Is Act 5 a fitting end to the play Hamlet?

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Is Act 5 a fitting end to the play Hamlet?

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s later plays, written in the early 17th Century. However, it is set in a 13th Century Danish Court with Hamlet, the eponymous hero, as Prince. The play Hamlet falls into the literary genre of a tragedy. Traditionally, the tale of a tragedy begins with a hero (in this case Hamlet) who, due to unfortunate circumstances, proceeds upon his/her downfall through the play and is usually slain during the closing stages. Shakespeare follows this pattern meticulously, although more specifically than tragedy, he chooses to pursue the style of Senecan Tragedy.

The Senecan Tragedy originated from the Roman philosopher and poet, Seneca, who lived in the first century AD. A Senecan Tragedy contains several distinct factors, such as violence and the use of the supernatural. Shakespeare includes these elements in his play to give Hamlet some kind of familiar, sustained theme for his audience. The most prominent Senecan aspect included, is the structure of vengeance.

Both Shakespeare and Seneca’s plays are divided into five acts. Each act contains its own distinct theme. The first act introduces the appeal for vengeance-more specifically the ghost of Hamlet’s father. By the end of the act Hamlet appears to be accepting the role of the avenger: “O curséd spite, that ever I was born to set it rite!” (I-v-190)

The second act in Senecan Drama revolved around the expectation of the avenger planning his revenge. Comparatively in Hamlet, Act 2 is the period in which the Prince conjures the idea of using “a play within a play” (another Senecan aspect) to uncover Claudius’ thoughts and hence enforce his opinion of whether to proceed or not. The act ends with Hamlet’s soliloquy, the culmination of which is the rhyming couplet (used by Shakespeare to emphasise his point): “The play’s the thing/ In which I’ll catch the conscience of the King” (II-ii-600).

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        The play begins to gather its constructive momentum during Act 3. This is when Hamlet uses his “mousetrap” (the play). He notices the King’s response and consequently believes in the ghost: “O good Horatio, I’ll take the ghost’s word for a thousand pounds” (III-ii-290) He almost acts upon his beliefs but decides the time is not right. Hamlet then confronts his mother in the privacy of her bedchamber, but notices that someone is spying upon them. He has no idea who this intruder may be but irrationally stabs through a curtain, killing the father of Laertes, Polonius. Shakespeare includes this ...

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