ENG4U
November 30th 2012
U3A8
On the discussion board post your answer to the questions: "What is Hamlet 'about'?" and "What are its enduring themes and messages?”. Your response does not have to be governed by the Values and Worldviews (Dialectic) approach taken through this unit. Substantiate your own ideas with evidence from the play. Don't research. Build on or refute with reason the responses of two others.
What is Hamlet about?
With knowledge of the book from previous research and actually reading the play itself in my opinion, the play “Hamlet” is about a troubled man going through very difficult time in his life after his father is murdered by his uncle which is now married to his mother (which would have been his sister in law). Hamlet throughout the play seeks revenge on Claudius for the murder of Hamlet’s father.
What are its enduring themes and messages?
The main theme for Hamlet in my opinion is revenge and madness. Hamlet seeks revenge on Claudius for the murder of his father, which is Hamlet’s mother’s recently new husband and has not known about the murder of her late husband. Madness is another common theme in the play because Hamlet for some scenes pretends to act mad towards his companions (Act Two, Scene One) or when he is actually angry but talks to himself about his plan to seek revenge (Act Four, Scene Four). The message I got from the play is that family is truly important in life, Hamlet had a close father-son relationship so when he lost his father it was very traumatic for him. It is always very hard when you lose a loved one in your life but to find out that he was murdered by your uncle? I am not surprised for how Hamlet reacted to everything that happened in his life. That is a lot for one person to