Shakespeare’s Hamlet depicts an internal struggle in which Hamlet must battle his cowardice to do what is right for his father, his mother, and Denmark. The play shows Hamlet attempting to avenge his father’s, King Hamlet, death. The ghost of King Hamlet returns to speak with Hamlet regarding the matter. Unlike what the country has been told, his father informs Hamlet that he had in fact been murdered by Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle who had taken the throne. King Hamlet assigns his son with the task of killing Claudius and retaking the throne of Denmark. It is at this point in the play that Hamlet truly begins to display his cowardice. He does not act in many situations in which he is given the opportunity to kill Claudius. Rather than embarking upon a murderous rampage, Hamlet decides to act as though he has gone insane to fool the rest of the court, eventually with the result being the …show more content…
Possible reasons for this include the fact that it is a very short scene, or that it is one that furthers the double plot of Fortinbras and the director would rather focus strictly on the work’s direct plot of Hamlet avenging his father’s death. Within the play, Fortinbras acts as a double to that of Hamlet, much like Neville Longbottom would to Harry Potter. Fortinbras’s father, also named Fortinbras was killed and the Prince is now faced with the task of reunifying Norway and taking back what is believed to be rightful his. This is why the Norwegian army is attempting to invade Poland, to win back honor and dignity. Thus making him almost a mirror of Hamlet. Many directors exclude this scene solely for the fact that it could be confusing to the average viewer, and cause them to become disinterested. Many professionals and scholars consider this to be a disservice to the audience, as this scene truly encompasses the Hamlet’s epiphany and marks the downfall of
Hamlet, after learning that his father's death was a murder and vowing to take revenge, wants to be certain that what he has been told is the absolute truth before he attempts to take revenge on Claudius. Even after Hamlet is sure beyond any shadow of a doubt that Claudius is the murderer, he hesitates to kill him. Fortinbras, on the other hand, has been taking action even before the play begins. As the play opens, the audience learns that Denmark is in a state of alert; the country has been preparing for a war. From Horatio, the audience also learns that the young Fortinbras is getting ready his "lawless resolutes"(I.i.111) for action against Denmark for the killing of his father and for the return of lands previously owned by Norway (I. i. 79-107). These differences between Hamlet and Fortinbras' actions are further mentioned in Hamlet's last soliloquy (IV. iv. 32-66).
Moreover, Fortinbras is about to conquer a small piece of land without hesitation in order to honor his father. Consequently, his purpose is to characterize the bloody deeds that Hamlet cannot descend to. Hamlet praises Fortinbras, “Exposing what is mortal and unsure / To all that fortune, death, and danger dare, / Even for an eggshell” (4.4.53-5). Therefore, Shakespeare allows the audience to see how Hamlet admires a man who can act on an action that is much smaller than Hamlet’s cause of action. That is, hamlet is conflicted, and he proclaims, “My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!”
As is hinted throughout the play, the state of Denmark has become corrupt. Marcellus' famous quote "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark"(Act 1, 5:90) is complemented by various other observations. "...tis an unweeded garden,"(Act 1, 2:134) and "our state to be disjoint and out of frame,"(Act 1, 2:20). In Elizabethan times it was generally thought that a monarch had to have rightful claim to the throne, lest the state descend into chaos. Fortinbras is essential to this overlying story line, as he is fundamental to the resolution of the corruption. The overlying story line is to make what was bad become good, and thus a complete resolution is needed. Fortinbras is instrumental in this resolution: as the only nobleman left to claim the throne rightfully, Hamlet bequeaths not only the land that Old Fortinbras lost, but also the state of Denmark. Hence Fortinbras attains what he had vowed to avenge, and the play comes full circle. All that made the state of Denmark rotten, all those involved with the corruption, are now dead hence the overlying story plot is fully resolved.
Hamlet and Fortinbras grew up in completely different countries, but still ended up having similar lifestyles. Both Hamlet and Fortinbras are princes and ere to the thrones in their kingdoms. Hamlet’s father died due to a “snake bite”, and the crown was not given to Hamlet but his Uncle Claudius. Fortinbras’s father died due to a duel, and the crown was also given to his Uncle as well. Hamlet was told that his father was murdered and decided to hatch a plan to avenge his father. Fortinbras’s father was killed in a duel against Hamlet’s father and was killed. Fortinbras made a plan of invading Denmark and avenging his father that way.
Hamlet is obsessed with revenging his fathers murder; destroying Claudius and it is evident in the play. This obsession initiates Hamlet's behavior. The reasons for Hamlet's obsession with exacting revenge against Claudius are fairly straightforward. The ghost of Hamlet informed him that Claudius killed Hamlet Sr., seized his throne and robbed him of his father. After the ghost informs Hamlet of Claudius' crime, Hamlet realizes that if he does not kill Claudius, he may forever be locked in the painfully stressful mental state in which his obsession puts him. If he attempts or succeeds in killing Claudius, he risks experiencing psychological estrangement so intense that it could destroy his sense of identity. Whether he does or does not kill Claudius, he faces enormous psychological pain.
Firstly, Fortinbras is very open and bold about avenging his father’s death and killing the new king of Denmark. Everyone knows about his plan to attack Denmark even Horatio, a friend of Hamlet who attends Wittenberg University and just came to Denmark to see the ghost of the dead King Hamlet. He is the first person in Act 1 to talk about Fortinbras and his revenge plans when he says, "Now, Sir, young Fortinbras / Of unimproved metal, hot and full / Hath in the skirts of Norway, here and there / Shark’d up a list of lawless resolutes" (Shakespeare I. i. 95-98). Horatio words suggest that everyone knows Fortinbras plan and it is not a secret to anyone in Denmark. Hamlet on the other hand is the polar opposite of this as he is very sly and quiet about his plan to avenge his father’s death. Even when his friends ask him about what the ghost says to him, he does not tell them about what the ghost says or what his revenge plan is. He also tells his own friends to swear to secrecy about seeing the ghost:
Hamlet as Victim of a Corrupt World Troubled by royal treason, ruthless scheming, and a ghost, Denmark is on the verge of destruction. Directly following King Hamlet's death, the widowed Queen Gertrude remarried Claudius, the King's brother. Prince Hamlet sees the union of his mother and uncle as a "hasty and incestuous" act (Charles Boyce, 232). He then finds out that Claudius is responsible for his father's treacherous murder. His father's ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death, and Hamlet agrees.
Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most famous work of tragedy. Throughout the play the title character, Hamlet, tends to seek revenge for his father’s death. Shakespeare achieved his work in Hamlet through his brilliant depiction of the hero’s struggle with two opposing forces that hunt Hamlet throughout the play: moral integrity and the need to avenge his father’s murder. When Hamlet sets his mind to revenge his fathers’ death, he is faced with many challenges that delay him from committing murder to his uncle Claudius, who killed Hamlets’ father, the former king. During this delay, he harms others with his actions by acting irrationally, threatening Gertrude, his mother, and by killing Polonius which led into the madness and death of Ophelia. Hamlet ends up deceiving everyone around him, and also himself, by putting on a mask of insanity. In spite of the fact that Hamlet attempts to act morally in order to kill his uncle, he delays his revenge of his fathers’ death, harming others by his irritating actions. Despite Hamlets’ decisive character, he comes to a point where he realizes his tragic limits.
Hamlet sees that Fortinbras is willing to risk his own life just to avenge his father and his name. After becoming crowned prince after his father’s death, Fortinbras rallies his forces in Norway and marches off to war and rev...
After several attempts to kill Hamlet fail, Claudius teams up with Laertes and tries to murder Hamlet once and for all. Each of these plans directly or indirectly caused Hamlet’s death. After Hamlet talks to the ghost of his father, he finds out that Claudius killed him to gain the throne of Denmark. Hamlet has to get revenge by killing Claudius. To do this, he must act insane to draw away suspicion from himself. Hamlet says to Hortaio "How strange or odd some’er I bear myself as I perchanse hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on,"(I;v;170-172).
In Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, Hamlet is easily influenced, he relies on the remarks of his father, mother, and member of the Fortinbras army to make decision on whether to kill his uncle Claudius, who is now King. The ghost of Hamlet’s father influences him to seek revenge and prove Claudius’ guilt. Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, influences Hamlets behaviour, causing him to lash out and attempt revenge. A conversation Hamlet has with the Capitan of the Fortinbras army influences him to finally man up to the situation he is in, ultimately ending it all by killing Claudius.
With his thinking mind Hamlet does not become a typical vengeful character. Unlike most erratic behavior of individuals seeking revenge out of rage, Hamlet considers the consequences of his actions. What would the people think of their prince if he were to murder the king? What kind of effect would it have on his beloved mother? Hamlet considers questions of this type which in effect hasten his descision. After all, once his mother is dead and her feelings out of the picture , Hamlet is quick and aggressive in forcing poison into Claudius' mouth. Once Hamlet is certain that Claudius is the killer it is only after he himself is and and his empire falling that he can finally act.
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the king of Denmark is murdered by his brother, Claudius, and as a ghost tells his son, Hamlet the prince of Denmark, to avenge him by killing his brother. The price Hamlet does agree to his late father’s wishes, and undertakes the responsibility of killing his uncle, Claudius. However even after swearing to his late father, and former king that he would avenge him; Hamlet for the bulk of the play takes almost no action against Claudius. Prince Hamlet in nature is a man of thought throughout the entirety of the play; even while playing mad that is obvious, and although this does seem to keep him alive, it is that same trait that also keeps him from fulfilling his father’s wish for vengeance
Claudius killed Hamlet’s dad and then married his mom to become the leader of Denmark. Later in the play, Hamlet sees his dad’s ghost and is informed of the horrific act committed by his uncle. Hamlets’ dad’s ghost says, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (I. V. 25). Hamlets’ dad says this to Hamlet so that his uncle could get retribution for his actions. Hamlet has many opportunities to kill Claudius, but is unable because of the wrong timing.
Old Hamlet is killed by his brother Claudius. Only two months after her husband’s death a vulnerable Gertrude marries her husband’s brother Claudius. Gertrude’s weakness opens the door for Claudius to take the throne as the king of Denmark. Hamlet is outraged by this, he loses respect for his mother as he feels that she has rejected him and has taken no time to mourn her own husband’s death. One night old Hamlets ghost appears to prince Hamlet and tells him how he was poisoned by his own brother. Up until this point the kingdom of Denmark believed that old Hamlet had died of natural causes. As it was custom, prince Hamlet sought to avenge his father’s death. This leads Hamlet, the main character into a state of internal conflict as he agonises over what action and when to take it as to avenge his father’s death. Shakespeare’s play presents the reader with various forms of conflict which plague his characters. He explores these conflicts through the use of soliloquies, recurring motifs, structure and mirror plotting.