Hamlet Unraveled
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford, England on April 26, 1564. He was the third of eight children. His father had many careers to support his family including being a tradesman, farmer, tanner, leatherworker, money lender, and many others. Not much is known about his mother other than the fact that she was the daughter of an aristocratic landowner. At eighteen, Shakespeare married his wife, Anne Hathaway. Seven months later Anne gave birth to Shakespeare’s first child, Susanna. Soon after, Anne gave birth to the couple’s last two children, twins, Hamnet and Judith. Ironically, not much later, in 1599, Shakespeare began writing what was later considered one of the most influential plays in literature, the legendary tragedy of Hamlet. Due to the time period and since it was written during the Protestant Reformation, Hamlet was heavily scrutinized for its contents. So, why not analyze just a little bit deeper, into the background, setting, time period, characters, Shakespeare’s use of literary devices, and even the meaning behind his many soliloquies.
During the time period in which Hamlet was written (1599-1602), the Protestant Reformation was coming to a close. The Protestant Reformation was essentially, the revolution of Christians everywhere. At the time, Denmark, where Hamlet is set, was a protestant nation.
So, what is the Protestant Reformation, and what caused it? Well, according to http://truth.info.com,
“Protestant Christianity began in the 1500's when a group of people began to protest against some of the wrong things they believed the Catholic church was doing and teaching. These protesters became separated from the Catholic church and formed their own church, which was more incline with what th...
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...nd highly developed yet nearly impossible to decipher. This is why analyzing his background, setting, time period, characters, use of literary devices, and even the meaning behind his many soliloquies is so utterly important. Even today, Hamlet is referenced in literature. A great example is T.S Elliot’s Prufrock, Elliot alludes to Hamlet for his main character, in the sense of personal and life struggles.
However, it doesn’t end there. Hamlet is still read by many high school students every day, along with many others of Shakespeare’s works such as; The Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar.
Today, Shakespeare’s color lives on. His works did not die with him, or with an appalled society. No, instead they are taught in schools, read in libraries, watched on film, referenced in literature, and adapted to fit society today, as they always will.
William Shakespeare, an English actor and play write, was born in Stratford upon Avon on April 23, 1564. When he was 18 he married Anne Hathaway, a Stratford woman, who was 26 years old. Shakespeare and Hathaway had three children. The first was Susanna and the twins were Hamnet and Judith. Another of Shakespeare's great works of art, Hamnet, was named after Hamnet. Juliet, in Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet, was named after Judith. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1601. There are many events that contributed to Romeo and Juliet's deaths. These events are either fate or coincidence.
In conclusion, Hamlet is undeniably the crown of indulgence into contemporary behaviors and insight into human complexities. Shakespeare’s exquisite use of theme, entertainment and characterization not only develops the intricate plot and body of the play, but also invites the audience into a realm of knowledge and understanding. Ultimately, the pursuit of knowledge is the greatest asset known to humankind. Its infinite possibilities excite the imagination and for that reason, one should value contemporary literary works. But it is important to respect and study the foundation of these pieces, for they base their content off of the classics.
Somewhere between the years of 1599 and 1602, William Shakespeare wrote his longest, most influential and powerful tragedy, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play stages the revenge that a young prince seeks against his uncle for murdering his father, inheriting the throne, and subsequently marrying his mother.
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon, England, in April of 1564 to Mary and John Shakespeare. He was the third child and the eldest son. His father was a tanner, glove-maker, and trader in wool and other precious commodities. William attended the Stratford Grammar school where he studied and received substantial training in Latin. He was married on November 27, 1582, to a woman named Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than he was. In May of 1583, the couple's first daughter, Susanna was born. The couple had twins in February of 1585, Hamnet and Judith. Throughout his life, Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays, and several poems and sonnets. He was also an actor for a short while. Several of Shakespears plays were performed at the famous Globe Theater in England. On April 23, 1616 Shakespeare died, he was buried at the church of Stratford on April 25, 1616.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes his ability to use words to paint emotion, the story, and characters into the readers mind. Shakespeare creates the memorable character of Hamlet Junior in his poem, Hamlet, through the characteristics of insanity and madness and suicidal tendencies or thoughts of suicide. His capability of doing so enlarges the ability of the reader to understand the story, but also to construct the storyline.
Today we can see remnants of Hamlet throughout modern literature and TV. Before kids even know who Shakespeare is they are learning the underlying theme of Hamlet while watching “The Lion King.” When sitting down for the Monday night drama Heroes, millions throughout the world are watching revenge stories based off of Hamlet, come to life.
Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1601. The play follows a young prince named Hamlet. Who returns home from school and discovers that his father has died, his uncle has married his mother, and ends up meeting the ghost of his father. The play has been a success since its release, having been performed in a run since its first production. Hamlet’s main enemy in this play is shown as the Uncle, who Hamlet learns from his father’s ghost early on killed his father. Hamlet’s worst enemy according to some scholars, is himself. Hamlet seems to do nothing but get stuck in his head for almost the entire play until he’s finally faced with his own mortality and therefore must act or defy his father’s wishes. When Hamlet
Shakespeare consists of classic tales, as some would say. He uses such a beautiful language and a strong depiction of his characters, atmosphere, background and even the overall message he tries to send through his productions. Specifically, Hamlet is a very important play because it covers a broad range of themes that we encounter today in the 20th century ranging from love, betrayal, politics, war, death, insanity, espionage and so on. Shakespeare’s work was a form of art and you can get a lot out of his
William Shakespeare composed the play Hamlet, around 1600-1601. This play, named after his only son, in my opinion is one of Shakespeare’s best works. The play shows the literal as well as the realistic sides of people during this culture as well as those generations to come. During the play, Hamlet’s character went through several different transitions. In the beginning he was shown as a child, by his actions and curiosity, but towards the end of play his manhood begins surface and he begins to be aggressive at getting what he wants.
Throughout the story Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, where there is an astonishing amount of detail. Hamlet is an alive and kicking story about seeking revenge for his father.
William Shakespeare is clouded with mystery. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England in 1564. "Although his exact birth date is not know, there is a record of his baptism on April 26, 1954" (Kay 13). "His date of birth would have fallen shortly before that day is traditionally considered to be April 23, 1954" (Campbell and Quinn 755). He was born to John Shakespeare and his wife, Mary Arden and was the oldest of three sons. He also had four sisters. "Little is known of Shakespeare's early life, although it is likely that he received an education at the good local grammar school" (Lawall 2110). Other than that, there really is not much known about Shakespeare's youth. The next concrete piece of evidence about Shakespeare's life is his marriage to Anne Hathaway in November 1582, when he was just eighteen years old. It was a marriage of inconvenience. Anne was eight years older than he was and pregnant at the time so they had no choice but to marry. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born in 1583 and twins Hamnet and Judith were born in 1585. Sha...
William Shakespeare is seen to many as one of the great writers in history. More specifically, the characters in his plays are reviewed and criticized and have been so for nearly four centuries. The character that many have revered Shakespeare for is perhaps the greatest such character ever in literature, Hamlet from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The commentary and response to this legend of literature is of wide array and opinion, though most, such as Pennington, believe him to be a truly magnificent character: "Hamlet is perhaps the cleverest hero ever written, the subject of the first European tragedy, a form of genius. A type Shakespeare despaired of writing thereafter, having perceived that the heroes of tragedies must be sublime idiots" (185). However, despite his clear gifts and aura, Hamlet was a doomed character from the beginning: Hamlet is dominated by an emotion that is inexpressible. It is thus a feeling he cannot understand, he cannot objectify it, and it therefore remains open to poison life and to obstruct action" (Eliot 25). Thus, Hamlet, while possessing the traits of no other men of his time, a true Renaissance man, was doomed from the beginning of the play partly by forces he could not control, and also partly by his own character. It leads to a slow but definite ending to one of literature's great characters, one that he could not control. In the end, Hamlet was out of place in his environment, he was simply not meant to be.
Ja. "The Christianity of Hamlet." Yahoo Contributor Network. Yahoo, 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the world’s most revered literature. The main character, Hamlet, is arguably one of the most intriguing characters the playwright ever developed. Hamlet is daring, philosophical, mentally unstable at times, and clever. Throughout the play though, these characteristics change and/or diminish as Hamlet is put through a plethora of unfortunate events. His father is murdered by Claudius, his mother soon after marries Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betray him, and his girlfriend most likely commits suicide. While Hamlet is incredibly philosophical, indecisive, and full of resentment in the beginning of the play, he becomes violent, instinctive, caring and sympathetic towards the end of the play.
In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare tells the story of the tragedy of a kingdom in which their king has died (which leads to the depression of the main character) and the kingdom ends up in the hands of the King’s brother. The main character finds out the truth about his father’s death and takes the responsibility to avenge his father. Although Hamlet is one of the best plays during Shakespearean times, it would be really interesting if the play was written at a different time. For example, if the play were to be written in 21st century, in England, it would change the plot, roles of character (each one would consider their own acts), and the outcome of the play.