Examples Of Ambiguity In Hamlet

Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy Hamlet focuses on love, death and betrayal and the complications that arise from these. However Shakespeare does not offer his audience with a concrete decision or positive resolution to these complications. It can be argued that this is due to the simple fact that for Hamlet, there is never a definitive answer to the most daunting questions of ones life. In fact, Hamlet’s world is one of perpetual ambiguity. Shakespeare’s Hamlet explores the ideas of doubt and ambiguity throughout each of the 5 acts.

Those around Hamlet, can act upon their thoughts and in fact do. However through interpretation of the text, it is evident that Hamlet himself is stifled by his consuming insecurities. It is clear that in Hamlet, Shakespeare (a poet and dramatist) more so than ever before, associates his protagonist and his play with poetic eloquence and imagination in a way that adds an

Ambiguity is seen through, Hamlet’s madness, Ophelia’s personality to the ghosts intentions. It is through the use of this ambiguity that the audience is captured and challenged to critically analyze all that is within the play. Ambiguity can be observed in Hamlet through the abundance of conflicts within the play.

An example of this thesis, is during the time when Hamlet confronts Gertrude, in which he declares, “Come, come, and you sit down, you shall not budge/You go not till I set you up a glass/where you may see the inmost part of you.” (Act 3 Scene 4, Lines 17-19). Gertrude’s reaction to these words, suggests she believes Hamlet intends to kill her. However, Hamlet’s true intentions are never fully revealed. This leaves the audience questioning the ambiguity of whether Hamlet had intended to kill his mother, or to simply make her reflect on he choices and the implications of marrying