ipl-logo

Doubt And Uncertainty In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

817 Words4 Pages

Throughout the play, Hamlet deals with a lot of doubt and uncertainty about his existence along with the contemplation of life and death, getting seemingly close to suicide until he decides to not go down that route although it may end the “eternal suffering”. This is expanded upon in his famous soliloquy “To be or not to be', which literally means to be dead or alive. He even goes further to compare life to “a sea of troubles”. The thoughts of life and death, doubt and uncertainty, and madness overtake him and it affects his perception entirely. He comes to the realization that death is inevitable and can’t be avoided. Though Hamlet still struggles to make sense of his life and everything around him as well as what happens after death and …show more content…

The consequences unfold with revenge and forgiveness. Life must be lived as much as possible until you take your last breath. It all started when the ghost appeared in Act 1 and said “His most horrible murder. Murder’s always horrible, but this one was especially horrible, weird, and unnatural.” (1.5. 21). This kicks off when the ghost of King Hamlet tells him how he was murdered by Claudius, his brother. This then causes a whole bunch of events and Hamlet begins questioning everything that he thought was certain in life. He becomes fairly indecisive and grows madder which shows his uncertainty to avenge his father based on the information from the ghost. Also in Act 3 Scene 3, Hamlet had the opportunity to kill Claudius while he was praying but doesn't as he believes it would send him to heaven. This portrays uncertainty about how Claudius should die and what consequences are in store for …show more content…

One being that Claudius killed the King and no one knows it, well except Hamlet of course. Hamlet even has the players act it out following a fairly similar story, which leads to Claudius getting enraged and knowing something is up. This then led him to send off Hamlet to England to take care of business when in reality it was to kill him. Hamlet catches on and changes the letter/notice so Rosencrantz and Guildenstern end up getting killed, two people who used to be fairly good friends with him but ended up betraying him and becoming the king’s puppets. Their death was inevitable and with such a huge betrayal it was coming sooner or later. Polonius even died by eavesdropping on Gertrude and Hamlet’s conversation, although Hamlet did think it was Claudius hiding. Ophelia dies slowly by madness and then supposedly drowns in a lake. Also in Act 4 Scene 1, Gertrude drinks from a poisoned cup that was supposed to be for Hamlet (which she had no clue), thus leading to her death. Then, with Laertes and the poisoned swords. Claudius being stabbed with the poisoned sword and forced to have the poisoned drink. Finally, Hamlet got hit with the poisoned sword in the battle but only realized this after the information was revealed to him by Laertes. The closest people to Hamlet couldn't be trusted and uncertainty surrounded him everywhere. They all

Show More
Related
457 Words | 2 Pages

He has a choice to make, so he has to decide if living is worth living and if it is how he will deal with the situation that he has. Hamlet was conflicted he didn 't understand the value of his life in that exact moment. In Hamlets soliloquy the was thinking about the pro and cons of wether to end his life or deal with the problem that his dead father brought to him. He was starting to come to a decision when he’s thoughts were interrupted. This soliloquy brought to light the peoples that most people go through or think about.

Read More
665 Words | 3 Pages

As the soliloquy ends, Hamlet realizes there is a line that needs to be crossed for him being and not being. This is why death bothers him

Read More
785 Words | 4 Pages

Wretched queen, adieu! You that look pale and tremble at this chance” (Act 5 Scene2 354-366). The ending is a chaotic state. Hamlet killed Laertes with a poisonous sword and he died also because of the poisonous sword. Claudius and Gertrude died because of the poisonous wine.

Read More
1112 Words | 5 Pages

The climax where the hero has to almost encounter death. In Hamlet, things are different as he is poisoned by the sword which is used to kill Laertes. However, he is able to kill Laertes before Laertes kills him. He is also able to kill Claudius who has prepared poison for him. As the audience watches this part, they have fears that Hamlet will take the poison which Claudius has prepared (Bright Summaries, 2015).

Read More
1432 Words | 6 Pages

Death seems to be the biggest mystery in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. From the start of the play with the Ghost of Hamlets father appearing to avenge his death, to Hamlet’s most popular “To be or Not to be” soliloquy, and to the plays bloody conclusion; the uncertainty of death seems to always be on our protagonist mind. Death has become a recurring theme throughout this whole play. His thoughts of death range from death in a spiritual matter, the truth and uncertainty in what death may bring, and the question of his own death.

Read More
611 Words | 3 Pages

He doesn't even consider his friends’ suggestions or pay them any attention. Hamlet draws a sword on his friends forcing them to let him go and follows the mysterious ghost into the forest without any contemplation. Hamlet is basically thinking to himself “what is there to lose?” He doesn't find much value in his life. This is known because of how many times he contemplates life or death in the story.

Read More
718 Words | 3 Pages

In one of the most famous soliloquies in English literature, Hamlet contemplates the ultimate question of life and death when he says, "To be or not to be, that is the question. " Hamlet's internal conflict is whether it is nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and, by opposing, end them. His burdens are the overwhelming grief he feels after the death of his father, the betrayal of his mother's hasty remarriage to his uncle, and his sense of duty to avenge his father's murder by murdering the new king, Claudius. Hamlet is torn between his desire for revenge and his fear of the consequences of taking action. He is also struggling with the existential question of whether life is

Read More
402 Words | 2 Pages

He questioned whether or not it was better to be alive or dead. At this moment, Hamlet is depressed and speaks out logical and emotional thoughts to himself. From this, we were able to conclude that Hamlet is discouraged with life. In addition, Hamlet’s perspective on life is formed from multiple events that had occurred. At the beginning of the play we learn that Hamlet’s father has died and this saddens him.

Read More
1620 Words | 7 Pages

One example of the universality of the play is the theme of revenge. The play's central plot revolves around Prince Hamlet seeking revenge for his father's murder, a theme that resonates with people across different cultures and eras. The play also explores the theme of appearance versus reality, as Hamlet feigns madness to conceal his true intentions, and the theme of the corrupting nature of power, as seen in the actions of Claudius, Hamlet's uncle who murdered his father and seized the throne. Another example of the timelessness of the play is the portrayal of the human condition.

Read More
1534 Words | 7 Pages

Firstly, Hamlet is a play of a man by the name of Hamlet, whose father was murdered by Claudius, his uncle. Claudius murdered the king by pouring poison in his ear to claim the throne for himself. Hamlet is then told by a ghost to murder Claudius for revenge, and he struggles within himself for the length of play whether to do it or not. When Hamlet begins to hesitate it does more damage than good and causes a chain reaction of tragic events, and makes the readers question whether Hamlet is truly sane or not. Claudius’s corruptness begins to show when he uses his authority to order those around him to rid of Hamlet.

Read More
1250 Words | 5 Pages

Does he die or does he live? He spends a considerable amount of time on that one question alone. Goethe referrers to Hamlet’s innocence as a dream. “This past condition he remembers a vanishing dream.” It is ephemeral and it will not last.

Read More
1675 Words | 7 Pages

But we can see after he finds out about the truth, he is forced to act because of his morality beliefs. The battle in Hamlet’s tragedy occurs in a dynamic society that is created by opposing forces that contradict with each other and Hamlet is a philosophical prince who blames the court for impunity, injustice, and murder; and all of these problems prevents him from being a part of court’s social life and he becomes depressed. Hamlet’s deep depression effects on his behaviors until he even doesn’t act like prince and becomes mad. His madness effect on his judgment and makes him to become obsessed with the death; even he sees death as the only way to take revenge. We can see that Hamlet explores death in every facet of the play from many different angles and how he develops his definition of death from the materially to morality perspective.

Read More
1156 Words | 5 Pages

In the beginning of the play Hamlet, the main character, is struggling with events that have taken place in his life. His Father has recently died and his Uncle has now married his Mother. With sorrow and pain, Hamlet tries to understand and unravel the aberrant events that have taken place with his family. The events have amended the way Hamlet views death. After his Father’s death, Hamlet questions the afterlife; whether it offers a “peaceful slumber” or an “everlasting nightmare”.

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

In his soliloquy, he is asking himself whether it is better to live or to die, which he is considering to commit suicide. Also, in the soliloquy, Hamlet states that “Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?” (3.1.84-90). He explains that no one would like to live in an exhausting life, unless they don’t know what is going to happen after they die because they are afraid of what their after life is going to be. Both these quotes prove that the death symbol is always surrounded by Hamlet and he has a hard time to choose between life and

Read More
749 Words | 3 Pages

However, continuing with Hamlet’s incessant need for vengeance, the actions and drastic measures he takes in order to achieve such certainty are both incredibly genius and rightfully insane. Despite his methods and lack of will to act until he is absolutely positive with his facts, Hamlet proves that his way is the best way. Although Hamlet had numerous opportunities to act upon his revenge, he waited until he was absolutely sure of his suspicions, even when he could have easily retributed in his own controlled environment. Unlike many other named characters, Hamlet did not let outside sources sway his perception and perspective on the situation. For example, Laertes had insisted that nothing could be said or done in order for him to change his mind on acting upon his own vengeance, yet Claudius’ words had done just that, and Laertes ended up paying the price when he was killed upon his own poisoned sword.

Read More

More about Doubt And Uncertainty In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

Related Topics

Open Document