court of Denmark represents hypocrisy and excess. We are introduced immediately to Claudius. He is suave and worldly wise. His idiom, register and tone of speech will create a suspicion. He is of course the antithesis of Hamlet as...
Words: 2779 - Pages: 12
...Hamlet’s plan, struggle, and inevitable death Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a very controversial story of how the entire royal family of Denmark was wiped out. Hamlet is doomed to die, but in his death Denmark would be purged of its evil. Through murderous plots and schemes, it is revealed that King Hamlet’s brother Claudius murdered him. Hamlet is the son of the late King Hamlet, he was supposed to be the next king, but Claudius quickly married Hamlet’s Mother to take the crown. During the play, it is shown why Hamlet is a considered a revenge tragedy. Throughout the play Hamlet’s view of death prevents him from taking action, but through accepting his fate he is able to finally kill his uncle, without thinking about his death. After Hamlet meets...
Words: 1871 - Pages: 8
...“Always mystify, torture, mislead, and surprise the audience as much as possible (Roff).” Hamlet is a dramatic production written by William Shakespeare. “The play, set in the Kingdom of Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius for murdering the old King Hamlet, Claudius's own brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and marrying Gertrude, the King Hamlet's widow and mother of Prince Hamlet ("Hamlet”).” Shakespeare’s main objective was to impress his Elizabethan audience because entertainment through theater was extremely important to everyone in the era ("Elizabethan Theater"). Shakespeare successfully captivated an Elizabethan audience with this production (“Hamlet”). This essay will explain how an Elizabethan audience was targeted by Hamlet’s final monologue (act 4, lines 32-66). This speech effectively targeted and engaged an Elizabethan audience because its format, mentions of revenge and exciting nature caused the audience to sympathise with Hamlet’s decisions and feelings, and become enthusiastic and involved in the play. The format of this speech is a key factor which explains why the Elizabethan audience is effectively targeted. This speech is written and delivered in the form of a soliloquy. This means that it is an “uninterrupted speech delivered by a single character to the audience but not to other characters” (Jaber Al-Ogaili 48). Soliloquies are a literary device that is most often used as a technique...
Words: 299 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 5201 - Pages: 21
... | |Play #1 | |Title of the work |Significance of Title | |The Tragedy of Hamlet, |These plays were more over a small “history” of the main character and for this reason Shakespeare named all of | |Prince of Denmark |his great tragedies after his protagonist. | | | | |Identify |Describe |Explain Impact | |Major characters | | | | | | | | | |Hamlet |The protagonist of the play |He wants to revenge the death of his |Died at the end by a poison...
Words: 3207 - Pages: 13
...Conflict Killed the Cat Hamlet is a man with problems. He is the Prince of a kingdom in turmoil and darkness. When I think of Hamlet, something that comes to mind is the DreamWorks film, Shrek. In the first Shrek movie, the titled character refers to him as being like an onion. Shrek explains that onions have layers and so does he. Shrek is more complex than one might think him to be. Hamlet is very similar in this way. I chose to use this play because of how real Hamlet’s character is. Hamlet is faced with an impossible situation. The play opens with an apparition walking the night. The night watchmen see him and tell Hamlet’s friend Horatio. In the meantime, Hamlet is introduced along with his mother Queen Gertrude and his uncle King Claudius. The couple remarks to Hamlet about getting over his mourning period and cheering up. Claudius tells Hamlet to consider that all men have fathers that die. Eventually everyone’s father dies. Hamlet is sad and angry at the same time. I think that Hamlet is resentful towards his mother, Gertrude. Hamlet feels that his mother has not mourned his father appropriately, that her mourning was too brief. He is also angry with her and his uncle for getting married. Hamlet feels that the marriage was too soon after the late King’s death. I think Hamlet is also bothered by the fact that Gertrude married her brother-in-law. Hamlet views it as being incestuous. There are more layers added to Hamlet’s mind. The ghost of...
Words: 861 - Pages: 4
...The Thinker and The Acter In the play Hamlet the Hamlet and Claudius are two very different people, while Claudius using his power as king and wealth to force his will upon others with out any thought Hamlet relied on his relationships and connections with other to get the job done after great calculation. Claudius is not fully developed as a character within the play. His main role in the play is to be the reason behind Hamlet's confusion and anger, and his search for truth and life's true meaning. But Claudius is not a static character. While his traits are not as greatly explored as Hamlet's, you can still see the great difference between our dark hero Hamlet and Claudius treacherous, usurping King of Denmark. When Claudius is first introduced to the audience , he comes across as an intelligent and very capable king. He gives a speech to make his court and country proud, speaking on his brother's death and the inpendeing conflict with Norway. Claudius knows that this switch in government could give way to problems, and he is afraid of possible bad allegiances and rebellion. His speech compares the people's loss with the new beginning they will have under his protection, and he uses the death of Hamlet's father to bring about a sense of unity , "the whole kingdom/To be contracted in one brow of woe" (1.2.3-4). Claudius takes on the role of chief mourner, and the people are able to unite under the collective suffering. He can now focus on his kingly duties, and he...
Words: 829 - Pages: 4
...Cause and Effect Essay – Elizabethan Target Audience “Always mystify, torture, mislead, and surprise the audience as much as possible (Roff).” Hamlet is a dramatic production written by William Shakespeare. “The play, set in the Kingdom of Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius for murdering the old King Hamlet, Claudius's own brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and marrying Gertrude, the King Hamlet's widow and mother of Prince Hamlet ("Hamlet”).” Shakespeare’s main objective was to impress his Elizabethan audience because entertainment through theater was extremely important to everyone in the era ("Elizabethan Theater"). Shakespeare successfully captivated an Elizabethan audience with this production (“Hamlet”). This essay will explain how an Elizabethan audience was targeted by Hamlet’s final monologue (act 4, lines 32-66). This speech effectively targeted and engaged an Elizabethan audience because its format, mentions of revenge and exciting nature caused the audience to sympathise with Hamlet’s decisions and feelings, and become enthusiastic and involved in the play. The format of this speech is a key factor which explains why the Elizabethan audience is effectively targeted. This speech is written and delivered in the form of a soliloquy. This means that it is an “uninterrupted speech delivered by a single character to the audience but not to other characters” (Jaber Al-Ogaili 48). Soliloquies are a...
Words: 1719 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 1880 - Pages: 8
...Queen Gertrude Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark, and the mother to Hamlet. In the play, Gertrude doesn’t mean to intentionally hurt anyone, but her poor judgment is the main contributing factor to the unfortunate events. She also tends to be insensitive and lacks the ability to read her son’s emotions, as well as Claudius. The decisions she makes ultimately lead to the tragic ending. Poor judgment and insensitivity towards her son are her main character flaws, which can first be seen in Act I, Scene 2. Since her son Prince Hamlet is mourning the loss of his father, she should’ve been more conscious and sensitive towards his feelings and refrained from having a relationship with Claudius. Claudius is the brother of King Hamlet and Gertrude should’ve realized how embarrassed her son Hamlet would be in the aftermath because it was considered to be incest for a widow to marry her husband's brother. But Gertrude is not in touch with Hamlet's feelings to know why he is angry. He expresses his anger during his first soliloquy: “O most wicked speed: to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets, It is not, nor it cannot come to good, But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue.” (I.ii. 156-159) Gertrude lacks awareness and therefore is unable to realize that her marriage to Claudius hurt her son and is seen as incest to him and others. She figured that if she’d waited to remarry, it would’ve given Hamlet time to grieve and he would’ve had a different reaction...
Words: 817 - Pages: 4
...Outline Hamlet Essay Politics, hatred, envy, incest, love, and most importantly revenge. These are all themes that boldly occur in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Literature is made to be understood and related to by the audience and throughout Hamlet; Shakespeare presents his audience with many soliloquies. As a matter of fact, the most famous of words in English literature "To be or not to be" (III, i, 58) is in a soliloquy said by Hamlet. Like all speeches in Shakespearean pieces, Hamlet's soliloquy captures the audience's eyes, ears, and hearts with relation to the economic, social, and political aspects of life. Through the common social tendencies of humans and Body Paragraph 1 Death is all around, whether caused through nature or by another man it will always haunt the world. Many people tremble upon the subject of death and it even haunts many to think of dying, this is why and how Shakespeare found a way to captivate his audience. This is evident when Hamlet says "while, to my shame, I see the imminent death of twenty thousand men, that for a fantasy and trick of fame, Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, which is not tomb enough and continent to hide the slain?" (IV, iv, 59-65). Here Hamlet expresses the great number of people that are being slaughtered in comparison to the one man who he is destined to kill to avenge his father. The audience analyzes this and now understands what it means to take a life. Shakespeare shows...
Words: 1216 - Pages: 5
...Who was William Shakespeare? Shakespeare is William Shakespeare, one of the English-speaking world's greatest playwrights and poets, who possessed a great knowledge of human nature and transformed the English theatre. Yet many facts of his life remain a mystery. Some have been acquired from painstaking looks at the records of the time, so that this summary is based on generally agreed facts. It has been said that we only know three things about Shakespeare: that he was born, married and died. He was baptised on April 26, 1564; we do not know his birth date, but many scholars believe it was April 23, 1564. His father was John Shakespeare (who was a glover and leather merchant) and his mother Mary Arden (who was a landed local heiress). John had a remarkable run of success as a merchant, alderman, and high bailiff of Stratford, during William's early childhood. His fortunes declined, however, in the late 1570s. William lived for most of his early life in Stratford-upon-Avon. We do not know exactly when he went to London but he is said to have arrived in 1592. There is great conjecture about Shakespeare's childhood years, especially regarding his education. It is surmised by scholars that Shakespeare attended the free grammar school in Stratford, which at the time had a reputation to rival that of Eton. While there are no records extant to prove this claim, Shakespeare's knowledge of Latin and Classical Greek would tend to support this theory. In addition, Shakespeare's...
Words: 6999 - Pages: 28
