A Comparison of Prince Hamlet and Machiavelli's The Prince
Machiavelli states that "it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and use this knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case." Machiavelli's ideas both compare and contrast to the methods used by Hamlet. Hamlet's desire to drive the king mad and eventually kill him, is what he thinks he must do in order to set things right. Hamlet struggles to maintain his position as prince. Perhaps he lacks the essential qualities of a prince outlined by Machiavelli.
According to Machiavelli, the pursuit of all things regarded as virtuous and praiseworthy will only lead to the prince's ruin. This is completely true in the case of Hamlet, because he is on a quest to avenge his father's death. The battle between good and evil is constantly in the forefront of Hamlet's mind, as he wavers between acting civil or getting revenge outright. In the beginning, Hamlet struggles to remain good at all times, but this causes him extreme anguish. Hamlet is an honest man, who grieves for his father. He suffers because of the dishonesty of the others in the court, especially his mother and his uncle, and later, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet is able to see through them all, and realize that they're dishonest. He speaks these words to Guildenstern: "Anything but to th' purpose. You were sent for, and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know the good King and Queen have sent for you." (Hamlet, II, ii., 278-280)
Hamlet's honesty is also seen when he is speaking with his mother. In act I, scene ii, Gertrude asks him why the de...
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...e his goal was to get and retain power. He wanted to prove Claudius to be an unfit king, and he did so, but only as Hamlet himself was about to die. Hamlet had to cause grief by killing the king, but in the end, he is seen as a hero, because he unmasked his father's killer.
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Hamlet wishes to avenge the murder of his father and rectify this great injustice. The conflict between his desire to seek revenge and his own thoughts of incompetence is the cause of his initial unrest. "Haste me to know't , that I , with wings as swift / As meditation or thoughts of love , / may sweep to my revenge (1.5.29-31). Here Hamlet pleads to the Ghost of King Hamlet to reveal the name of his murderer.
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Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. C. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York: Norton, 2005. Print.
... is also accompanied by the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). These groups are paving the way to make these disorders easier to cure. They provide family therapy, psychotherapy, and hypnosis. Since there are so many philosophies about treating anorexia nervosa, exploring for a suitable therapist is suggested.
Anorexia is a disorder that goes much deeper than the trite image pushed by the media. Anorexia occurs most often in young, adolescent females, can be caused by biological, socio-cultural, and psycho-developmental factors, causes considerable damage to the body and the heart, and treatment is not often attained and is long and difficult for the patient when it is.
People with anorexia, who are usually adolescent, drop significantly below normal weight. Despite this fact, they feel fat, fear being fat, continue to obsess over losing weight and sometimes exercise excessively (Meyers). Anorexia nervosa can be associated with perfectionism, pleasing others, wanting attention, emotional insecurity, stressful situations, and many other underlying causes (Meyers). Anorexia is particularly threatening to physical health because so many patients are prone to relapse. Therefore, early identification and treatment of anorexia nervosa is essential to take advantage of patients’ chances for recovery (Meyers). In order for this identification to take place, the public must be properly informed about anorexia in a captivating, yet accurate
Anorexia Nervosa is a mental condition which affects one’s both physical and mental health. It is a condition that causes one to have a distorted self-image and forces themselves to starve even if their body weight is already dangerously low. They often restrict their food intake to the point where they are extremely thin. Anorexia is found to occur most often in women, especially those who are aged 15 to 35. There have been cases reported as early as the age of 7 and as late as the age of 80. Researchers believe that about 5 to 10 percent of women overall have a distorted body image but approximately 1 to 2 percent of those women suffer from anorexia nervosa. Often at times anorexia can begin during the early teen years. Over 90 percent of the victims of anorexia are found to be women but yet many cases go unnoticed or unreported.
Out of all mental illnesses found throughout the world, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Anorexia nervosa is one of the more common eating disorders found in society, along with bulimia nervosa. Despite having many definitions, anorexia nervosa is simply defined as the refusal to maintain a normal body weight (Michel, 2003). Anorexia nervosa is derived from two Latin words meaning “nervous inability to eat” (Frey, 2002). Although anorexics, those suffering from anorexia, have this “nervous inability to eat,” it does not mean that they do not have an appetite—anorexics literally starve themselves. They feel that they cannot trust or believe their perceptions of hunger and satiation (Abraham, 2008). Anorexics lose at least 15 percent of normal weight for height (Michel, 2003). This amount of weight loss is significant enough to cause malnutrition with impairment of normal bodily functions and rational thinking (Lucas, 2004). Anorexics have an unrealistic view of their bodies—they believe that they are overweight, even if the mirror and friends or family say otherwise. They often weigh themselves because they possess an irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming obese (Abraham, 2008). Many anorexics derive their own self-esteem and self-worth from body weight, size, and shape (“Body Image and Disordered Eating,” 2000). Obsession with becoming increasingly thinner and limiting food intake compromises the health of individuals suffering from anorexia. No matter the amount of weight they lose or how much their health is in jeopardy, anorexics will never be satisfied with their body and will continue to lose more weight.
The American Academy of Family Physicians. (June 2003). Anorexia nervosa. Retrieved April 18, 2005, from http://www.familydoctor.org/063.xml
Anorexia nervosa is an illness that can control the mind. Anorexia nervosa is an illness that usually occurs in teenage girls, but it can also occur in teenage boys as well as adult women and men. People with the disease anorexia are obsessed with being thin. They lose weight excessively and are terrified of gaining weight. They believe they are fat even though in reality they are not fat at all; in fact they are very thin. Anorexia is not just a problem with food or weight. It is an attempt to use food and weight to deal with emotional problems they have with in them.
Both of Hamlet’s soliloquies serve to portray him as a scholar with an apparent desire with vengeance, but it becomes clear that he is conflicted if revenge is what he truly wants due to his highly perfectionistic way of thinking.
Hamlet is very blunt person. One particular scene where Hamlet is particular honest is with Ophelia when he tells her what he really thinks of her. Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?(III, i l.121-122). This is a perfect example of Hamlets honesty where he is telling Ophelia how disgusted he is of her and all women. For Hamlet to be so blunt and honest with someone he loves shows he is particularly open. His openness with Ophelia just another attribute to add to his credentials to be a great King. Machiavelli also declares that to be great leader, the man must be greatly loved by the public, which is the case for Hamlet. The King decides to send Hamlet out of the country to England, not for a change in scenery, but so to he can be killed. The Kings reason for this is, Yet must not we put the strong law on him: Hes loved of the distracted multitude. (IV, iii l.3-4). In other words Hamlet must be treated well in Denmark for if something happens the people wouldnt be too happy, but if he is sent to England and killed it wouldnt seem as suspicious to the masses. The fact that people would rise up over the murder of Hamlet, shows that he is greatly loved be the people. Kindness is another attribute that Machiavelli says that the ruler must have. Hamlet shows a great deal of kindness when he is reminiscing of his dead childhood friend Yorick.