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Theme Of Emotion In Hamlet

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The ability for an author, character, or actor to portray certain emotions is key and can potentially change the whole storyline of a play. Shakespeare's writing is no exception and may sometimes leave the reader confused. Throughout the play of Hamlet, there is a constant battle between love and revenge amongst the characters, which causes the reader to vacillate between the idea of which emotion the plot is based around. In the play, the protagonist, Hamlet, is confronted with the problem of his uncle marrying his mother and killing his father. Along the way he continues to contemplate whether or not to kill his uncle, Polonius. His actions affect those emotions and decisions of Gertrude's, Ophelia's, Laertes, Claudius, and others, who all …show more content…

Some people may believe that the connection and strong affection between Hamlet and his father caused his anger to kindle even more towards Claudius, eventually leading to Hamlet's ambition towards killing his uncle. However, Hamlet is not able to take revenge because of his emotions, but when he sets them aside he is able to take action and therefore is not affected by the love of his father. Hamlet says “[i]s it monstrous that this player here,/ But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,/ could force his soul so to his own conceit/ That from her working all his visage wanned,/ Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,/ A broken voice, and his whole function suiting/ With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing!”(Shakespeare, pg.58, 561-567). In this speech, Hamlet compares himself to one of the actors who is able to portray emotions in an unchallenging manner. Since Hamet is unable to express his emotions, he is unable to be influenced by them. Hence the inclination for revenge further develops the plot. In addition to Hamlet not being affected by his father love, the relationship between him and Ophelia also hinders the diegesis. Hamlet confesses to Ophelia, “If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague/ for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as/ pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a/ nunnery”(pg.66, 136-139). Within the …show more content…

This cause all the other characters to be affected and created a chain effect of vengeances. For the play of Hamlet to be based around love is almost flawed by the most extensive reason: In this time period when Hamlet was performed/written it was very rare for males to show emotions so why would Shakespeare play be based off an emotion that played against society roles in that era. The fact that the major characters that establish and generate the play are males, makes it conspicuous that love had not affected them. This therfir shows that Hamlet is a play of revenge due to the characters actions and

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