StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Hamlet: A Guide to the Play - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
This research begins with the statement that inaction is the major theme advanced by the play Hamlet, which serves to complicate the whole story and result in the play ending with many unresolved questions. When the play closes, there are questions that still remain in the mind of the reader…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.2% of users find it useful
Hamlet: A Guide to the Play
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Hamlet: A Guide to the Play"

Hamlet Critical-Research Essay Inaction is the major theme advanced by the play Hamlet, which serves to complicate the whole story and result in the play ending with many unresolved questions (Ho, 7). When the play closes, there are several questions that still remain in the mind of the reader. The first question is whether different characters in the story deserved to die the way they did. Could the tragedies in the play have been avoided if the necessary action was taken right in time? Did the end of the play create justice for those who deserved it? Why did the innocent in the play suffer and even die at the expense of the guilty character that had brought the entire problem that the play Hamlet depicts? The answer to all these questions goes back to the major theme of the play, inaction. Hamlet simply did not act when it was required that he acted and the consequence is tension and confusion that reigns throughout the play, resulting in the end of the ply that creates even more uncertainties (Kermode, 22). Thus, confusion and uncertainty is a major lens through which one can look at the play Hamlet, considering the fact that the whole story revolves around the uncertainties and confusion that keeps building up at every stage of the story until finally, virtually everybody in the story has perished. The major confusion that the inaction of Hamlet has contributed in the play is the confusion that surrounds the character Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark and Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet’s inaction has caused the character of Gertrude to raise more questions than answers in the play. This is because, it is not immediately clear whether she cooperated or contributed to the death of her husband who was the former king of Denmark, and neither is it clear whether she loved her former husband nor whether she betrayed her son to Claudius (Heilbrun, 202). All this uncertainty regarding Gertrude has been caused by Hamlet’s inaction, since if he had decided to act immediately after the ghost informed him to avenge his father’s death, he would have confronted Gertrude immediately, and the whole truth would have come out. On the contrary, Hamlet does not swing to action immediately, rather opting to take time and investigate the cause of his father’s death, despite the fact that he never had any doubt that it is Claudius who had killed his father. His delayed action enables the villain in the play, Claudius, to buy all the necessary time that is required to plan for the elimination of Hamlet as well (Lewis, 613). In fact, Gertrude is a character that would not have ended up dying, if only Hamlet had managed to act as swiftly as he was required to avenge his father’s death by the ghost. Thus, the character of Gertrude starts and ends with confusion, where it is not even clear what role she had played in the death of her husband, and whether she was indeed innocent or guilty of anything (Heilbrun, 204). Inaction has left it in the hands of the reader to make a conclusion depending on the reader’s own understanding of the story. The other major confusion of the play Hamlet is in relation to the major character himself. Starting from the time the ghost appears and informs Hamlet to revenge his father’s death; it becomes difficult to lay any claim regarding the true identity of the character Hamlet. Hamlet’s inaction causes delayed revenge in the play, Hamlet (Javed, 327). This delay drives everything that happens from the beginning to the end, resulting in the death of the protagonist and the antagonist, as well as several other key characters in the play that may not have deserved to die, if the revenge was not delayed. The major theme of the play is revenge. However, the revenge has been advanced in a counterproductive manner, mostly through the contrasted inaction of Prince Hamlet with the quick resolve and action of the rest of the characters (Ho, 9). Thus, Hamlet comes out as a unique character in the play, whose inability to make quick resolve and act upon them has caused his suffering to the point of being mentally instable, while causing tension and suffering of the rest of the characters throughout the play. It is not immediately clear why Hamlet decides to delay his actions to avenge his father’s death. While he is seen to be very capable of acting and swinging into action at certain instances in the play, for example during the time when he immediately stubbed and killed Polonius, he has appeared to be hesitant and indecisive in most parts of the play (MacCary, 44). This mixed character creates confusion on the reader, since it becomes difficult to understand whether Hamlet delayed the revenge simply as a matter of choice, or because he was unable to act when he was required to. The other confusion surrounding Hamlet throughout the play is his actual state of mind. While he has come out as a character who has turned mentally instable and almost mad, his ingenious and scheming ways that enables him to evade the death trap set for him in England creates an impression that he is actually in his stable mental state (Heilbrun, 203). The confusion around Hamlet is build by his philosophical and contemplative attitude, which neither the reader nor the other characters in the story seems to understand (Kermode, 77). Hamlet has finally been able to gather and face evidence that is most certainly enough to indicate that Claudius was the one who killed his father. However, even when faced with such apparent evidence, Hamlet is still obsessed with proving that really Claudius was the one responsible through seeking the confession of Claudius himself (MacCary, 42). His need for the actual confession by Claudius himself is something that no one seems to understand, further raising the question whether Hamlet was indeed seeking to avenge his father’s death. The obsession with direct confession from Claudius is not the only thing that seems to characterize the inquisitive and extreme thoughtfulness of Hamlet. He is always contemplating about other issues that seem to be trivial and insignificant in the eyes of the storm that he is facing, such as wondering about life after death, questioning what happens to dead bodies and seeking answers to the wisdom in committing suicide (Lewis, 627). The extreme contemplation of Hamlet has driven the whole play into a state of confusion, and he remains a character who is not understood completely until the end. Inaction has contributed to the confusion and uncertainty that revolves around the true identity of the ghost spirit. This is because; if Hamlet had acted immediately to avenge his father’s death after the ghost spirit had appeared to him, then it would have been certain that the ghost was indeed from his father (Lewis, 636). However, the uncertainty and confusion in the play that remains unresolved is that around the true identity of the ghost. The ghost appears in form of a King Hamlet’s specter, and it requires his son, Hamlet to revenge his death (Ho, 2). However, there is confusion regarding whether the ghost is really Hamlet father’s spirit or it is other evil spirits that are seeking to turn Hamlet into a murderer. This is the major factor that contributes to the overall confused character of Hamlet, who is now seeking to get evidence beyond reasonable doubt that Claudius indeed killed his father, so that when he kills him, he will be absolutely sure that he has done the right thing. The confusion around the true identity of the ghost spirit has turned Hamlet into a character that can no longer be understood, since he always seem to be preoccupied with certain fears that have caused him to remain hesitant and indecisive throughout the play, thus causing the whole tension and confusion that characterizes the story. The question of what actually the ghost is and where it comes from still remains unresolved to the end of the story. Further, it is not clear why the ghost just appeared to Hamlet and not to any other characters in the story and neither is it clear why the ghost wanted that it is only Hamlet who revenges the death of his father. The ghost does not seem to torment Hamlets mother, his uncle or any other of the characters in the story (Foley, 47). This uncertainty seems to drag the story in the play Hamlet to an endless confusion, which forces Hamlet to take the path of first ascertaining the true cause of his father’s death, so that he can be able to act with certainty. However, the end of the story comes tragically, where Hamlet, his mother and his uncle all die, without the true identity of the ghost that brought the idea of revenge having been disclosed. It is this occurrence that has kept the reader still wondering whether indeed the ghost was the true spirit of King Hamlet, or it was a different evil spirit sent by the antagonistic Norway kingdom, to see the fall of the Denmark kingdom, so that Fortinbras, the young prince of Norway could avenge his father’s death (Foley, 51). Works Cited Foley, andrew. "Heaven or Havoc? The End of Hamlet." Shakespeare In Southern Africa 24.(2012): 45-56. Print. Heilbrun, Carolyn. "The Character of Hamlet's Mother". Shakespeare Quarterly 8,2 (1957): 201–206. Print. Ho, James, et al. "Low Resolution Solution Structure of Hamlet and the Importance of Its Alpha-Domains in Tumoricidal Activity." Plos ONE 7.12 (2012): 1-12. Print. Javed, Tabassum. "Perfect Idealism in Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet." Dialogue (1819-6462) 8.3 (2013): 327-333. Print. Kermode, Frank. Shakespeare's Language. London: Penguin, 2000. Print. Lewis, Rhodri. "Hamlet, Metaphor, and Memory." Studies in Philology 109.5 (2012): 609-641. MacCary, Thomas. "Hamlet": A Guide to the Play. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Print. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Hamlet: A Guide to the Play Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words”, n.d.)
Hamlet: A Guide to the Play Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/performing-arts/1827568-hamlet-critical-research-essay
(Hamlet: A Guide to the Play Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words)
Hamlet: A Guide to the Play Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words. https://studentshare.org/performing-arts/1827568-hamlet-critical-research-essay.
“Hamlet: A Guide to the Play Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/performing-arts/1827568-hamlet-critical-research-essay.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Hamlet: A Guide to the Play

Was Hamlet sane or insane

It is the most important speech in the play as it really explains the state of Hamlet (Levin 34).... hamlet by William Shakespeare is deservingly considered to be one of the greatest plays of all times.... The action takes place during the period of decadence, and this predetermined the development of the theme of hamlet.... hamlet seems mad, but the question is if he was really insane.... hellip; Was hamlet sane or insane?...
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Hamlets flaw of over-thinking/analyzing the world and people so much that it paralyzes him

The idea that Hamlet is paralyzed by his over-thinking has been a common one since the play was written more than 400 years ago.... It can be seen that from the first moments he appears in the play he feels removed from, and alienated from the world that he finds himself in.... As the play continues Hamlet's alienation deepens and starts to influence many of those around him.... ) the question arises for the rest of the play whether he is playing at being mad, genuinely mad, or perhaps both....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Hamlet Act 5 Scene 1

In the paper “Hamlet Act 5 Scene 1” the author analyzes the scene which depicts the burial ritual of Ophelia, the main women character of the play, who committed suicide.... The passage has an important meaning for the whole play unveiling traditions and values of the society and confrontations between Hamlet and Laertes.... The death of Ophelia has a crucial impact on the entire play because it ruins Hamlet's dreams and hopes for Ophelia's family....
2 Pages (500 words) Book Report/Review

The Character of Hamlet in the Course of the Play

The fact that he will spend much of the play pretending to be mad is ironic considering this early insistence upon genuine feelings and an emphasis on the display of actual emotions.... While this essay will concentrate on the character of Hamlet himself, many other characters also exhibit alienation in the course of the play.... While this essay will concentrate on the character of Hamlet himself, many other characters also exhibit alienation in the course of the play....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

An Outline of the Major Aspects and Themes of Hamlet Tragedy

Yes, Hamlet is the protagonist of the play because the story circulates around him.... Hamlet's quest to avenge his father's murder is the praxis of the play.... the play also has recognition.... It occurred when Hamlet organized a play in the play, in which, the actors played as to what occurred in originality to Hamlet's father.... Hamlet has this recognition when he gains knowledge about his father's murder because of Claudius's running from the play....
3 Pages (750 words) Assignment

Nobility and Imperfections of a Hamlet

the play concerns the purging, partly by revenge, of a corrupt society.... Much has been said about the young Prince Hamlet, the lead character of Shakespeare's world famous play.... Much has been said about the young Prince Hamlet, the lead character of Shakespeare's world famous play.... Hamlet guide.... But the story, as readers will see, is that hamlet, in all his nobility has character Matthew Brown Ms.... Klippenstein English Language Arts B30 26 November hamlet: Nobility and Imperfections “To be, or not to be- that is the question....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Theme of Pretended Insanity

In the play Hamlet, the playwright (William Shakespeare) makes use of the theme of pretended insanity to save the protagonist (say, Prince Hamlet) from unexpected troubles.... By following the protagonist's steps, one can see that pretended insanity was a mask worn by the protagonist to Thesis statement: In the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the protagonist (Hamlet) never goes beyond the antic disposition into insanity because he knew that he can makes use of the same to keep himself away from emotional outburst, to maintain him emotional equilibrium, not to arouse suspicion on his motive, to confuse his enemies, to regain his mother from his uncle, and to take revenge of his father's unexpected assassination....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Hamlet, Part 7: Plot and Character

This is "hamlet, Part 7: Plot and Character" essay.... hellip; hamlet, part 7: plot and character essay, discusses the performance of murder that discerns the guilt brought out by Claudius.... It is a critical element of hamlet's future actions.... Illogical Muddled Melancholy In the 4th Act of the performance, hamlet shots Polonius.... These are: a) Polonius' demise stimulates the level of conflict between King Claudius and hamlet....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us