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Hamlet Analytical Essay

1194 Words5 Pages

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet presents an accessible and universal protagonist who surpasses the conventions of Aristotelian tragedy to embody the struggle of the human condition. The human condition is fuelled by the discrepancy between humankind’s desire and its circumstances. Hamlet provides a unique introspection into the destructive consequences of internal struggle on international politics as the “high strung dreamer” (E.K. Chambers) forfeits his father’s kingdom. Shakespeare’s dramatic meditation on power and leadership employs dramatic techniques and form to demonstrate that neither romantic idealism or barbarity are desirable in our leaders. Hamlet’s frustration derives from his inability to reconcile living in an imperfect …show more content…

This is evident in Shakespeare’s adoption of the revenge tragedy genre, whereby Hamlet plays villain and hero in equal measure. In the Aristotelian tradition, as the play progresses this conflicted hero undertakes actions he once found repulsive. Shakespeare achieves this through character doubling, pairing Hamlet and Claudius, Hamlet and Laertes, and Hamlet and Fortinbras as foils. Hamlet and Claudius are bound by blood and distrust. Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 2 embodies the struggle between rational thought and emotional action, Hamlet is torn between proving the guilt of his uncle and revenging his father. Hamlet’s simile that he is “A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, / Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause” (2.2) demonstrates his struggle between the moral need for proof and the filial desire for vengeance. Hence, Claudius is irrevocably compared to Hamlet as a man undergoing similar internal conflict. He is “a man to double business bound, / I stand in pause” (3.3) who tries to hold onto the spoils of his fratricide while struggling with guilt. Laertes is the foil to Hamlet the filial avenger. Laerte’s assertions that “I’ll be revenged / Most thoroughly for my father” (4.5)

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In Act II Scene 2, as Hamlet berates himself for his irresoluteness and cowardice and contemplates vengeance for his father, the concluding soliloquy vividly portrays Hamlet’s transition from irritation to insanity. Shakespeare extensively utilizes analogies and carefully chosen diction and syntax to dramatize the state of uneasiness in Hamlet’s conflicted mind. Shakespeare makes both direct and indirect comparisons and contrasts throughout the soliloquy. For instance, Hamlet’s remarks about the player makes a clear illustration of their subtle similarities and differences to the readers. The imaginary situation in which the player had Hamlet’s “motive and cue for passion” demonstrates that the player, who would be able to “make mad the guilty and appall the free,” is not only keen on, but also subliminally excellent at the art of acting (II.2.520-524).

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William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a literary masterpiece — a story of revenge, psychological distress, distorted truth, sexism and corruption — bound into a framework laced with cynicism and volatility. All intricately woven into a narrative through the characters Shakespeare develops. Hamlet, the central personality of the story and protagonist throughout, is characterized in a particularly maverick manner: through the other characters. This idea in literature is called the character foil: when the contrasting qualities or attributes of two characters aims to highlight specific traits or actions (or lack thereof…) of one of the characters. In Hamlet, Shakespeare crafts each character to contrast with Hamlet in some significant way to highlight

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Obviously, Hamlet is one of the readers favorite characters and someone the readers can root for throughout the play. We want Hamlet to get the revenge he desires, however, Claudius does not feel the same way the readers do. Thus, Claudius is conversing with Laertes to produce a plan to end our protagonist Hamlet once and for all. (4.7.107-139) Laertes has agreed to this plan because he wants payback for the death of his father Polonius and sister Ophelia. Meanwhile, Hamlet and Laertes

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William Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, has well stood the test of time as the play is, to this day, still relevant in our modern world. Perhaps it is because of the erratic twists and turns of the plot, or maybe it is because we can all see at least a little bit of ourselves in the dynamic, imperfect characters. More interestingly, the characters themselves seem to have quite a lot in common, to a certain degree. Hamlet has many puzzles, parallels, and paradoxes by which audience can reasonably infer that Shakespeare did not support the idea of revenge (Boyce 136). The tragedy genre is synonymous with death and despair.

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