...To be or not to be? That is the question. This famous speech comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and explains how Hamlet’s problem with his sleep and dreams control his life. The first six words create a balance. The balance continues with a consideration of the way one deals with life and death. There is a direct opposition which is to be, or not to be. He is thinking about life and death, but he is also pondering on a state of being alive versus a state of not being alive. The meaning of the “to be or not to be” speech in Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been given many interpretations. They’ve come from different historical and textual bases. This speech talks about the righteousness of life over death in good terms and much of the speech’s focuses on the...
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...ENG4U Modernizing Allusions in Shakespeare's “Hamlet” Umair Mohammad Mr. Scarrow Would most teenagers understand allusions written in the Elizabethan era, roughly four hundred and fifty years ago? The simple answer is probably not. The mundane lifestyle of the average modern teenager is not similar to that of a teenager that was born and raised during the Elizabethan era. Therefore, the text in many of the Shakespearian plays read in modern high schools should be updated to include modern versions of allusions. Furthermore, an act such as this would inhibit major benefits such as, students gaining a better understanding of the literature as a whole by being able to make connections due to the allusions. Transforming the allusions first made by Shakespeare in the Elizabethan era would not only be rather simple, but it would benefit teenagers. Many allusions created by Shakespeare in his play “Hamlet” can be recreated to suit the lifestyles and languages of modern teenagers. For example, “It out-Herods Herod. Pray you, avoid it.” (III, ii, 14) is an allusion referencing a very old biblical king that is very similar to Claudius from “Hamlet”. The majority of modern teenagers will not have any knowledge of this king, and thus a more modern allusion is in order. It could be done by researching a different person that can be compared to Claudius in this allusion. For instance, we could use Scar in Herod’s stead. This is because Scar is a character in “The Lion King”,...
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...Dramatic Irony in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Dramatic irony is an important aspect of any play or written story. It allows insight to what the character is thinking or feeling, as well as adds to the interest of the play because the audience will know things that the characters on stage do not even know. That is what dramatic irony is, the knowledge of the audience without a character knowing; almost like an inside joke between a character and the audience. Dramatic irony can also be used to create further character development. For example, Hamlet leads many of the characters in the play to believe he is mad. This includes Polonius, Claudius, and Gertrude among those who believe his insanity. However, though Hamlet thinks he has everyone fooled, Marcellus and Horatio knew all along that he was pretending. This creates dramatic irony all on its own. An important bit of dramatic irony in the first two scenes is when Gertrude and Claudius believe that Hamlet is depressed only because of his father’s death. The King says “But, you must know, your father lost a father. That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound in filial obligations for some term to do obsequious sorrow” (1.2.91-94). This piece of dramatic irony furthers the character of Gertrude and Claudius, they seem to be naïve in a way to think that Hamlet’s father’s death was the only thing depressing him. When in reality, it is Claudius’ marriage to Gertrude that is the real problem, though his father’s death does play...
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...In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet , Hamlet vows to seek revenge for his fathers death however, he procrastinates throughout the play and doesn't seek revenge until the end. Hamlet is stopped in seeking revenge by a number of factors throughout the play. Through the attitudes of the characters, Hamlets high education and Analysis paralysis When his father's ghost came to him and told him to avenge his murder, Hamlet was eager to take immediate action. However before seeking revenge he needs to know if the ghost is telling the truth about his murder. Hamlet feels that if the ghost isn't telling the truth and he acts, he too will become a murderer. In order to determine if Claudius is truly guilty, Hamlet produces a play in which the plot...
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...Throughout William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it is evident that women play a secondary role. Gertrude and Ophelia are characterised as weak and submissive, and are extremely obedient to the men in their lives. Both female characters play passive roles in a play but are important in displaying the theme of Hamlet’s misogyny; “Frailty, thy name is woman”. Gertrude from the beginning proves to be very wholly dependent on men. Her first husband, King Hamlet, was murdered and yet “within a month”, she was married to his brother Claudius. The relationship between Claudius and Gertrude seems to be for convenience rather than love. It is perceived as good for Denmark to have a politically skilled ruler and Claudius was undoubtedly fit for the role. Gertrude’s...
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...Importance of Hamlet’s Soliloquies in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Shakespeare often has his characters speak in soliloquies during the course of his plays. Soliloquies are essential to the presentation of a story through the medium of a play because they provide the opportunity the chance to tell the audience specific pieces of information which cannot be disclosed through normal conversation. In his work, Hamlet, Shakespeare’s title character is shown to speak in seven soliloquies. Each soliloquy advances the plot, reveals Hamlet’s inner thoughts to the audience and helps to create an atmosphere in the play. The first soliloquy which Hamlet delivers gives the audience their first glimpse of him as a character. Hamlet is reflective and depicts the way he views his own position; he tells of his father’s death and then his mother’s quick remarriage. He says, “It is not, nor it cannot come to good” (I, ii, 163), when referring to the marriage of his mother. This gives the audience a hint of foreshadowing because it is the first time when Hamlet mentions the future. This speech also reveals his thoughts further when he says that his mother is frail because she is a woman, while he also admits that he knows he must hold his tongue. During the course of this speech Hamlet makes several allusions to historical figures and this demonstrates to the audience that he is an intelligent young man. One of these allusions is when he compares the love his late father had for his mother to Hyperion...
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...In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, word play is often used, especially by the title character. One example of this is towards the beginning of the play, during one of Hamlet’s first soliloquies: O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two, (1.2.129-138) This excerpt is Hamlet expressing his disgust for what his mother and uncle have done, and also him saying how much he just wishes that he would not exist anymore. Hamlet’s father has died...
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...As the theme of “madness” runs rapid through the play, Hamlet, many characters suffer from psychological disorders leading to their inevitable end. Ophelia, daughter of Polonius, is among the many characters that suffer from these psychological behaviors. Her mindless behavior was under scrutiny and eventually classified under two categories: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Delirium. These disorders were characterized through both the physical and mental stability of her. At the start of the play, Ophelia was considered to be rather normal. Her responses and actions were of those who would be considered healthy. As the play progressed, she began to slowly lose touch with reality until she finally went ‘mad’. Ophelia’s psychological degradation...
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...Laertes, when he thought King Claudius had killed his father, directly confronted the King, but with a mob to back him up. After hearing Claudius side of the story, Laertes began plotting with Claudius to kill Hamlet by treachery. He didn't care about what was right or wrong, he just wanted revenge, even if it meant cutting Hamlet's throat in a church. He didn't bother to hear Hamlet's side of the story. However, just before the fight Laertes did finally hear Hamlet's apology which he would have accepted but he foolishly delayed the opinions of "elder masters". Meaning Claudius and continued the duel against his conscious. Laertes's father had warned him, but Laertes ignored that advice. When plotting to murder Hamlet, Laertes said. "For...
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...William Shakespeare's Hamlet is without question the most famous play in the English language. Hamlet is a play about a character's struggles with the opposing forces of moral integrity and the need to avenge his father's murder. Disney's The Lion King is an award winning film about a young lion cub named Simba, and his struggles against himself and reality. The movie, The Lion King, and the book, Hamlet, both have a similar story line. Shakespeare's Hamlet and Disney's The Lion King have similar occurrences such as, the king is killed and revenge is sought by the king's son, the murderers are the king's brothers who want the power of the throne, and many others; but each story is also unique in their own ways. Throughout Hamlet and The Lion King numerous examples link both of these stories together. The first example of comparing Shakespeare's Hamlet to Disney's The Lion King is in both stories the king is killed and revenge is sought by the king's son. The murderers in the stories are both the king's brothers who want the power of the throne. In Hamlet, Claudius is the murder of King Hamlet and in the movie The Lion King Scar is the murderer of Mufasa. After the death of the kings, both of the villains successfully took over the kingdoms. Another example that compares both of these stories together is that neither of the princes, Hamlet and Simba, liked the villains. In addition, they did not know at first that they had anything to do with their father's death. It took...
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...Angela Romero 1226344 English IX Tim Keppel An analysis of the characters of Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, revenge is the central topic, which breathes life into the play. As his main objective in life, Hamlet craves to avenge his father’s death, the king of Denmark, betrayed and killed by his own brother. Throughout the play, Hamlet comes across two other main characters in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Laertes and Fortinbras, whose fathers are also murdered. Even though there are differences between these 3 characters, this series of unfair deaths puts them in the same situation and makes them have aspects in common. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras in terms of behavior, the honor for their beloved fathers, the desire to revenge their fathers’ death and their modus operandi of vengeance; as well as to explain the perception they have of each other. On one hand, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is characterized by his eloquent behavior, his philosophical thinking, which constantly leads him to questions that cannot be answered easily, such as his famous one “to be, or not to be”. He is smart and lets others think he’s just mad. One of his other characteristics are his constant thoughts about existence and the duties of a man. “What is a man, if his chief good and market of his time be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.” “For there are actions...
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...Hamlet and the Two Women In the story Hamlet, the main character is shown to treat women quite terribly. The main character is known as Prince Hamlet, who is grieving over the death of his father, King Hamlet who was killed by Claudius, who became the new king. Hamlet’s emotions lead to his poor treatment towards Ophelia and Gertrude, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Firstly, his treatment towards Ophelia. Hamlet pretends to be crazy during a big portion of the play. Ophelia loved Hamlet and she even “slept” with him; however, all this changed when she returned Hamlet’s love letters. Hamlet takes offense to this, and starts shouting at Ophelia, (3.1.122) “get thee to a nunnery” and (3.1.123)“why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?”, basically calling her a whore, then breaks up with her. Hamlet still loves her, and is devastated by her actions so he treats her poorly. Later in the play, during the Murder of Gonzago, Hamlet asks if he can lay on Ophelia’s lap and starts flirting with her, as if him calling her out never happened. Hamlet’s treatment towards Ophelia eventually leads to her death....
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...continuum” (Mitchell, 55). Hamlet experiences much trauma when he sees his father’s ghost for the first time. There is a split in Hamlet’s mind that is caused by this moment. This is the moment where he begins to dissociate himself from reality because as a rational character, seeing a supernatural being causes all sense of reality, everything that has been familiar, everything that, up to this point, was correct and rational, to go. Dissociation is just one of the many features Hamlet has that point to a mental break and bipolar I disorder....
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...A tragedy struck Denmark yesterday afternoon. In a sudden act of anger, misunderstanding and confusion, King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Prince Hamlet and son of the late advisor, Laertes, were slain yesterday during a sparring match in the castle. According to our sources, King Claudius has been revealed as the murderer of the late king Hamlet. King Claudius had been plotting with the kin of the recently passed royal adviser Polonius to murder Hamlet. As far as we know now, both parties involved in the planned murder of Hamlet had different motives. Laertes, the advisor’s son wished to exact revenge on Hamlet for the death of his father, who we now know was murdered by Hamlet for unknown reasons. Laertes also has blamed Hamlet for the death...
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...Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet as a result of his suspicious madness and dramatic change of behavior. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are to check up on Hamlet because they bear respect and long-time friendship with him. In spite of Claudius’s expression of grave concern for Hamlet’s change, he, however, summoned Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for self-promotion. After sending away Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius enters and exclaims that he believes he has found the cause of Hamlet’s madness. Before speaking, he insists that the ambassadors may speak first. They then reported that the King of Norway figured out that Fortinbras’ had intended to invade Denmark; but, the King rebuked Fortinbras and...
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