Is Hamlet A Good King Essay

Zaylie Ryan

Mr. Thomas Korson

English 1B

20 May 2018

Hamlet: A Good King? “To be, or not to be: that is the question…” famously spoke Hamlet, and as cliche as it may sound, a more fitting quote to begin with is simply unheard of (Shakespeare 3.2 ln.63). When mulling over the idea of what makes a good king, it becomes infinitely easier to rule out what makes a king bad, instead. Immaturity, moodiness, blatant disregard for others wellbeing (the list goes on). All of which can be seen in Prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. To put it simply, no, Hamlet would not have made for a good king, had he survived the carnage he caused. His intelligence and calculation are wasted on the man’s obsessions, his whole demeanor changing to fit

A combination of sorts, between Fortinbras ( and Hamlet. The brashness and strength of Fortinbras combined with the focus and calculation of Hamlet. For a country to be successful there must be a harmony of brain and brawn. To both look the part of a tough and respectable kingdom, while having the air of gentle and wise leadership. On their own, they each have potential to fail. Fortinbras, to become an imperialist. Hamlet, for lack of better wording, being too angsty and unfocused on the kingdom itself. Creating a combination of the two would, perhaps, make the perfect (or at least better) king to rule. Having someone who is constantly working towards success but also takes into account all possible outcomes of their decision, and isn’t solely focused on what’s outside their kingdom. To make a comparison in today’s society, look to democratic country politics. The extremists of any side of political disagreement keeping one another in check while also creating the appearance of a balance to the rest of the world. Not seeming too aggressive but also not seeming too weak. A controlled kingdom, of