Hamlet and the Hero’s journey
Hamlet so much related to the Hero’s journey design which was adopted by Joseph Campbell’s monomyth journey and the two are in fact so inseparable. When analyzing the play Hamlet, one thinks that Campbell was using the plays so as to make the theory. This is a character arc and which is divided into five -act structure and which goes up to twelve steps.
The ordinary world is the place where the character exists before he is called, and he is not aware of anything going on around him. Hamlet is in school in Germany where he is studying when he is being summoned to go back to Denmark. We assume that he was doing better in Germany as a student until he is called back to his home country.
Campbell, the hero is now
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In the same way, Hamlet is faced with a lot of challenges in a series. It all starts with Polonius, who was spying on Hamlet with his mother in the queen’s chamber and Hamlet stabs him. When King Claudius learns about it, he punishes Hamlet by sending him to exile in England. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent by the king to make sure that Hamlet is handed to the King of England for execution, but he learns about it and arranges for their hanging. Then, Ophelia dies out of depression over his father’s death and Hamlet’s behavior, and her brother dies while trying to wrestle with Hamlet. All these are challenges which block him from carrying out his mission.
Campbell, this is the stage where the hero faces a grave danger. He may face fears and doubts again. Hamlet is faced with another challenge of having to wrestle with Ophelia’s brother, who has a poisoned sword. However, he has made a decision to face any situation provided he avenges the death of his
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Hamlet rests in peace in his death, having got what he wanted. Although he does not live to see it, the society had got a different leadership which was free of malicious people like Claudius. The play is not a comedy where the hero lives. In Hamlet, the hero dies but he dies a hero having achieved his goal and the reason why he was called.
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). According to Claudius, if he does not die with the sword by Laertes, he will die with poison.
This is the last stage in Campbell’s Hero’s journey and it involves the hero going home with his reward. In Hamlet’s case, going home can mean death. He dies but not before he is at total peace and with a sense of satisfaction that he has avenged the death of his father and he has taken the crown from Claudius and given it to Prince Fortinbras according to his wish because he is going to die. All his enemies have been killed and defeated and this is a sort of success for him, even in his death. If it were a comedy, we could have seen Hamlet becoming the next king but