Death can be harsh. Death can be punishing. Death can be for the most, sad. As most people see death, it brings tough and hard emotions to their minds. Most don’t understand that death should be celebrated. They believe that once they die they never see them again. This idea that death is the end, has haunted the human life for all of eternity. Death brings cold thoughts to a person, which makes them miserable. The passing away of a beloved person, can be extremely dangerous through the different ideas and attitudes that come with death. This is what came to be in the play Hamlet. The characters put their emotion into death and some of the different out puts toward death were surprising. Throughout Hamlet, the attitudes toward death are astonishing between the characters the Ghost, Claudius, and Hamlet.
The ghost had an obvious approach towards death. For instance, when he visited Hamlet telling him how he was murdered, he states, “Doomed...till the foul crimes done in my days are burnt and purged away.” (I:v:15-18) Suppressed by death, the Ghost felt abhorrence of the harsh evilness that he had to go through. He also showed his anger for the process of passing away, and death’s backstabbing ways. In addition, when he explained to Hamlet his murder, he exclaims, “...by a brother’s hand of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched...O horrible, O horrible, most horrible!”(I:v:81-87) Here, the ghost implied that he loved life, and tells how easily death, in general, can bring you down to an all time low emotional state. An analogy to prove this is that the ghost felt his life was complete, so in the analogy he is sitting around a room with all of his goods around him. Then a glass box falls on top of him and he cannot have his goods anymore, although he can see them all and want them so much. There is no doubt that the feelings of death of the ghost were quite low and hated.
King Claudius had an uncertain view on what he thought death of. For example, after the king sees the play, he admits that he killed Hamlet’s father for, “My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.” (III:iii:59) Claudius felt that death was his only way to power, and power, to him, was like being a god. He just saw death as a little spec in the way, thus meaning he believes deceasing isn’t that big of a deal.
Firstly, Shakespeare proves that Hamlet’s attitude towards death changes throughout the play because he starts off desiring death. The play begins with the ghost of Hamlet’s father visiting the courtyard while Bernardo and Horatio are there (1.1) Bernardo is the first to notice the ghost, and exclaims “In the same figure, like the King that’s
William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet strikes many literary chords and themes. It primarily chronicles a quest for revenge, political intrigue and a slow descent into madness. Throughout the play, two men of different rank and intellect; Hamlet and Laertes are portrayed in this play as each other’s foils. Hamlet who has lost his father in the hands of his uncle and Laertes who has lost his father in the hands of Hamlet, seek out similar goals but in very distinct ways. Hamlet and Laertes both go through stages of their carving vengeance to finally fulfill their goals of killing their fathers’ murderers. The readers detect that Hamlet goes in the path of plotting and deceiving to kill Claudius whereas Laertes goes in a more haste and reckless path
Some people refer to Hamlet as the “melancholy Dane” whose emotions seem to run his life. However, others argue that Hamlet is completely sane and makes a direct plan to kill the King. Hamlet acts insane throughout the play and deceives many people along the way, including his own mother. He proves his sanity through several of his actions and that he planned to kill the King and avenge his father’s death in the play Hamlet.
His belief is that if Claudius were to die during confession, Claudiuss' spirit would ascend to heaven and Hamlet will not accept this. Hamlet figures he will wait until "He is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th'incestuous pleasure of his bed, at game a-swearing, or about some act that has no relish of salvation in't, then trip him". (80) Hamlet's obvious plan is to wait until Claudius sins, and then avenge his father. This move cost Hamlet his life. Hamlet's previous decision was based upon his belief in divine purposes.
Hamlet's obsession with death also fuels his desire for revenge, for instance when he revisits the ghost and he explains how he died. Hamlet, saying, "O my prophetic soul! My uncle'" (1.5.48), realizes that Cla...
According to the bible, if you repent of your sins you will be forgiven and go to heaven when you die, Hamlet believes this and that is why he does not kill Claudius in this scene. Another reason he does not kill his Claudius based on the reason above, he will not give Claudius the glory of going to heaven when Claudius did not give his father the choice to repent of his sins before he was killed.
One might say that Hamlet could be linked to many news articles today, specifically, consider the case featuring the Bever teens. These teens really didn’t have a motive behind their actions. Hamlet didn’t have a specific motive other than revenge, and the Bever brothers possibly had the same mind set. Maybe their parents didn’t treat them fairly, or possibly they struggled with coping with these parent struggles, just like Hamlet. He was still coping with his father’s death and his mom got over it pretty quickly. That could be a reason why Hamlet was out for revenge. Hamlet came across as a confused man. He was a very passionate man and then he descended into a deep, dark state of depression. A conclusion could be made for the brothers also.
Death threads its way through the entirety of Hamlet, from the opening scene’s confrontation with a dead man’s ghost to the blood bath of the final scene, which occurs as a result of the disruption of the natural order of Denmark. Hamlet is a man with suicidal tendencies which goes against his Christian beliefs as he is focused on the past rather than the future, which causes him to fall into the trap of inaction on his path of revenge. Hamlet’s moral dilemma stems from the ghost’s appearance as “a spirit of health or a goblin damned”, making Hamlet decide whether it brings with...
The ghost of his father explains the idea that since he was murdered without confessing, he is left to “hell fire” during the day and to wander the Earth at night. This idea leads Hamlet to question the ideology of life after death. The reader learns from this first encounter with the ghost that Hamlet is not a religious man, however, he exudes wonder what will become of him. From this quote it can be inferred that even though Hamlet says he wishes to commit suicide that he is afraid of this “canon” which can be inferred to as a higher power.
William Shakespeare is known for his dark, romantic theatrical productions, and an example of Shakespeare’s world renowned work is the play Hamlet. In this play there are a variety of characters that contribute to the play’s plot and tones. For example, Polonius, Osric, and the Gravedigger include comedic relief to certain tones in the plot whereas Claudius, Laertes, and Fortinbras provide a sense of dark, sinister deceit within the plot. The main character, Hamlet, contributes to the play in a distinct way because he is portrayed in two different ways. The first way he is portrayed he is seen as the heir to the throne who is full of sorrow for his father’s death and distaste for his mother’s quick remarriage. Yet, Hamlet takes it upon himself
In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the protagonist, Hamlet is obsessed with the idea of death, and during the course of the play he contemplates death from numerous perspectives. He ponders the physical aspects of death, as seen with Yoricks's skull, his father's ghost, as well as the dead bodies in the cemetery. Hamlet also contemplates the spiritual aspects of the afterlife with his various soliloquies. Emotionally Hamlet is attached to death with the passing of his father and his lover Ophelia. Death surrounds Hamlet, and forces him to consider death from various points of view.
The psychology behind inner conflict and an individual’s decisions has been well explored, but it can be truly demonstrated through the use of William Shakespeare’s dramatic play, Hamlet. An inner conflict evolves as he learns of his father’s death and that it was due to the ambitions of his uncle Claudius. Depression is the first conflict that is shown by Hamlet in which he is mourning, but shortly after we see a contemplation between action and inaction in regards to avenging his father’s death. He eventually reaches an epiphany which allows him to truly understand that absolute control can not be achieved. Until one’s life is hurt by another’s evil ambitions, a true understanding of self is not yet fully developed. It is when they are influenced
Claudius is one of the main characters responsible for his own death in the play because he portrays himself to be untouchable; not thinking clearly of the consequences to his actions. He starts off by killing his own brother and marrying his queen, Gertrude, only because he lust power and sex. His cold-hearted actions make him the antagonist of Hamlet and most deserving of death. Through all of his malicious actions, he plans a duel between Laertes and Hamlet assuring Hamlet’s death as well by poisoning a drink and the end of Laertes’ sword. He definitely got a taste of his own medicine because he died a rightful death by the sa...
Soliloquies express character’s inner emotions so that the audience is able to better relate to the situation. They allow for the reader to have a deeper insight into the author’s main message and to understand what is happening during the play. Hamlet’s “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt” soliloquy happens right after Claudius calls Hamlet’s grieving unmanly, and later states that going back to school is against his and Gertrude’s wishes. Hamlet wants to disappear, and questions if life is worth living after seeing his father die and his mother remarry quickly.
The play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare is a play about death and dying. From the very first act all the way until the last scene of the play there is something to do with death or dying. If you have studied any of Shakespeare’s plays in the past you might already know that he enjoyed writing about death, usually the death of everyone involved. We start with the ghost of the old King of Denmark King Hamlet; the ghost is walking on the battlements most nights. It isn’t until Hamlet comes into the picture that we find out the real reason for the ghost to be there, he was murdered and wants revenge for his death.