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William Shakespeare Hamlet Essay

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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is arguably one of the greatest examples of tragedy the world has ever seen. The complex characters, intricate plot and intriguing setting of this play, written by William Shakespeare, create a unique and captivating drama that has mesmerised generations. Shakespeare, a master storyteller, imbues his play with compelling themes of conflict and morality, allowing a candid examination of the human heart. Set to the backdrop of renaissance Denmark, this stunning piece of theatre challenges our perceptions of right and wrong, explores the meaning of true justice, and unflinching tackles the depths of the human psyche.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH 2

The main conflict in the play stems from Hamlet’s discovery …show more content…

However, the Ghost raises a point that Hamlet cannot ignore – his death has not only affected the royal family, and Hamlet personally, but the whole of Denmark. The foul nature of Claudius, now sitting on a throne won through fratricide, not only brings pain and suffering to Hamlet, but risks the safety of everyone living in Denmark, which is on the brink of war. The image the Ghost uses not only informs the audience of the nature of his death – Claudius poured poison in his ear – but the danger posed by this new and perfidious King. Thus Hamlet is presented with a compelling reason to seek vengeance, not only to appease this ghost and avenge his father’s vicious murder, but also to save his country from his anguine …show more content…

If he contemplates too much, he convinces himself that he should not act. Goethe theorised that Hamlet became paralysed by his over-intellectualisation of his situation. He had a great mind, but tended to struggle actually converting his thoughts into actions. His fierce intelligence and his love of comprehensive understanding leave Hamlet in a difficult position – he tries to work through his dilemma thoughtfully, but cannot transfer his intellectual decisions into real actions. The imagery in this soliloquy appears to endorse this theory, Hamlet recognises that he “loses…action” due to his thoughts. However, to simply state that this image represents ‘reflection hindering action’ is naïve. The beauty of Hamlet’s image is that he sees resolution as ‘native’ to him, and an intrinsic part of human nature, and further, that thought is also natural and that these two warring factions struggle to coexist even thought they are both innate parts of him. His actions are ‘sicklied o’er’ by his thoughts, that is, they prevent him from clear-cut action because he realises that nothing is black and white, the situation he is embroiled in is shades of grey, causing him difficulty because it is impossible to make an utterly firm decision. ‘Thus the relation between thought and action appears not as two abstract principles between which free choice is possible, but as an unavoidable condition

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