"To be a self-conscious animal is to be in a tragic situation." Becker's poignant insight resonates deeply with the existential journey undertaken by the character of Hamlet in William Shakespeare's renowned play. Throughout the narrative, Hamlet grapples with a series of existential crises that force him to confront the fundamental questions of life, death, religion, and morality. Later exploring Hamlet's profound transformation, particularly focusing on his evolving perspective on mortality, which stands in contrast to humanity's historical tendency to deny or evade the reality of death. From the outset of the play, Hamlet is thrust into a state of profound turmoil following the sudden death of his father, the King of Denmark. His subsequent …show more content…
This is particularly evident in Hamlet's evolving perspective on the concept of mortality, which stands in contrast to the common human tendency to deny or avoid the reality of one's own demise. As the philosopher Ernest Becker observes in his seminal work "The Denial of Death," humanity has historically sought various coping mechanisms and belief systems, such as religion and the notion of an afterlife, to transcend the finality of death. Becker argues that "to be a self-conscious animal is to be in a tragic situation," as we are acutely aware of our own finite existence. This awareness, he suggests, has led to the development of belief systems that allow individuals to find meaning and purpose beyond the grave. However, Hamlet's journey represents a departure from this common impulse. After the intermission in Act 4 Scene 4, Hamlet's contemplation of mortality intensifies as he and Horatio encounter the gravedigger and come across the skull of Yorick, the old jester whom Hamlet had played with as a child. Reflecting on the inevitability of death and decay, Hamlet states, "To what base uses we may return, Horatio. Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander till he finds it stopping a bunghole?" (V.i.196-198). This statement highlights Hamlet's realization that even the greatest …show more content…
His desire to "melt" and "resolve" himself into nothingness reflects a profound grappling with the meaning of life and the weight of existence. As the play progresses, Hamlet's philosophical development deepens, as he confronts the complexities of religion, morality, and the nature of the self. His famous "To be, or not to be" soliloquy delves even further into the existential dilemma, as Hamlet ponders the merits of life and death, the fear of the unknown, and the burden of
One of the most famous Shakespearean lines-"To be or not to be, that is the question” is found in Hamlet, spoken by the title character himself. While this is the most obvious reference that Hamlet makes to this own philosophy, Hamlet makes frequent proclamations about his stifled life throughout the play. Hamlet views his life in a negative manner, to the point where he finds himself contemplating whether or not to end his own life. Hamlet does not value his life, which causes him to become flustered with himself and his lack of action. Therefore, demonstrating that Hamlet does not value his life as one should.
The life of Hamlet filled with deception and death is the very example of the conflicts of one’s self. Where he is conflicted in his thoughts about himself, who he wants to be and what can he do. A life in which he can submit to each of his desires, revenge for his father or to continue as the price of Denmark who is everyone’s ideal prince. But even for those around Hamlet, No matter who, everyone will die and be forgotten. Which is the overall ending for Hamlet, will he die and be forgotten like those before him, But no matter what life comes to an end. Even for those that held power their fame eventually ends. And for Hamlet it is the very same. These extensional thoughts are brought out In Hamlet, where our thoughts conflict about who we are and what we perceive in others. But in the end we die and become dust that becomes forgotten in the wind.
From past experiences in ones life, whether it be the death of a long aged gold fish to a deceased elder, one knows the pain and suffering that goes on afterwards. For one to finally move on and continue life without a tear in their eyes may take a while, yet having that immense step means to put the emotions aside and live life. Hamlet's father was murdered, and he soon sees his mother move on so quickly and marries his uncle, to continue being the queen. Hamlet's love for his father does not fade away within a two month span like his mother; he refuses to accept the fact that his father was killed, instead of a natural death. Because of this, Hamlet does not know what to do with his life. He mentions "O, that this too too sallied flesh would melt,/ Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/ His canon `against self-slaughter" (129-132). Immediately does Hamlet questions the existence of his own life, as he feels the need to melt and disappear, ultimately referring to suicide. The problem we face...
Hamlet although he believes that suffering must be endured or battled, he also understands that suffering is optional and that suffering is caused from pain and all pain can be relieved. At times Hamlet no longer sees the point of bearing the huge burden of suffering as he does, but rather to end the burden through suicide. These thoughts are however based or can be linked back to Hamlet’s emotion and how his negative emotions overcome his logical thinking. We see however Hamlet’s ability to think logically and understand the reasoning behind suffering and the preciousness of his life. At this point in the play Hamlet no longer doubts his meaning in life, this is quite pivotal because this then allows him the confidence and power to seek revenge on Claudius.
Hamlet’s death is assured from his own obsession with death in the early part of the play. It seems as though Hamlet has gone mad and no longer values life, not even his own. His madness stems from Old Hamlet’s ghost exacting revenge; finding out his uncle murdered his father, and his mother’s cluelessness. All of these things combine to turn Hamlet into a heartless killer. One of h...
Involuntary memories come into consciousness without any attempt, and they happen all day long. Before taking the effort to record my own involuntary memories, I was unaware that there was a concept for them and that they happened as frequently as they do. Both internal and external aspects can cue an involuntary memory, and involuntary memories can range from extremely negative to extremely positive. My personal experience with recording involuntary memories showed a pattern between my emotional state at the time of the memory and the emotional state of the memory itself.
Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” Soliloquy in act 3, scene 1, reveals that Hamlet is a thoughtful and calculating character attempting to be cautious. Hamlet is looking at the prospect of killing himself from all viewpoints. In Hamlet’s soliloquy shakespeare strikes home with a pivotal human conc...
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.
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."(Hamlet) This is the question that plagues Hamlet through the entire play. Should I live or should I die, should I take revenge for my father's death? These are all issues that Hamlet battles within himself. Hamlet's indecision is followed by inaction. The reason for this struggle with indecision can be based on many factors or on a combination of a few.
People all around the world are familiar with the “To be or not to be” speech. Although some might not realize it is a speech by Hamlet, they do realize how powerful those lines are. Those lines show the mark of a great philosopher, and this is precisely what Hamlet is. Because Hamlet is such a fantastic philosopher at the start of the play, it leads him to what some believe is his downfall. The fact that perhaps he thinks too much on the people and incidents surrounding him is really what pulls him down. He spends an excessive amount of his day thinking about every aspect of every event.
Readers are first given insight to Hamlet’s most inward thoughts in Act I, Scene 2. At this point in the play, Hamlet’s mother and uncle, Queen Gertrude and Claudius, have just announced their marriage. For the past few months, Hamlet has been grieving incessantly at the abrupt loss of his beloved father and king. In the eyes of the Queen and new King, Hamlet has mourned sufficiently and their marriage is in attempt to end the depressing state of the kingdom. Hamlet’s uncle, now step-father, even goes as far as saying Hamlet is acting like a stubborn girl for his prolonged misery, urging him to cease his weeping. Once his mother and uncle leave the stage, Hamlet mulls over the current situation. He starts off by stating that he longs to simply cease to exist, that his flesh would disintegrate back into the earth. He knows that the Lord condemns suicide, but wishes it was allowed for his sake. These first two lines point to Hamlet’s suicidal tendencies and his lack of self-esteem and self-worth. Not only does he have a low opinion of his own life, but he compares the world in his day to an “unweeded garden” that has produced and fostered a vile and corrupt humanity. At this point, existence to him seems lifeless and insignificant, cla...
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the main character, Hamlet, is often perceived by the other characters in the play as being mentally unbalanced because he acts in ways that drive them to think he is mad. Hamlet may very well be psychotic; however, there are times when he “feigns insanity” in order to unearth the truth surrounding his father's death. This plan seems to be going well until Hamlet's mental state slowly begins to deteriorate. What began as an act of insanity or antic disposition transitions from an act to a tragic reality. After studying Hamlet's actions, one will notice that as the play progresses, his feigned insanity becomes less and less intentional and devolves into true mental illness.
As often associated with a tragedy, a conflict usually ensues between a protagonist and another force in the play. A tragedy is ‘a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that elicits pity or terror’ (Webster's dictionary). Given its structure and depth in characterization, this play will or can be analyzed and interpreted from various perspectives and beliefs. However, my analysis of the play is conducted on the basis of various components which are: Hamlet as a tragic hero, the ironic message conveyed in the play, the roles of its characters, the role and personification of madness, the role of paranormality, the role of friends and family, the role of inaction, the role of sex and violence, and the role of death as portrayed in the play. Based on literary definitions and portrayal of his character, there is popular belief that Hamlet as the protagonist acted to satisfy his own conscience but could his actions be attributed purely to his desire or was he being influenced by other factors?
"To be or not to be" is Hamlet's most famous quotation. Hamlet is the protagonist of Shakespeare's. His father, king Hamlet, killed by his own brother, Claudius, then Claudius marries king Hamlet's wife, Gertrude, and won the kingship. Prince Hamlet, who suffers from Oedipal Complex, falling in love with his own mother and considering father as a rival to his love, can't make his mind whether to kill his uncle and take his father's revenge or not. And ask this question from himself, because on one hand he knows that if he kills Claudius, his companions will kill him, on the other hand his father's ghost appears to him and asks him to kill Claudius.
Hamlet is one of the most often-performed and studied plays in the English language. The story might have been merely a melodramatic play about murder and revenge, butWilliam Shakespeare imbued his drama with a sensitivity and reflectivity that still fascinates audiences four hundred years after it was first performed. Hamlet is no ordinary young man, raging at the death of his father and the hasty marriage of his mother and his uncle. Hamlet is cursed with an introspective nature; he cannot decide whether to turn his anger outward or in on himself. The audience sees a young man who would be happiest back at his university, contemplating remote philosophical matters of life and death. Instead, Hamlet is forced to engage death on a visceral level, as an unwelcome and unfathomable figure in his life. He cannot ignore thoughts of death, nor can he grieve and get on with his life, as most people do. He is a melancholy man, and he can see only darkness in his future—if, indeed, he is to have a future at all. Throughout the play, and particularly in his two most famous soliloquies, Hamlet struggles with the competing compulsions to avenge his father’s death or to embrace his own. Hamlet is a man caught in a moral dilemma, and his inability to reach a resolution condemns himself and nearly everyone close to him.