to be distinct from one another. In society individuals exhibit various flaws which may potentially lead to their downfall. Individual flaws are prevalent in society‚ as well as in the world of literature. For example‚ in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet the tragic internal flaws of individuals are highlighted. It is that that the essential elements of a tragic figure are his or her flaws‚ which are inherent personality traits that inevitably result in their downfall. This is exemplified through the
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instances of a foil being used to highlight key traits in the protagonist’s character‚ or in several other characters in the play. In Hamlet‚ Laertes and Hamlet act as foils of each other‚ and in Henry IV there are three characters intertwined as foils of one another: Hal‚ Hotspur‚ and Falstaff. Hamlet contains foil characters that are made to be very obvious. Hamlet and Laertes presumably grew up together‚ and
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The Impossibility of Certainty in Hamlet “Doubt is that state of mind where the questioner faces no single answer nor the lack of one‚ but rather a choice between a pair of alternatives.” – Harry Levin in The Question of Hamlet It is appropriate that William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is regarded as the Bard’s greatest dramatic enigma‚ for misunderstanding is the unavoidable condition of Hamlet’s quest for certainties. Not only is Hamlet bewildered by puzzling visions and by commands seemingly
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Harold Blume said it best when he said‚ "Hamlet is deaths ambassador to us." Throughout Hamlet‚ we have the images of death‚ decay‚ rottenness‚ and corruption pressed upon us. The imagery corresponds with the plot of the play perfectly‚ all culminating with the gravedigger scene. The corruption images illuminate the actions of the people in Claudius’ court‚ beginning with Claudius’ own actions. The beginning of the play lets us know that it is winter with Fransisco’s statement that it is "bitter
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Examining Hamlet and The Great Gatsby 1/9/13 According to Roger Lewis‚ “The acquisition of money and love are both part of the same dream‚ the will to return to the quintessential unity that exists only at birth and at death” (41). In both William Shakespeare’s play‚ Hamlet‚ and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel‚ The Great Gatsby‚ the protagonists are willing to sacrifice all that they have in order to achieve their unrealistic objectives and ambitions‚ resulting in their tragic demises. While there
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Hamlet: Insane or Not? The story of Hamlet is undoubtedly one of the most famous stories in the whole wide world of literature. It features everything one would wish for in a tale: death‚ love‚ injustice‚ revenge‚ doubt‚ and eventually‚ (in)sanity. How is it with the latter‚ though? Was the main protagonist of Shakespeare’s most famous play a real madman? Was he faking lunacy to baffle the others? Or did periods of sanity and insanity fluctuate throughout the course of the story? These are the
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Prince Hamlet of Denmark is mourning the death of his father the old king and his mother just got remarried to his uncle. Hamlet’s father the old king appears as a ghost and informs him that he was murdered by Hamlets uncle the present king of Denmark and Hamlet must avenge his death. The task given to him is very easy‚ but Hamlet is unable to complete that task until the very end of the play. Hamlet is indecisive he does not know when to take action and when he does take action it is not in the
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Hamlet has been praised and revered for centuries as one of William Shakespeare’s best known and most popular tragedies. Based on its popularity‚ critics alike have taken various viewpoints and theories in order to explain Hamlet’s actions throughout the play. The psychoanalytic point of view is one of the most famous positions taken on Hamlet. Psychoanalytic criticism is a type of literary criticism that analyzes and classifies many of the forms of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of
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How does Hamlet respond to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s treachery? When Hamlet discovers the treacherous plan to be carried out by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern‚ he responds with annoyance and a slight touch anger‚ stating‚ “How all occasions do inform against me‚ and spur my dull revenge!” (4.4 31-32). Hamlet is upset that the series of events that are currently unfolding are hindering his plans to fulfill the wishes of his father and take revenge on Claudius. Subsequently‚ if he is executed‚ these
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Appearance vs. Reality In The Merchants of Venice the Prince of Morocco says that “All that glisters is not gold;Often have you heard that told” [2.7.69-70]. This statement stands particularly true for the theatrical Hamlet since things are not always as they seem. Shakespeare uses many aspects such as madness‚ greed and the need to take revenge to build upon his more complex idea of appearance vs reality.The theme is constant until the final act since the characters hide behind a curtain of duplicity
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