A Close Reading of a Passage from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark While Prince Hamlet reflects, he contemplates life and death. Hamlet gives a verbalization that gives a sagacious foresight into how his grief overtook his thoughts. While Hamlet is giving this verbalizing there is a portrayal of darkness and solitude. In the play Hamlet is conspicuously verbalizing with himself he does not want the other to know the extent to his thoughts. This is only the commencement of how Hamlet is portrayed as being a perturbed person. Hamlet spend the whole play recollecting his father King Hamlet and then later in the play Ophelia. Hamlet commences off the verbalization with darkness and despair. Hamlet is contemplating life or death. …show more content…
O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheet! (Act1 Scene 2. 153-156)
With Hamlet having to emotionally deal with his fathers’ death and the stigma of incest in his family, could be his undoing. Hamlet shares how dispirited he genuinely is. Hamlet expounds his heart-ache, but it is virtually like he does not want to kill himself. Towards the cessation of the passage Hamlet seems homogeneous to he has verbalized himself out of committing suicide. Ophelia and the love he has for her seems to be the only thing that is keeping Hamlet from killing himself. In this passage there is a clear argument. Even though only Hamlet verbalizes during the passage, the argument is within himself. Hamlet is commencing to be impelled crazy over his grief with his father. Prince Hamlet seeing King Hamlet’s ghost should have availed to surmount Hamlet’s grief. Hamlet did not overcome his grief, the sight of King Hamlet made the grief worse. Seeing the ghost of King Hamlet availed fueled the argument within Prince Hamlet. Prince Hamlet is not clear on his emotions. The ghost of King Hamlet tells Prince Hamlet that he was murdered and who murdered him.
I find thee apt;
And duller shouldst thou be than the fat
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As well as Hamlet is giving clues to Claudius, that Hamlet knows who killed his father. Hamlet asks for a play that gives the same story line to scare his uncle. This is a tactic to send not only Hamlet into insanity but also Claudius. The tactic of the play works Claudius is fearful of what Hamlet knows about the murder of King Hamlet. Prince Hamlet is now fearful of everyone that is proximate to him. Hamlet cerebrates that everyone is out to get him. Hamlet even endeavors to verbalize to his mother to convince her that Claudius killed King Hamlet. Even when Hamlet tells Gertrude, it is as though she thinks Hamlet is making it up. Claudius is victualing into Hamlet 's suspicion by sending people to Hamlet and ascertain what he knows. This makes Hamlet not trust anyone that he knows. When Hamlet murders Polonius, it is evident that Hamlet has gone thoroughly insane and he cannot return from the point he is at. No one is safe from Hamlet and the way he is deporting now. Hamlet has upset his mother by incriminating Claudius and insisting that her marriage is incest. Gertrude even says, Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue (Act 3 Scene 4. 10). This is in replication to Hamlet telling his mother that she is disrespecting King Hamlet (Act 3 Scene 3.9). All this that has occurred verbalizes volumes to Hamlet losing his sanity due to his recollection of the loss of his
While Hamlet may still be feeling depressed Hamlet moves into the stage of denial and isolation. Hamlet feels the effects of denial and isolation mostly due to his love, Ophelia. Both Hamlet’s grief and his task constrain him from realizing this love, but Ophelia’s own behavior clearly intensifies his frustration and anguish. By keeping the worldly and disbelieving advice of her brother and father as “watchmen” to her “heart” (I.iii.46), she denies the heart’s affection not only in Hamlet, but in herself; and both denials add immeasurably to Hamlet’s sense of loneliness and loss—and anger. Her rejection of him echoes his mother’s inconstancy and denies him the possibility even of imagining the experience of loving an...
This famous soliloquy offers a dark and deep contemplation of the nature of life and death. Hamlet’s contemplative, philosophical, and angry tones demonstrate the emotions all people feel throughout their lifetimes.
Hamlet's first words are rhetorically complicated, and also challenging and puzzling. Does he pretend to be flippant or boorish in order to keep his thoughts to himself, or to contain his pain? Or does he express rational criticism in savagely sarcastic comments spoken only to himself? Or is the energy of his mind such that he thinks and speaks with instinctive ambiguity? Words are restless within his mind, changing meaning, sh...
After encountering his father’s ghost, Hamlet finds out Claudius has murdered his father thus, sets a goal to kill Claudius. Although he has one goal, Hamlet makes harmful decisions that strongly affects other around him. The author describes the situation shortly after Polonius dies to Hamlet and says, “Hamlet says, ‘Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune. Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger’” (3.4.32-34). This quote displays Hamlet’s character as foolish and hasty. To explain, Hamlet does not use logical reasoning to figure out who is behind the curtain but rather makes the decision quickly to stab the unknown figure. His strong passion to kill Claudius causes this event to occur. Not only does Hamlet commit harsh actions but also speaks harsh words. The author describes Ophelia and Hamlet conversing and says, “Hamlet says, “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another. You jig and amble, and you lisp; and nickname God's creatures and make your wantonness your ignorance’” (3.1.144-148). This quote displays how Hamlet speaks without using logical reasoning such as how Ophelia might love him and how she believes he loves her. He is strictly focused on killing Claudius and has no care for what he does to others. To add on, this also
Displaying an 'antic disposition', Hamlet first attempts to side step his trepidation by feigning madness. After meeting with his fathers proposed ghost, Hamlet attempts to distance himself from the thought or evidence of death. Hamlet notifies his friends, Marcellus and Horatio, of his plan to distract the kingdom from his real intentions. Although Hamlet proposes this as a way to fool those in Denmark, in the last lines of his meeting with Horatio and Marcellus, he curses that this revenge be placed upon him. This is the first indication of Hamlets reluctance to perform murder. Hamlet then returns to Claudius and Gertrude, at the castle, and acts out his madness for them and for the visitor, Polonius. Upon speaking to Polonius, Polonius picks up upon Hamlets 'madness', yet decides that this unnatural nature is because if Ophelia's behavior toward Hamlet. Indication of Hamlets fear is presented when Polonius asks leave of the prince. Hamlet then states that Polonius can take anything from him, anything but his life. Hamlet repeats thrice this idea of taking anything 'except [his] life.' Not only does this indicate how compulsive Hamlets fake insanity is becoming, but how afraid he is of dying. During the 'To be or not to be' soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates his view of death. As he go...
I truly believe Hamlet was having depression issues and did not know how to cope with everything that was going on but one thing is for certain, is that he would not kill himself being it’s a sin. What this quote is stating is that he’s not suicidal by any means but he is ready to die, whether it’s now or later but it’s bound to
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is laden with tragedy from the start, and this adversity is reflected in the title character. Being informed of his father’s murder and the appalling circumstances surrounding the crime, Hamlet is given the emotionally taxing task of avenging his death. It is clear that having to complete this grim undertaking takes its toll on Hamlet emotionally. Beginning as a seemingly contemplative and sensitive character, we observe Hamlet grow increasingly depressed and deranged as the play wears on. Hamlet is so determined to make his father proud that he allows the job on hand to completely consume him. We realize that Hamlet has a tendency to mull and ponder excessively, which causes the notorious delays of action throughout the play. It is often during these periods of deep thought and reflection that we hear one of Hamlet’s famous soliloquies, which are obviously relative to Hamlet’s apprehensions and worries surrounding his current situation. The seven soliloquies throughout the play offer insight pertaining to the deteriorating mental state of Hamlet, and the circumstances which induce his decent into madness.
All throughout the play Hamlet mourns the loss of his father, especially since his father is appearing to him as a ghostly figure telling him to avenge his death, and throughout the play it sets the stage and shows us how he is plotting to get back at the assassinator. Such an instance where the ghost appears to Hamlet is when Hamlet and his mother are in her bedchamber where the ghost will make his last appearance. Hamlet tells his mother to look where the ghost appears but she cannot see it because he is the only one who that has the ability to see him.
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.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play about murder, betrayal, revenge, madness, and moral corruption. It touches upon philosophical ideas such as existentialism and relativism. Prince Hamlet frequently questions the meaning of life and the degrading of morals as he agonizes over his father’s murder, his mother’s incestuous infidelity, and what he should or shouldn’t do about it. At first, he is just depressed; still mourning the loss of his father as his mother marries his uncle. After he learns about the treachery of his uncle and the adultery of his mother, his already negative countenance declines further. He struggles with the task of killing Claudius, feeling burdened about having been asked to find a solution to a situation that was forced upon him.Death is something he struggles with as an abstract idea and as relative to himself. He is able to reconcile with the idea of death and reality eventually.
Hamlet’s anger and grief- primarily stemming from his mother’s marriage to Claudius- brings him to thoughts of suicide, which only subside as a result of it being a mortal and religious sin. The fact that he wants to take his own life demonstrates a weakness in his character; a sense of cowarness, his decision not to kill himself because of religious beliefs shows that this weakness is balanced with some sense of morality. Such an obvious paradox is only one example of the inner conflict and turmoil that will eventually lead to Hamlet’s downfall.
Hamlet becomes very upset by all the tragedies that occur within his family. Hamlet says he wants to “resolve itself into a dew,/ Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/ His canon ‘giant self-slaughter” (Shakespeare 1.2 130-132). During a confrontation between Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet denounces her by saying he never loved her and she should enter a nunnery isolated from society.
As well as Hamlet is giving clues to Claudius, that Hamlet knows who killed his father. Hamlet asks for a play that gives the same story line to scare his uncle. This is a tactic to send not only Hamlet into insanity but also Claudius. The tactic of the play works Claudius is fearful of what Hamlet knows about the murder of King Hamlet. Prince Hamlet is now fearful of everyone that is proximate to him. Hamlet cerebrates that everyone is out to get him. Hamlet even endeavors to verbalize to his mother to convince her that Claudius killed King Hamlet. Even when Hamlet tells Gertrude, it is as though she thinks Hamlet is making it up. Claudius is victualing into Hamlet 's suspicion by sending people to Hamlet and ascertain what he knows. This makes Hamlet not trust anyone that he
He would be alive at this point if he would have been quiet. Hamlet in his quest for revenge has become very edgy and when he saw an opportunity to strike at the king he took it. He had no knowledge that Polonius was in the room, but instead believed that it was Claudius who had entered the room in an effort to seduce his mother into lying with him in bed. When Hamlet heard the voice behind the tapestry call for help, he pounced and seized at what he thought was his chance to kill Claudius. He was wrong, however, and shed the innocent blood of a loyal servant. Many people would say that Hamlet does not want to get revenge for the death of his father, but throughout the play, we see Hamlet doing that very thing. He concocts multiple plans in an attempt to make the king confess what he has done, that way Hamlet can punish him for his cruel actions. Hamlet became so consumed with his quest for revenge that he ended up killing innocent people in hopes that it was the king. His goal was not justice, but to see his uncle end up dead for the murder of his father. Hamlet is a smart young man, who throughout the play lusts for revenge. He wants to make his uncle suffer for the crimes of he committed and should not be an example to anyone because he believes that the only way to solve the problem of his father’s murder is to take revenge. Hamlet also loses the ability to think about other things because his quest for revenge takes
In Hamlet suicide is an issue of controversy and question. Hamlet is a confused man from everything that he has experienced in such a short period of time. And even though Hamlet contemplates suicide he is not the one who suffers from it. Ophelia is actually is the victim of the actual act of suicide. His morality, religion, and philosophical views on suicide keep him from committing the dreaded act.