1. Is Hamlet surprised when the Ghost asks him to revenge his father's murder? Is he surprised when he learns who the murderer is?…
American author, John Steinbeck once said “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” The theme of corruption is demonstrated in Hamlet by a series of events that lead to devastating decay. The “beginning of the end” is caused by Claudius, the present king of Denmark, Gertrude’s new spouse, and Hamlet’s uncle. Claudius is an intelligent antagonist whose Machiavellian plan of fratricide and his thirst for power drives Shakespeare’s tragedy. His powerful ability to manipulate brings Hamlet to insanity, but also brings short-term peace to the kingdom of Denmark. Critics argue that this trait would not leads to Claudius’ demise if it were not for Hamlet. However, Claudius’ own fear of his corruption being exposed destroys his facade of a capable king and ultimately leads his downfall.…
Like most great writers, Shakespeare acquired his inspiration from the world that transpired around him. Cultural politics and social norms of the Elizabethan and Jacobean era are revealing too many readers through Shakespearean literature. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare displayed precise concepts of the time period he was living in. The most evident concept shown in the play is the struggle for power between ruthless monarchs. This is most prominently noticed in the play when Claudius murders King Hamlet “I am still possess’d, Of those effects for which I did the murder My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen” (Hamlet 3.3 57-60). Claudius assassinates his King Brother out of an ambitious greed for the power of Denmark’s kingship. The…
William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is thought by many readers to have the major theme of revenge. Although revenge is a significant part of the play, it is not the main theme. Throughout the play there are many ways Shakespeare uses dramatic irony and for each one there is always a cause and effect. He uses this Cause and effect to target the audience and to keep them engaged in the play. An example of cause and effect would be in Act IV, Scene IV (IV, iv, 35-70). In this scene it shows Hamlet and his liking of Fortinbras and how angry he is at himself. The cause is from the audience while the speech and other things are the effect. The cause and effect from this scene and the soliloquy is one of the ways Shakespeare connected with his audience, which was in his time the Elizabethan era.…
<center><b>Assignment 1: Explication from Hamlet (1.3.111-137) ("My lord, he hath importuned me with love" [end of scene].</b></center>…
King Claudius uses his power to get to the throne and remain king under any circumstance.…
In Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, there are several different characters, all with different relationships to each other, and different contributions to the plot. Each of the characters has their own respective significance to the story, friend or foe. Specifically, Hamlet has two foils, Fortinbras and Laertes, both of whom aid in enlightening the audience to the meaning of the work as a whole.…
The single act of Claudius murdering the King sets a world of wrongs on Hamlet, his family, and his God. It is Hamlet’s self-claimed duty to dispel the wrongs that have been set upon him. Each of these aspects that has been broken is what motivates Hamlet to act in the manner that he does. He acts to fix a broken family, a broken self, a broken promise, and a broken God. It’s not about how he lives in this broken world of his. In fact, it’s quite the opposite; Hamlet is about his effort to correct his world so he won’t have to live in a broken world. Exacting revenge on Claudius in the meticulous way that he does is his attempt at avenging everything that is important to him, and everything that is broken.…
Claudius poisoned King Hamlet in order to become King himself. While he feels the guilt of killing his brother, Claudius doesn’t want to give up the fruits of his crime, these being the queen and his crown. “Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy But to confront the visage of offence? And what's in prayer but this twofold force, To be forestallèd ere we come to fall Or pardoned being down? Then I'll look up. My fault is past. But oh, what form of prayer Can serve my turn, “Forgive me my foul murder”? That cannot be, since I am still possessed Of those effects for which I did the murder: My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardoned and retain th' offense? (A.III.sc.iii.ln 46-57).” Claudius questions what God's mercy is for and how prayers serve the purposes of keeping us from sinning and bringing us forgiveness when we have sinned. Since Claudius already committed his sin and doesn’t want to give up the rewards, he doesn’t know if God will forgive him. In the end, Claudius gets what he deserves and is killed with his own poison. Claudius is forced, by Hamlet, to drink out of the poisoned goblet that killed Gertrude. An enraged Hamlet tells him “Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damnèd Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother (A.V.sc.II.ln 320-322).” We can see how Shakespeare incorporates…
Set in the medieval ages in the mighty Kingdom of Denmark, Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragic tale of corruption, betrayal, and revenge. The play follows Prince Hamlet’s loss of sanity as he seeks vengeance for his father’s murder. Having murdered the king, Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, has also married the queen and stolen the throne. In Act 3, Scene 3, Hamlet is granted the opportunity to murder Claudius, as he has his back turned to him deep in prayer. Realizing that his father was not granted the opportunity to pray before Claudius murdered him, Hamlet decides that he should not give Claudius the opportunity to pray and go to heaven. Within this scene, Hamlet undergoes a pivotal shift in mindset, with a newfound grasp of vengeance as he battles between evil and forgiveness. In Hamlet’s sixth soliloquy, he raises classic ontological questions, particularly, the true meaning of evil, the essence of revenge, and the concept…
Oedipal complex but also because he is far too sane or practical to commit an…
The character of Claudius makes several decisions that are morally wrong. In the decision to murder King Hamlet, lust overcomes love in a sense that he murders his own brother due to his desire to be King. His need for power allows him to sell his soul to the devil. After the murderous scheme is discovered by Hamlet, Claudius is troubled by his guilty conscience. "O, my offence is rank, it smell to heaven;/It hath the primal eldest curse upon't-/A brother's murder. Pray can I not/ My stronger quilt defeats my strong intent." (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, Sc. iii..36-40) Still, however, he is not ready to give up the throne. It is obvious that Hamlet's sudden madness is a result of his knowledge that Claudius did in fact kill Hamlet's father. Nonetheless, the desire, and the longing to be king is far too strong for Claudius to resist. His need…
Religion plays a key role in dictating correct behaviour during the Elizabethan era; only part of which Hamlet follows. ‘The Divine Right of Kings’ was a well known and accepted concept; insinuating that kings had the support of God, and that to go against a king was to go against God himself. Though Claudius also upset this order (by murdering King Hamlet), for Hamlet to even consider killing Cladius, he crosses a moral taboo. Furthermore, when the ghost charges Hamlet to ‘Revenge his foul…
The play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare is a tragic story about a prince named Hamlet attempting to get revenge for his father's murder. As Hamlet only to slowly destroy his life in the process. As Hamlet attempts to get revenge, he ultimately ends up destroying himself and the people around him. But before his death, Hamlet slowly decides what he wants to do with his life. Hamlet goes from thinking the world holds nothing for him but not wanting to kill himself because he fears god in the first Soliloquy, to living to avenge his father if needed in the second Soliloquy, to fearing death in the third Soliloquy. Hamlet slowly decides what he wants to do with his life, through his first three Soliloquies in the play…
He states how Claudius killed his father, started an incestuous relationship with his mother, stole the throne, and even attempted to kill him. Hamlet says that he would be doing the world a disservice if he allowed Claudius to continue living without paying for his actions. These lines indicate a change in Hamlet’s attitude towards Claudius and toward his own quest for vengeance. Beforehand, Hamlet questioned whether or not to kill Claudius or whether he should try to get revenge. Now, Hamlet is taking action in order to get payback for what was wrongly done to him. All of these lines (lines 12-47 and lines 64-71) allowed Shakespeare to show the extent of Hamlet’s dramatic change in attitude. It is in these lines, that we can finally see Hamlet…