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Oscar Wilde Hamlet Quote Analysis

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Oscar Wilde once declared, “I can resist everything except temptation.” People have and will always be motivated by temptation. Whether it be something important such as a promotion or something as simple as a slice of cake. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the king’s effort to obtain his temptations, such as lust, power, and murder, reveals that individuals often do not resist their desires. Instead, they remain selfish and will perform anything to obtain these desires. Lust, or an extremely strong sexual desire, has an immense effect on Claudius. It has such an immeasurable effect on him that it drives him to kill his own brother. This occurs when the ghost says, “O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power so to seduce! —won to his shameful lust. The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen. O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!” (1.5.51-54). In this quote, Old Hamlet explains to Hamlet that …show more content…

The temptation of murder is thrown at Claudius towards the end of the play. This is revealed when he says “A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, if he by chance escape your venomed stuck, our purpose may hold there. —But stay, what noise” (4.7.155-159). In these lines, Claudius comes up with a plan to kill Hamlet when he returns. He is determined to keep the truth a secret as long as he lives. He tries this because he is very tempted to kill Hamlet to cover up his tracks. Another instance of this is when Hamlet tells Horatio, “That, on the supervise (no leisure bated, no, not to stay the grinding of the ax) my head should be struck off.” (5.2.24-26). The King not only plans to kill Hamlet at the duel, but had already planned to have him killed in England. The King at this point of the story is not only tempted to kill Hamlet, he is desperate to. He will do anything at this point to kill Hamlet, even if he sacrifices his own name. This once again proves that humans will do anything if they are tempted

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After learning this, Hamlet’s sole motivation is to avenge his father’s death by revealing Claudius’ deception. Hamlet’s initial plan to expose Claudius is to have performers put on a play imitating the events of his father’s death. Hamlet says, I’ll have these players play something like the murder to my father before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks; I’ll tent him to the quick. If ‘a do blench, I know my course…The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King (Shakespeare

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2115 Words | 9 Pages

and that his soul may be as damn’d and black as hell.” (3.4.93-97) While Hamlet is distracted, Claudius schemes in the distance and neither one establishes a relationship with the other. Moreover, Hamlet’s obsession

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785 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet was given the prime opportunity to kill Claudius when he found him on his knees begging for forgiveness. Hamlet negated not to kill him right then and there because he wanted Claudius to go to hell, not heaven. Hamlet’s lack of sanity, or his tragic flaw, in the play is definitely what caused his inability to

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Hamlet's uncle claudius killed king hamlet out of envy. It was envy for the throne and for the power to be the king of denmark. In act three scene three he clearly states that he murdered king hamlet for his own ambition, for the crown and for the queen of denmark, Gertrude. A lot of the deadly sin envy goes around throughout the story of hamlet. A lot of people want something someone else has.

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621 Words | 3 Pages

Claudius doesn’t confess and puts on quite a show during the murder scene that one would be puzzled as to why no one could see past his fake, friendly exterior. Claudius failing to confess just illuminates his truly malicious spirit. The ghost is also a character that sparks many questions within the play. Hamlet himself questioned whether the ghost was actually his father or the devil in disguise, trying to tempt Hamlet in committing a crime just as wicked as his step-fathers. However, Hamlet quickly dismisses that thought and convinces himself he needs to murder Claudius for revenge.

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221 Words | 1 Pages

In Hamlet's soliloquy in act 1 scene 2 of Hamlet by Shakespeare, the central idea is that life is not fair. This is first shown as the central idea when Hamlet says that he wants to commit suicide, but it is against his religion (lines 129-132). To him, life seems unfair because when he wants to do something, he is not allowed to. The central idea is further shown when Hamlet says that his father loved his mother so much "that he might not [allow] the winds of heaven [to] / visit her face too roughly" (lines 141-142), and his mother "would hand on him as if [an] increase of appetite had grown / by what it fed on" (lines 143-145), and his father dies (lines 148). Soon after, she remarries.

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1452 Words | 6 Pages

I make this accusation with complete confidence for several reasons. First, Claudius takes many steps to find out how much Hamlet knows about his murder, and he plays the part of a concerned uncle but also wants to kill Hamlet so his crime remains undetected. Second, he acts like he has a conscience but he reveals his true character through the numerous murders and still never confesses or gives up

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785 Words | 4 Pages

He pretends to have love for young Hamlet while sending him off to be killed. While also he lets his wife drink a goblet of wine he knows is poisoned, since he “loves” his wife and would rather see his wife die than risk ruining his plans of killing Hamlet. But Claudius then gets a taste of his own medicine because Hamlet ran him through with a sword and then makes him drink the rest of the poisoned wine. But besides the fact of King Hamlet’s Ghost trying to get revenge, his ghost could also be coming from hell because young Hamlet damages himself by over-thinking the intentions of his father’s ghost.

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1358 Words | 6 Pages

Although, he is given a perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, his tendency to overthink often causes him to procrastinate in fulfilling his responsibility, therefore, becoming his major flaw. Another element of the Aristotelian tragic hero is the reversal of fate, or rather a change for the worse. He does possess the potential to claim the throne, restore order in the kingdom, and to keep his family in power of the crown. However, these outcomes are only possible if he can execute his plan with swiftness. Instead, Hamlet

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799 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet's overthinking and inaction led to several unnecessary murders. Hamlet knew that Claudius is guilty, yet he still wants to make sure, therefore Hamlet made a play that played out the exact way that Claudius had killed King Hamlet. Hamlet had done this in order to watch how Claudius reacts to make sure that Claudius is the one who murdered his father, “I’ll observe his looks, if he do blench, I know my course” (Ham.2.2.583-585) “Now might I do it pat, now’a is a-praying. And now I’ll do’t” ( Ham.

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575 Words | 3 Pages

When he learns Claudius is responsible for the death of his father, he intends to reveal this newfound information to not only Gertrude, but the rest of the characters. He is smart enough to know that she will not believe him based solely on his encounter with the ghost, and must create a trap where Claudius will reveal his guilt on his own. When the players arrive at the castle, he alters their script to mimic the king’s murder and “catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.567). During the performance, Claudius shows signs of guilt and worry, making Hamlet’s plan a success and proving his

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1241 Words | 5 Pages

However, Hamlet cannot just kill in cold blood, he takes time to plan out every move and analyze the rights, wrongs, and consequences of every step he makes while seeking his revenge. Hamlet says in his soliloquy in 2.2.594-598: “This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murdered, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words And fall a-cursing like a very drab, A scullion!” This quote is proof that Hamlet cannot seem to grasp why he cannot bring himself to kill Claudius. Hamlet comes across as a decent man. Killing is not something he can do in cold blood.

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992 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet is presented with several opportunities to pursue his vengeance, but delays each time for multiple reasons in which reveal his true nature. There are many reasons Hamlet restrains from killing Claudius. Firstly, Hamlet does not know whether the ghost should be believed or if it is just the devil in disguise trying to trick him. This is a valid reason because if the ghost is the devil, then Hamlet’s soul will be damned to the Hell. Hamlet’s

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1313 Words | 6 Pages

However, Hamlet soon discovers that Claudius has been lying to him, and Claudius’ real motive is to kill Hamlet in order to exterminate all possible threats to his reign. Claudius’ role play affects the entire country of Denmark, and he convinces the people that he is the rightful king, when he is not, and has murdered his brother for the throne. Gertrude, too, takes on a role; throughout the play, she seems oblivious to her wrongdoings. She claims that she loves Claudius, and did not just marry him for political reasons.

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1613 Words | 7 Pages

Queen Gertrude hopes that Ophelia will be the cause of Hamlet’s unexpected madness, but this is part of Claudius being able to use all at his expense to spy and keep power. Claudius is also exceptionally good at keeping secrets which allows him to maintain his kingdom. The major secret Claudius keeps is the murder of his brother, King Hamlet, and how Claudius was the one to kill him. To keep this secret Claudius acts upset that his brother was killed and tells the kingdom that it is a great lost but they will grow from this. He also goes to great lengths to keep the murder a secret in which he tries to send Hamlet away after he finds out of Claudius’ actions.

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