What Is External Conflict In Hamlet

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Shakespeare’s Hamlet is described to be a tragic drama. One of the key points of a drama is for there to be tension: be it between two or more characters or within the character themselves. This may present itself in the form of inward and outward conflict. In order for conflict to occur, there needs to be a reasoning behind said conflict and it can present itself as either disagreements between characters or a character not being able to agree with themselves causing frantic indecisiveness.

Hamlet Jr., is a great example a character who encounters both of these types of conflict. The main reason for the conflict throughout the whole play is that Hamlet’s father had died and his mother swiftly remarried his uncle. Both truths, justly, upset Hamlet to the point where he spiraled into emotional distress. Shakespeare made this visible through his actions and his language.

With regards to his inward conflict, Shakespeare clearly portrayed Hamlet as a contemplative young man. “To be or not be; that is the question,” in addition to “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I,” confirm that his intense questioning and criticism of himself are indicators of the inward conflict that Hamlet experienced.

Furthermore, his interactions with other characters add to the conflict Hamlet had already been experiencing. …show more content…

While most of Hamlet’s insults to Claudius were privately displayed, the conflict between them was formed by Hamlet’s disrespectful sarcastic tone of voice he used with King Claudius. When Claudius asked where his advisors dead body was, Hamlet replied: “At supper.” Amongst other reasons, it was this behaviour that Claudius disliked and therefore wanted to ship Hamlet away to England. Alternatively, it could be said that Claudius initiates the conflict between himself and Hamlet by his

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