Mikkel Kristensen.
3.U.
21/9-14.
Hamlet

I would like to make a few remarks about the Oedipal and existential themes in Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet'. I will do this by looking specifically at three scenes; the conversation with the ghost, the to be or not to be scene, and the scene that takes place in the bedroom of Queen Gertrude. Hamlet is a timeless tale, with timeless meaning and there are countless ways of interpreting the play. From quotes to characters, the play is one of the most well-known in the entire world.

In conversation with the ghost a group of guards comes running up to Hamlet, eyes filled with both fear wonder, they tell Hamlet what they have seen. As the wondrous meeting with the ghost of Hamlets late father the king. Hardly able to comprehend what he is hearing, his curiosity gets the best of him, and he decides to follow the guards. As the band of guards and prince Hamlet ventures up on the city walls, the ghost suddenly appears before them. As the ghost starts to leave the group, Hamlet swiftly decides to run after the ghost. When Hamlet finally catches up to the ghost a conversation, which serves great importance to the story, is started.
The conversation with the ghost is in some ways, what creates the entire plot of the story. The deceased king tells Hamlet how he died, and why. He also tells him that the murderer is his uncle, who recently married the queen. This scene touches on some interesting things. We get an understanding of how death works in the universe of Hamlet. Death is a place of cosmic proportionality, a place where everything makes sense, which is why the king is able to tell Hamlet everything about death, and the plan of the uncle, down to the smallest details. The scene also introduces the dilemmas of choice, a very existential theme. Hamlet chooses in this scene what the goal of his actions is going to be, namely to avenge his fathers death. He also chooses to believe the ghost, which leads later leads to Hamlet, creating a false sense of sanity, to fool the persons involved in his vendetta. We also get a sense of existentialism when we see Hamlet standing alone on the top of the dark castle wall, looking down at the party below. The existentialist choosing to distance himself from the crowds below.
The to be or not to be scene features a monologue, in which Hamlet talks to himself whether to live or to to die. This scene features heavy existential themes. The choice of whether to end the torment that is life, or to fight on and endure. Hamlet ultimately ends up choosing life. Hamlet is considering whether he is going to act on the premonitions given by his father. But in death everything starts making sense, is it easier to just end the choices? This scene never really explains what Hamlet really means by “to be or not to be”, something that most likely had a big impact on the popularity of not only the quote, but the entire play.
The bedroom scene is an extremely controversial scene in Hamlet. In this scene, Hamlet has a very intimate moment with his mother. He lets go of his lust, and tries to take the place of his uncle. Once hamlet comes to his senses, he also tutors the mother on how she should handle handle her sex-life; Don't get intimate with his uncle. In this scene, Hamlet has had the audience question his sanity for a while, and when the ghost of his father comes walking into the bedroom, while Hamlet is in his mothers bed, the line gets even more tangled. As the ghost enters the room, and reminds Hamlet of his quest, the audience and Hamlet realize that the mother is unable to hear the ghost. Was Hamlet really insane all along, or is the mother in such denial, that her mind blocks every inch of the ghost? No one knows, and an explanation is never given.

Hamlet has spawned countless ways of interpretation, and has made Shakespeare, one of the most renowned writers of all time. It talks about such things as death, the meaning of existence and lust for power, things that have been the topic of conversation and discussion since the beginning of society. Hamlet has influenced the lives of many, and will most likely continue to do so. And the rest is silence.