How Does Shakespeare Present The Younger Generation In Hamlet

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Recommended: Compare and contrast the characters of Hamlet and Laertes

William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Relationships between characters of the younger and older generations is a main focus and central theme of Hamlet. The play differs from convention in that older characters are generally found to be the ones who have acted wrongly or who have made mistakes. The younger generation, Hamlet included, tend to act according to what they believe to be morally correct and appear to have a greater conscience and sense of justice. Generally, productions of Hamlet present the younger generation in such a way that the audience would feel sympathy with them and disgust at the actions of the older generation. However, there are exceptions to this and at certain places in the text, …show more content…

Just after Laertes leaves the room, Polonius shuts large iron gates, which seem to symbolise his caging in of his daughter. In the speech that follows, Polonius warns Ophelia to 'tender yourself more dearly…or…you'll tender me a fool' and that she must 'be somewhat scanter in (her) maiden presence'. He is concerned that Ophelia has been deceived by Hamlet and heartlessly commands her to cease her association with him. In this scene, we see that whilst Laertes and Polonius seem to have a healthy father-son relationship, they both have a controlling relationship with Ophelia. However, Ophelia is more fearful of her father than her brother and the scene ends with her saying 'I shall obey my lord' whereas at the end of Laertes' advice, she lightheardly warns him to follow his own advice. This is a typical example of the relationships between father and daughter found in the Elizabethan era. Fathers were very protective of their daughter's honour and chastity, as it was a reflection of their status. A chaste daughter was valuable currency in the marriage market and it would …show more content…

Compared to what Claudius had done, Gertrude was relatively innocent. She was unaware of Claudius's true nature and seems genuinely horrified when she learns from Hamlet of what he had done Her only 'crime' was falling in love, or lust, very soon after being widowed. She says 'thou turn'st my eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as would not leave their tinct'. At this point she is truly sorry for what has happened, and remorseful for upsetting her son whom she honestly loves. A.C Bradley says of this, "though she knew that he (Hamlet) considered her marriage 'o'er-hasty' (ii.i57), she was untroubled by any shame at the feelings which had led to it". On the other hand, we may continue to despise the older generation, as they only seem to be antagonising Hamlet's already delicate mental state. When the ghost reappears he reminds Hamlet of his task to avenge his death without causing harm to his mother. At this point, an audience may feel that the ghost has set his son an almost impossible task and they may dislike the older generation for this reason.

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