ipl-logo

Examples Of A Son's Guilt In Hamlet

1687 Words7 Pages

Emma Galgano
Mahony
AP English
9 February 2023 A Son’s Guilt
When faced with complex and overwhelming tasks, most people's natural instinct is to find the easy way out. One of the most common forms of escaping responsibility is to place one's obligations onto others. The first three soliloquies in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare reflect that same idea as they demonstrate how Prince Hamlet tries to escape his obligation of providing justice for his father's death by resting the burden onto those around him. Prince Hamlet's admiration and obsession for his father causes him to feel immense pressure to adequately avenge his death. This stress causes him to blame the perceived forgotten legacy of King Hamlet on his mother, Gertrude, …show more content…

Moreover, Hamlet unveils that his false allegations are derived from the abundance of pressure to avenge his father's death. As Hamlet laments his sorrows, he states, "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles" (III.i.57-59). Hamlet is wailing about the unfairness of life due to his "fortune," which refers to his responsibility to provide his father's death justice. His use of the word "fortune" magnifies Hamlet's sorrows about life being misleading and dishonest, as the stressed syllable of "fortune" is composed of a high vowel frequency that conveys happiness and joy. However, Hamlet's "fortune" is the opposite, as it is daunting and frightening. Therefore, the word itself is deceptive. Hamlet then expands on the feeling of avenging a parent's death by saying, "take arms against a sea of troubles," emphasizing his overwhelmed emotional state. The idea of Hamlet being amongst a "sea of troubles" creates an image of him, a young man, drowning in pressure to successfully complete the burden of obtaining revenge for his father's death. Hamlet continues to mourn by lamenting, "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time" (III.i.70). Prince Hamlet's references to "whips and scorns" imply that as time progresses, the …show more content…

During mentally draining times, when people are faced with a substantial amount of pressure, humans often choose to place the burden onto others rather than address and overcome their challenges. Prince Hamlet is an exemplary model of when someone places responsibility and accuses others out of fear of punishment. People like Prince Hamlet overlook how mentally exhausting obligations are, especially when they are for individuals they look up to, and take on too much responsibility. In the process, they destroy relationships with the ones around them, leading them to spiral further into melancholy and anxiety. People need to reflect and take accountability for their actions, as without that, they will be drowned in grief and

Show More
Related

Examples Of Arrogance In Hamlet

362 Words | 2 Pages

Despite the fact that his mother is not guilty of his father's murder, he carelessly releases his anger upon her- portraying his sense of superiority over his mother. Ultimately, the act of confronting Gertrude displays Hamlet’s arrogant nature which leads to his eventual demise.

Read More

Parallel Structure Of Hamlet's First Soliloquy

1077 Words | 5 Pages

Hamlet starts the soliloquy with a question of “To be, or not to be.” The question uses parallel structure and repetition with the phrase “to be,” which emphasizes the impact of the answer to this question on Hamlet’s future. Hamlet then employs war imagery in order to highlight the consequences of choosing each path. In order to illuminate the suffering he undergoes by “being,” he uses the words “slings” and “arrows,” which provide an image of Hamlet being bombarded by pain from all sides. Meanwhile, he uses the word “arms” to describe what action he would have to take to conquer the “sea of troubles” that he faces in his daily life.

Read More

Hamlet's Mother: Annotated Bibliography

1014 Words | 5 Pages

Annotated Bibliography Thesis: Gertrude was involved in the murder of Hamlet’s father, and was planning his death with Claudius. Heilbrun, Carolyn. “The Character of Hamlet’s Mother.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 8, no. 2, 1957, pp. 201–06.

Read More

Adversity Character In Hamlet

810 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet faces a torrent of emotions when his father dies. He feels despondent and as though his life is worth nothing. Thus, adversity shapes his identity – bringing out his deepest, darkest qualities. In the beginning of the play Hamlet wishes that his “too sullied flesh would melt”, and this is an indication of his desperation and dissatisfaction with life. Shakespeare shows

Read More

Grief In Hamlet's Grief

1071 Words | 5 Pages

further serves to highlight his grief (132). These lines all scan perfectly and have masculine endings, which confirms Hamlet’s grief. He is firm in his sorrow, truly shaken and disturbed by his father’s death. The alliterative structure combined with Hamlet’s cutting cries all add to his “weary” feeling, exhausted by “all the uses of this world” (133-134). Hamlet’s world is shaken, and his view on life has been altered as well.

Read More

Examples Of Misguided In Hamlet

1645 Words | 7 Pages

Hamlet seeks vengeance for his father’s death, who is also known as Hamlet the late king. The king’s murder and betrayal by his own brother is what fuels young Hamlet’s sought for revenge. Having his suspicions young Hamlet was visited many times by his father’s ghost being asked to avenge his death, that is also when he confessed that his killer was his brother. The king had told Hamlet that he died by his brother’s hand, which is “treachery at its boldest”( Act 1 Sc 3 ), Claudius had married Hamlet's mother in order to gain power as king of Denmark. Over time young Hamlet fulfills his father desire in getting “even” and being able to right the sins he had died with with Claudius, he begins plotting against his uncle and thinking of way to avenge hi father.

Read More

Examples Of Emotions In Hamlet

955 Words | 4 Pages

In the middle of the play while everyone is trying to spy on him, Hamlet asks, “To be or not to be, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a seas of troubles and by opposing end them.” (III.i.63-67). Hamlet is deciding between killing his uncle or killing himself. At this point in the play, he struggles with many decisions.

Read More

Example Of Betrayal In Hamlet

1327 Words | 6 Pages

When betrayed, one usually has negative emotions towards the people who have betrayed them. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare this idea is well illustrated, it is shown that betrayal affects the actions of Hamlet towards his friends and family, which indicates that the pursuit of vengeance often can cause one to forget the value of life. The betrayals that Hamlet suffered at the hands of his close friends and family, revealed important parts of Hamlet’s character, such as his intelligence, he is a very meticulous thinker that looks at situations from all angles, he is cunning, he has the ability to manipulate everyone into believing that he is insane, and he is skeptical, he does not believe any information until he finds it out for

Read More

Examples Of Justice In Hamlet

184 Words | 1 Pages

In Shakespeare’s jam packed tragedy, Hamlet, Hamlet seeks justice for his father whom was slain by his own brother, Claudius. Hamlet defines justice as avenging his father’s death. His view on justice is seen as just an eye for eye type of ‘justice’. He learned that his father had been slain by his own family told by ‘King Hamlet’s Ghost’ and he’s ordered to go accomplish this

Read More

Examples Of Justice In Hamlet

803 Words | 4 Pages

William Shakespeare’s most recognized work, Hamlet, tells the story of a young man (Hamlet) who seeks to avenge his father’s death, by killing the man who murdered him (Claudius). Hamlet’s sense of justice is defined as noble retribution tasked to him by the ghost of his father. This justice is driven by loyalty to his father and the pursuit to prove Claudius’ guilt of the crime in order to kill him justly. However, his plan is flawed as he fails to take action due to his weak disposition and recklessness, delaying his revenge, causing the main tragedy at the end of the play in which other acts of justice are also avenged, costing the lives of the main group of characters, including himself. Hamlet’s sense of justice can be seen developed in the first Act where he is driven to get revenge against Claudius.

Read More

Examples Of Injustice In Shakespeare's Hamlet

1251 Words | 6 Pages

All individuals within society have faced injustice at some point in their lives. When responding to these injustices, an individual tends to stay very passive until they are given no choice but to act upon their circumstance. In “Hamlet” Shakespeare accurately epitomizes, when an individual faces injustice, the individual will show signs of passive aggressiveness which will then lead one to insanity. Hamlet portrays how one will refrain from making a move against the unjust being done until given no choice to take action, due to an emotional burden. Hamlet is devastated with his father’s death and his mother’s hasty decision in marrying his uncle, therefore this causes him to shows signs of passive aggressiveness to his close

Read More

Effects Of Loss In Hamlet

1144 Words | 5 Pages

In other words, he can choose to get revenge for his father or live with the guilt of not killing Claudius for the rest of his life. Notice Shakespeare’s use of the words “slings and arrows”, emphasizing the physicality of the pain Hamlet would experience if he does not kill Claudius. Also, the use of the word “sea” to describe Hamlet’s other option illustrates the magnitude of the task that is killing Claudius. In Hamlet’s eyes, there is no middle ground; he must die or choose eternal suffering. Understandably, this causes Hamlet a lot of indecision which stays with him throughout the play.

Read More

Theme Of Fear In Hamlet

1255 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the play Hamlet feels angry, scared and of course vengeful when planning out his revenge on his uncle and it brings him to stall in going through with it. “ Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,/ Or to take arms against a sea of troubles/ And, by opposing, end them”( III.i.65-8 ). Hamlet is expressing his fear in getting his revenge.

Read More

How Does Hamlet End His Life

358 Words | 2 Pages

thought of ending his life and escaping from all these depression and emotional torture. “What is the good of living when shame torments our conscience and cowardice holds us back from gallant enterprises?”(Act 3, scene 1). Here, Hamlet is being confronted with a situation that is too much for him to handle. Hamlet wonders, what is the gain in avenging his father’s death, if it can not change anything or make him happy? It will not bring his father back to life, he will not possess his mother, he might not be crown king and he might be jailed, even when he had every opportunity to kill his uncle while he was praying, instead of claiming that he does not want him to go to heaven.

Read More

Hamlet Fate Vs Free Will Essay

904 Words | 4 Pages

Particularly in the way the titular character Hamlet views his own destiny and how he comes to terms with it. Before the play begins Hamlet’s father, the king, has unexpectedly died. The ghost of Hamlet's father informs him that his uncle Claudius, who has presumed the throne is responsible for his death. It is after this that Hamlet has the choice “to be or not to be”, he can either move on in a peaceful manner, or to seek revenge from temporary anger and murder Claudius. It is after choosing to go through with the latter that Hamlet's actions determine his fate.

Read More

More about Examples Of A Son's Guilt In Hamlet

Related Topics

Open Document