hamlet draft

In William Shakespeare’s play, ‘Hamlet,’ there is a constant link between confrontation and resolution which is revealed through the tension between characters and the tensions within themselves. ‘Hamlet,’ is a tragedy, hence conflict and resolution is a throughline within the play. Some of the main themes of the play which support this include revenge, mortality, and religion and morality. The themes are depicted through two of the main characters, Hamlet and Claudius. These characters both experience conflicts between one another and within themselves. These apparent themes will be explored throughout this essay as they are all and integral part of highlighting conflict and resolution within the play.

Within the play, ideas of revenge prove to be resonant from beginning to end. The first instance of revenge occurs in Act 1 scene 5, when the spirit of Hamlets late father; Old King Hamlet, appears to him. The ghost reveals that he had been murdered by his own brother, Claudius. The ghost demands that Hamlet “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”. In response to the ghosts commands, Hamlet is motivated by the duty to avenge his fathers death. Hamlet proceeds to transform into a character whose actions lead others to believe he is insane, while his thoughts remain rational as he devises a plan to carry out his revenge. Despite Hamlets dramatic personality change, the audience can see that he remains committed and devoted to his duty. For example in act 2 scene 2 the quotation; “…the play 's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king” shows that Hamlet’s plan has been well thought out. Hence, Hamlet plans to resolve the conflict created by murder with revenge.

The notions of religion and morality are explored throughout the storyline and are an integral part in the decision-making processes of the characters, in particular, the protagonist of the play, Hamlet. The impact of religion in Hamlet’s life is inferred early in the play (act 1,