Closely Examines Shakespeare's Use of Classical Allusions to Violent Death in Hamlet

One of the most striking classical references in Hamlet is to the fall of Troy and the death of its king, Priam. Hamlet wishes the player to recite a speech he .".cheifly loved..." and recites the first thirteen lines for him. Within the first five lines of this speech the audience is bombarded with images of darkness, ."..sable...black...night...ominous...dread...black...dismal..." . Hamlet describes .".Hellish Pyrrhus..." raging through Troy looking for the King. Pyrrhus is a symbol of brutal revenge. He has become a by word for gratuitous violence and savage vengeance.

The story of the Fall of Troy is famously told in Book II of Virgil's Aeneid. Hamlet, however, is not quoting from Virgil. He claims to quote from a play that was only ever acted once, if at all, and was received unfavourably by the public, .".pleased not the million.." . Thus Shakespeare is able to retell the story in his own way and still make the player's recognition of the speech plausible. The ferocity of the speech may be seen as a parody of the traditional epic style. As well as the focus upon dark imagery Hamlet talks of ."..coagulate gore...roasted in wrath and fire.." . the image of the old king being blown over by the breeze caused by Pyrrhus wafting his sword around is almost comical. In The Aeneid one feels the pathos generated by an old man watching his son die before him. Shakespeare focuses upon the violence of the event, Pyrrhus' relentless search for vengeance. This speech is in Act II of the five act play. So from early on the audience can sense Hamlet's disturbed mind and perhaps a growing obsession for vengeance and violent death.

F.S Boas, in his 1943 Annual Shakespeare lecture, claimed Book II of the Aeneid .".gives no author...

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...e a brother's wife and pride, causes a ten year war between the Greeks and the Trojans. One cannot argue that Hamlet is somehow an allegory for the fall of Troy, it is simple that the epic pathos, or parody there of, that Hamlet so enjoyed in the player's speech is rekindled. Nowhere is this pathos clearer than in Horatio's explanation of what has occurred, .".carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, of accidental judgements, casual slaughters, of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause..." . The audience is left with four dead bodies on stage at the end of Act five. A tragedy has occurred that has cost many lives. Unlike Pyrrhus, however, Hamlet will not be worshiped as a hero after his death. He is only the hero of his own tragedy as he astutely notices as he dies, ."..You that look pale and tremble at this chance, That are but mutes or audience to this act..."