Hamlet: Finding Courage to Die
In William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" we see a young man paralyzed with
grief over his father. So much so that he is believed to have gone mad. Hamlet
is such a complex character that one must look deeply to find what drives him.
Did he really have the courage to kill the king or was it madness? Hamlet's
character will be illuminated by explaining both soliloquies and finally Hamlet
himself.
"To be, or not to be, that is the question," (Beaty, 1348) is one of
the most famous and well known excerpts from the play "Hamlet." What most
people do not realize is the significance it has in the portrayal of the
character Hamlet. During this soliloquy Hamlet is debating his fate. Hamlet is
asking himself whether it is more noble, in the mind, to passively accept and
suffer through all the pains of life fate throws at him, or to actively destroy,
in death, these numerous troubles, and ultimately end his pain. Hamlet is
questioning whether it is better to live in a world where he cannot see any
goodness or take his own life. Hamlet has a very intense, philosophical
personality. For this reason, he cannot take his life because he does not know
what happens after one dies. He is not positive of an afterlife, therefore he
doesn't have the courage to end his life.
"Now might I do it prat," (Beaty, 1363) is a soliloquy in which we see a
shift in Hamlet's rationalization. Hamlet, as his fathers only son, is seeking
revenge for his fathers death, but is afraid that a quick death for Claudius
would not be enough. Hamlet feels that waiting until Claudius is in an immoral
situation would make him suffer in death because he would not be allowed to
repent for his sins. During this soliloquy Hamlet is caught up in his plot for
revenge and has foregone, for the moment, his plan of suicide.
The contradictions in these two soliloquies sheds much needed light on
Hamlet's personality. Hamlet is very outraged by the immoral actions of some of
the other characters. He is deeply offended by his mothers hasty marriage to
her brother-in-law and king. Hamlet begs his mother to stop being intimate with
Claudius and to think more upon her late husband. This shows that Hamlet has a
very clear perception of right and wrong. He also shows this characteristic by
being suspicious and even hurt by his childhood friends loyalty to Claudius.
Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals from the quarter century time period of 1825-1850 also known as the Second Great Awakening. These democratic ideals included voting for everyone eighteen and older (with the exception of minors, women, insane, and criminals), freedom of expression, press, speech and religion, election of officials, property rights, free and public education, more than one political party, equal rights, equality before the law entitling a person to due process, separation of church and state, tolerance of diversity, institutional uncertainty, protection of minority rights, and no special privileges. Teaching them the habits of thrift, orderliness, temperance and industry was a way to not only better their lives but a way to instill certain so-called democratic values and advance the perfection of the whole of society.
The Antebellum Era between the years of 1825 to 1850 was abundant with many reform movements that signified great change within the people of the nation. Although many of these changes were good and lasting reforms, extremists’ stark views did the contrary and inhibited change. Luckily, reform movements such as the women’s rights movement, the abolition of slavery, and temperance all led the nation in the right direction towards the expansion of democratic ideals. These ideals encompass the belief that all citizens are equal and are entitled to certain unalienable rights.
While some citizens of the United States, between 1825 and 1850, believed that reform was foolish and that the nation should stick to its old conduct, reformists in this time period still sought to make the United States a more ideally democratic nation. This was an age of nationalism and pride, and where there was pride in one’s country, there was the aspiration to improve one’s country even further. Many new reformist and abolitionist groups began to form, all attempting to change aspects of the United States that the respective groups thought to be unfair or unjust. Some groups, such as lower and middle class women and immigrants, sought to improve rights within the county, while other reformers aspired to change the American education system into a more efficient way of teaching the county’s youth. Still other reform groups, particularly involved in the church and the second great awakening, wanted to change society as a whole. This was a time and age of change, and all these reforms were intended to contribute to the democratic way our country operated.
"O, that this too sailed flesh would meld/or that the everlasting had not fixed/his cannon against self-slaughter" (I.ii.129-132).
A kidney stone or crystal forms when the urine is supersaturated in regard to a stone forming material, meaning the urine contains a higher concentration of stone material than it can dissolve. There are several factors that can contribute to supersaturation, such as urine volume, pH, and the amount of solute excretion (Worcester and Coe 2009). There are numerous types of stones that can form depending on what material in the urine is in excess. The most common types of stones are calcium kidney stones with calcium oxalate (CaOx) causing 80% of all calcium stones and calcium phosphate (CaP) causing 15% of calcium stones (Sakhaee et al. 2012). Calcium oxalate stones are usually found in patients as white deposits on their papillae, or Randall’s plaques. The stone begins as a deposit of calciu...
lines of this soliloquy. “ O that this too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the
"’Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, / nor customary suits of solemn black / [ . . . ] but I have that within which passeth show; / these but the trappings and the suits of woe” (Shakespeare 1.2.76-73, 85-86) says Hamlet when confronted about his way of grieving over his father’s recent death. Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is a remarkable tale that is centered on the idea of death and grief. While death is a universal occurrence, meaning every person will deal with it, how we grieve after a loss is completely individual. To look at a formula of grief, most turn to the five stages of grief developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a psychiatrist, who studied the topic in her book On Death and Dying. This model consists of denial, anger, sadness, bargaining, and acceptance, although the duration and order of the stages are different for every person. In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet the stages of grief are evident in his sadness, anger, and finally acceptance.
While most people believe that Hamlet went mad for one reason, being that he saw his father's ghost, what Hamlet actually did was convince those around him that he was mad. When in reality, he was only pretending to be mad for one reason which was that he was seeking revenge for his father and Uncle, all he can think about is blood. He says, “O, this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth.”1 This is the indication that he has made a decision. He mentions that if you only think about what you want, rather than act upon it, you will never get it.
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) is most known for his efforts for the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership style is best described as charismatic. Charismatic leadership style is one based on personal qualities such as charm, persuasiveness, personal power, self-confidence, extraordinary ideas, and strong convictions ( Decker & Sullivan, 2009). MLK was one who could inspire, empower, an...
Hamlet’s case is an interesting one because compared to the average man; Hamlet is initially portrayed as a very rational and calculating individual despite his emotional distress due to his father’s death. It is this distress that opens the way to his descent into madness and ultimately, it is the leading cause of his self-destruction. One might say that the bridge to insanity for Hamlet first begins with his grief, which creates his inner turmoil over whether he should choose to live or die. Then, once he discovers the cause of his anguish, Hamlet allows his obsession over avenging his father’s death to consume him. The obsession takes him to the end of his journey (and the moment of emotional instability) where he confronts his mother ...
"Put on what weary negligence you please, / You and your fellows. I'd have it come to question. / If he distaste it, let him to my sister" (14 -15).
One single moment or event during the course of an individual’s life can effectively alter their priorities and transform their identity drastically. In The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare introduces the readers to the protagonist Hamlet who is draped in anger and emotions and has a new-found mission in life. Initially, Hamlet is portrayed as an individual in mourning over his father's death and his mother's haste in remarrying to her brother-in-law and Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. However, Hamlet’s character and personality were drastically altered after meeting the Ghost and discovering the true nature of his Father’s death. Hamlet is now a man with a lust for revenge and a willingness to do anything that will enable him to accomplish this goal. When burdened with the task of killing Claudius, Hamlet chooses to sacrifice all he holds dear by transforming his identity in a noble effort to avenge his father’s death.
One of the most popular characters in Shakespearean literature, Hamlet endures difficult situations within the castle he lives in. The fatal death of his father, and urge for revenge leads Hamlet into making unreasonable decisions. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet’s sanity diminishes as the story progresses, impacting the people around him as well as the timing and outcome of his revenge against Claudius.
As Hamlet learns of his father’s killer, he becomes rash and impulsive. His actions are swift and
As we live our lives, we don't really take the time to stop and take notice of the little things going on around us. We don't question why the sky is blue or why does the sun rises. Those are questions that we can easily search and find the answer to. What challenges the mind the most in my opinion is complete uncertainty. When there isnt a definite answer, you have to paint your own picture on what you think it will be. The spellbinding question of “How can I accept the idea that someday my life will end” will definitely have your mind racing in a million different directions.Hamlet found himself aqquring death when he states in his monolouge that “To die, to sleep.To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come” (Act 3 Scene 1). This is his way of coming to terms that death is certain and ineviatble. I can honestly say that I'm still in the mind-boggling process of accepting the matter myself. When I encountered death first hand, it was at a funeral of a loved one. Mortified and deeply filled with sadness I felt the same way as Ham...