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Isolation In Hamlet

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In Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s remarks continually highlight his emotional and mental instability, which further adds aspects of anger and loneliness to his complex characterization due to his uncontrollable environment. “[The world is] a goodly one [prison], in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o’ th’ worst,” (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 264 - 266). At this point in the play, Hamlet is conversing with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, friends of Hamlet’s who were sent by King Claudius to spy on him. Upon their encounter, Hamlet feels comfortable enough to lament all of his recent troubles. This verbal exchange sparks concern in the two spies for their friend’s psychological state, but their comments lead Hamlet to suspicion in their motive for initially talking to him, which adds to his ongoing perception that the world around him is an evil place that seeks to destroy him. …show more content…

Hamlet’s feelings can be attributed to his struggle to cope with his new family dynamic and the horrid death of his beloved father. Hamlet’s new, frustrated personality has altered his outlook on Denmark into a convoluted place where goodness and truth no longer reside. “Yet I, a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, and can say nothing - no, not for a king upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made,” (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 593 - 598). These ideas shape Hamlet into a pessimistic individual who displays qualities devoid of

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Constant surveillance creates paranoia and mistrust, isolating Hamlet’s sense of security. Thus, Hamlet questions his relationships and morals as he struggles to navigate a corrupt world, “One may smile, and smile, and be a villain” (Shakespeare 1.5). Hamlet spoke these words after encountering his father’s ghost and learning of his uncle’s betrayal. Showing corruption and deception highlights the idea that individuals can conceal their true

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When Hamlet learns the truth upon his father's death his emotions escalate from zero to one hundred real quick. “ A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause and can say nothing; no not for a king” (2.2.18-21). In this soliloquy Hamlet is expressing his emotions after holding them in for so long. He shows cowardness when he doesn't believe in himself. As teenagers we all do this and we hold in what we want to say and at some points we just burst out many emotions at a time.

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Hamlet says to himself “a dull and muddy-spirited rascal, peal, Like a john-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause”(563-564). These lines really explain to us how Hamlet criticizes himself because of his inability to act on his feelings, he also explains how he feels as though this is all a dream. Though, he does admit in these lines that he cannot stand up for his father’s death, and grants this to the fact that he is not truly passionate to avenge his father. These lines really stood out to me because they so clearly illustrate the conflicting feelings Hamlet has; he is in grief but doesn't know how to take action from these emotions. From these lines, I was also surprised that Hamlet criticizes himself for not having the passion to avenge

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we see prince Hamlet feeling far from cheerful due to his father 's death and his unstable family. He shows his hardships and loss of identity throughout the story, but we see it in-depth during his mourning phase when he can 't seem to deal with anyone. He goes to the people that he feels close to, the ones he can trust, and his perspective on life and maturity grow throughout the story. Adversity can at first leave us feeling a strong sense of emotion, people gradually take more control and act rationally and more stable. Hamlet is affected harshly with deep and dark feelings of thought and emotion when his father passed away.

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“HAMLET: Denmark’s a prison. ROSENCRANTZ: Then is the world one. HAMLET:

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A poisoned dagger could be hidden in the shadows behind every friend throughout life, each biding their time for the perfect moment to lunge towards the jugular. Severing all ties to such volatile relationships preserves personal happiness and well-being. The dilemma becomes, however, distinguishing between those who remain loyal and selfless and those who clench this bare bodkin behind their back. Hamlet, of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, experiences these two extremes firsthand. It is through Hamlet's peer and dear friend, Horatio, that he is gifted with a true confidant, and through childhood companions, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, that he is cursed with duplicitous adversaries.

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In conclusion, the view that isolation is “not only imposed on the individuals, but also provided by their own conduct” is one that is prevalent throughout both Hamlet (1600) and Great Expectations (1861). Be it due to mentally imprisoned states in which the protagonists are trapped within their own psyches or societal constructs that restrict characters such as Hamlet from exercising their choice to life and Miss Havisham’s distress at not achieved a stereotypically feminine aspiration such as marriage, isolation is rife.

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It is that persona that makes it such a challenge to understand him, but in fact, it can be that the reason that his feelings are widely unknown are not because he is completely inexpressible as he is portrayed, but can be the outcome of a plot that besmirched his character. Shakespeare’s fault was generating a story that unsettled Hamlet’s emotions, and so his madness is perceived as “a deliberate dissimulation” – a trick to gain revenge on his

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In late Act II, Hamlet is beginning to approach the climax of the play as he makes realizations about the state of Denmark, and the state of his mind. He voices a few of those feelings when he says to his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, “Denmark is a prison” (II, ii). Hamlet calls Denmark a prison because he feels as if everyone is turning against him, and everyone is watching him, similar to how prisoners are watched in a prison, and he says that Denmark is the worst of the prisons, strictly because there is no one he can trust, not even his friends. In a previous conversation, this time with Polonius, he makes a reference to his mental state and informs Polonius that he could not take anything from Hamlet that he cares less about, except his life. This shows an advancement of his mental illness, where he is struggling to care whether he lives or dies.

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Much like his other works, William Shakespeare subtly reflects the era’s social issues in Hamlet, a play about the eponymous prince of Denmark who discovers that his father’s untimely death was a murder. Throughout the play, religious anxiety plays a major role in the characters’ personal decisions. In Hamlet, the eponymous protagonist fabricates insanity to avenge his deceased father, however his goals are blocked by his own inner religious turmoil and thereby illustrating the theme of religion. The Danish court is full of deceit and immorality, from King Claudius’ murder of his brother to Queen Gertrude’s incestuous marriage.

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