What is the dramatic importance of corruption and disease in Hamlet?
What is the dramatic importance of corruption and disease in Hamlet? There are many factors, which influenced Shakespeare to write tragedies such as Hamlet. Many themes suffuse the play of Hamlet but the most important which shall be concentrated on is that of disease and corruption. There is use of powerful imagery that is linked with the theme of disease and corruption as they are continually repeated throughout the play to make a point stand out to the audience. The play would have been immediately accessible to a Shakespearean audience because of this plot content. During this time there was a belief in the divine right of Kings where the king of that era believed he had the right to the throne. Furthermore, the mood of the time played a great part influencing the themes of the play. Corruption is first introduced by Claudius and eventually seeps outwards infecting the rest of the characters in the play. (Excluding Hamlet as he is perceptive to the corruption of others and does not let himself be corrupted). Claudius corrupts Old Hamlet by killing him and Old Hamlet symbolises the nation of Denmark, so it is slowly being corrupted and diseased, his decaying body represents this 'Let not the royal bed of Denmark be...damned incest.' He wants all he has worked for not to be ruined by his brother. During Act 1 Scene 3 (the Advice Scene), Polonius acts as a perfect
Discussing the strongly debated play Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare coursework Hamlet This essay is about the strongly debated play of "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, one of the most hotly debated views from the play is hamlets state of mind, this essay will be using three soliloquies these are not the only three but I feel that they help portray the state of mind of hamlet. The three soliloquies are act one scene two, act two scene two and act three scene one, I have chosen these as I feel that all of these best portray hamlets varying states of mind. Many critics have seen him as a "lacerating self critic", an "angry adolescent" and a "puritanical fundamentalist" In the first soliloquy hamlet begins by saying "Oh that this too too sullied flesh would melt" this shows a desperate state of mind to the audience, as for a prince to declare that he wishes to die would have shocked them, this is because "the almighty one [had] fixed his cannon 'gainst self slaughter", hamlet then goes on to describe Denmark as an "unweeded garden that grows to seed", meaning that with this new king Denmark is not being ruled as well as it was when his father was king, in essence he is saying that his uncle is a bad king, he also goes on to compare his father and his uncle, describing his father as a sun god or "hyperion" and his uncle as a "satyr" which is a mythical beast of lust this is showing his state of mind as being an angry son and a "noble
Is Gertrude an innocent victim or a sexually and morally corrupt woman?
Is Gertrude an innocent victim or a sexually and morally corrupt woman? Shakespeare's character Gertrude is one of much mystery; in relation to this there are many questions that need to be answered to establish Gertrude's innocence through out the play. Some examples of these questions are, was Gertrude in some kind of relationship with Claudius before the murder of her late Husband and did she know about the murder before or after it was committed? Does she love Claudius or is it just her status that she is protecting? And did she ever love the late King Hamlet? At the beginning of the play when we learn about the late King Hamlet's death and Gertrude's hasty marriage to his brother Claudius, we are faced with a question on the audience's awareness. It can be assumed that the marriage to her brother- in-law is purely because of Gertrude's weak personality, resulting in a dependency on men and the means of protecting her status and her power. We also question the love between the Gertrude and Claudius; this is because there is no suggestion of a resemblance between the late King and his brother. The description that we are given about late King Hamlet maybe slightly distorted, as it is Hamlet who tells us this, and he is noticeably loyal to his father. It is also possible to argue that the love that the late King and Gertrude shared was not that strong as the only evidence
Examine the ways in which Shakespeare presents and uses revenge in Hamlet
Examine the ways in which Shakespeare presents and uses revenge in Hamlet Hamlet is play written by William Shakespeare that follows the dramatic conventions of revenge in the Elizabethan theatre. Looking back in history Greeks started to perform revenge plays that influenced Seneca a roman writer who inspired all tragedy writers in that time including Shakespeare. Shakespeare been very much inspired he managed to incorporate most conventions of revenge in the play hamlet, and by so doing it has merged to be one of the greatest revenge story and a great typical example of one. Revenge being the major theme of the play of hamlet, I plan to examine the tactics in which Shakespeare chooses to present revenge in this play, how it affects the individual characters' characteristics and the general outcome of the play. Research shows that that not only did Seneca leave his inspiration with the tragic writers in the Elizabethan times but also left the guide, call it rules if you may please to writing a revenge story. Obviously Shakespeare putting into consideration this guide, research also shows that the story hamlet is written in the stylistic ways of Seneca. Step one of the guide commands that all revenge play must and always be started when a crime is committed, and the person responsible is not able to be caught in by law or justice for some reason. So the person who
Themes in Hamlet
31/01/08 Hamlet - My Thoughts on... Love: My thoughts on love follow: Love is an expression of the heart, emotions and experiences that contribute to a sense of affection and attachment to something inanimate or animate. Love can be feelings or states that are beyond basic control that are usually profound, indescribable and ultimately unavoidable. Love can encompass passionate desires of intimacy or non-sexual emotional closeness. In the end love is a fundamental necessity which enables us to feel as though we have a purpose in life. Revenge: My thoughts on revenge follow: Revenge is a way of expressing anger, weakness or any other uncontrollable thoughts due to someone/something affecting our life. Revenge is a build up of pressure and can result in either a depressive state or an undomesticated happening. An explosion of anger could result in an action to unfold that may not resolve any of the previous feelings. After taking revenge you may not feel relieved for the deed that we have accomplished. Revenge is not going to change anything as the original deed has already occurred. Suicide: My thoughts on suicide follow: To me suicide doesn't fix anything, however to someone that is suicidal it may appears as though it is the only real answer to all or most of their problems. For example: No money, no job? End my life and stop being a burden on society. Suicidal
Hamlet Today
William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in Today's Society William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" remains relevant in today's society as the play explores many themes that are still appropriate. Such themes include death, suicide, duty and an individual's place in society. These themes are as prevalent today as they were in Shakespeare's time - during the Elizabethan Era. In the play 'Hamlet' we are aware that the character of Hamlet is attempting to rationalize certain issues in order to create a link between what he perceives is right, just and moral and that of society's expectations. The reason for Hamlet's relevance in society today is because the themes that were once illustrated through 'Hamlet' have lasted the test of time. Themes such as death are still abundant today. For example, Hamlet's third soliloquy reminds us that death is the only element that will allow us to feel as though we have a purpose. With death comes striving for a life that we will be content with in order to feel as though we have fulfilled a successful life. Hamlet later realizes that death is ethereal and does not fill this void because once we are dead nothing can or will maintain out life. "Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them." It is then evident that Hamlet has decided that there is an uncertainty of the afterlife and abandons the sense of heaven/hell in order to
The Play within the Play of Hamlet. To try and reveal his Uncle Claudiuss wrongdoing, he puts on a play that depicts the exact seen of the murder but it is unclear if this trick really displayed Claudiuss guilt.
The Starting of the True Mousetrap The novel, Hamlet, describes a story about a nephew who desires to seek revenge on his uncle for his father's death. To try and reveal his Uncle Claudius's wrongdoing, he puts on a play that depicts the exact seen of the murder but it is unclear if this trick really displayed Claudius's guilt. Hamlet believes that this play will show him if what the ghost told him was correct or if the ghost was just an evil spirit. Also this scene shows that Hamlet is just acting crazy because before Claudius shows up, Hamlet is speaking clearly to Horatio and is excited for what the play will reveal. When Claudius arrives, he begins to act insane again. Before the play starts, Hamlet questions Polonius about his acting past. This exchange pokes at the murder of his father and even foreshadows the death of Polonius. The dialogue between Polonius and Hamlet allows Hamlet, though acting crazy, to express ideas about the treachery of both Polonius and Claudius without them truly understanding that Hamlet suspects Claudius killed his father and that Polonius is betraying Hamlet's trust by spying on him and reading his love letters to Ophelia. When speaking with Polonius before the play, this dialogue foreshadows Hamlet's eventual killing of Polonius. Hamlet inquires about Polonius's acting background and Polonius explains that he used to be a good
The way in which Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes enact their revenge shows the readers how each characters personality differs although they all have shared love for their fathers.
"Hamlet" Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is considered to be one of the greatest tragedies of all time. During the play, one of the prevalent themes was that of revenge in response to the death of the character's fathers. The way in which Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes enact their revenge shows the readers how each character's personality differs although they all have shared love for their fathers. The hero of this tragedy, Hamlet, has the most complex relationship with his father. During the play, Hamlet and his father are never both seen alive together. The play opens with Hamlet listening to his father's speech as a ghost. After Hamlet Sr.'s speech, Hamlet tells the audience about his plan to avenge his father. From this statement, the readers are able to realize the genuine love Hamlet Jr. has for his father. I found it interesting that Shakespeare included certain details about Hamlet that would lead the readers to make certain judgments about his character and personality. What sets Hamlet apart from the other characters is his approach to finding his father's murderer. Instead of going on a witch-hunt for the murderer, Hamlet rationalizes everything his father has told him and has the desire to find more evidence before jumping to conclusions. From this, I could tell that Hamlet was a logical person who analyzed every decision he made. This character trait makes Hamlet one
Discussing Hamlet.
GCSE English Shakespeare Coursework By Adam Thorogood 11F Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The story follows the main character, Hamlet, in his struggle to deal with the sudden death of his father and his even more sudden remarriage of his mother to his uncle, Claudius. Hamlet discovers Claudius in fact murdered his father, and soon swears vengeance upon the new king. Throughout the play Hamlet opens up to the audience and shows them what he is feeling at that time using soliloquies. Hamlet if often doubtful of himself and forces himself to rethink his actions. Soliloquies are important in this play as Hamlet often changes his view and feelings on things and the 7 soliloquies reveals this to the audience. Hamlet has a very strange state of mind. This is shown throughout the play. For example in soliloquy 1 he is in a very depressive mood, "Oh that this too solid flesh, would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into dew" as well as in soliloquy 4, "To be, or not to be, that is the question" which shows he is suicidal. However in soliloquy 5 he is very different. He has changed from being suicidal to being confident in himself. "Now could I drink hot blood" Was Showing he needs to clench his thirst for blood so to speak. The play uses a semantic field of religion. For example in soliloquy 1 "Winds of heaven" "Hercules" etc as well as in soliloquy 7 "Bestial
Commentary on a poor example of an essay on Hamlet's madness.
Madison Shaw Title The Internet has always been a useful and fast source to acquire information on just about any topic, although, this public forum allows for anyone to express their own ideas and opinions. Finding information on the internet that is relevant to a certain topic may seem to be true, however, whether that information should be cited is dependent on the source and the reliability of that source. When writing an essay, it is very useful to research information on the essay topic prior to writing it to further understand. Many people read information on a website and if it related to their topic, they will automatically use that information in their essay. If not taking great care of the information being absorbed, this will result in the false information from the internet being regurgitated. The essay that is being analyzed is about the Shakespeare play, Hamlet, and the idea that his madness is not an act but more so reality. It is evident through the style and the content of the essay that the author has not fully understood the play and did not use a reliable source on the internet to further understand the topic at hand. The style throughout this essay is both unorganized and unclear. The author is very vague with the statements that are made, by not providing the proof needed to support the points. The author is attempting to persuade the reader into
