An Ethical View of Hamlet
In the play Hamlet, a number of questions arise--was it truly necessary for all the blood and murder to be written to make a point? Were his actions that followed, rational or justified? Was it ethical? Granted for the time period, many barbaric actions were regarded as accepted or justifiable, however, was there one point where Hamlet could have gone past the accepted level of shall we say, normality?Ethics (n), branch of Philosophy concerned with conduct--the determination of the good, and the right and wrong.
Socrates questioned what Justice and Temperance really meant and where it's applications were. Though others frowned on this indulgence, they were forced to consider his thoughts as well. Instead of merely acknowledging the nouns and using them regardless of what they truly meant. Was what Hamlet doing "wrong"? If so, what is "wrong"?First, we should look into the issue of which field we draw the term "right". It is only appropriate to set the mood in England, late 1600. The economy is run by brute and barter, modern medicine included amputation, leeching and blood-letting. A man could be imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread and a maid can be ravished by her master, and nothing would be out of place. If someone wronged you, you were entitled to wrong them back, and this done with gusto. With no remorse for the moral or religious faculties of our present day society.
All the revenge, incest, murder, betrayal and hard-core violence that we've all come to love from Shakespeare; was it all done for naught? Is the message being translated across properly? Hamlet is supposed to be the hero and all the trials and tribulations that follow him only make him stronger and the justice more imminent-right? Did Hamlet go too far? Hamlet's father comes back from a peculiar death and finds his wife married with his brother and his son in shambles. After communicating the truth to Hamlet, it is expected that this story should be finished quite simply and quickly. However, this is not the case. Hamlet wants to make sure he himself has not gone insane and imagined his father's figure telling him the achievable means to, a quick relief of his overwhelming torment. Hamlet now begins the long painstaking process of validating the funny voice inside his head that tells him to kill his uncle who is now his father since he is now married to Hamlet's mother. Did he imagine the ghost? Was it real or is this giving him the excuse required to justify the cold-blooded murder that will follow soon? Maybe a little from column A and a little from column B.
Hamlet confronting his mother was a logical step in the process of revenge. But killing the priest that was listening-in may have been a bit rash. But, however accidental, it was still murder. More murder, more betrayal, more blood. Honoring the church at first, then killing a member of it next.During the time that Hamlet's uncle was trying to pray for repentance, Hamlet was within stabbing distance but balked because of the attempt he saw his uncle making. Was Hamlet really forgiving his uncle or hoping that a divine force would incinerate someone's posterior for him? Was there valor, or was it malice in his thoughts? All in the name of vengeance. Hamlet masquerading as insane to cover up his torment and lust for quick vengeance. Was that ethical? Basically, all the preceding story of Hamlet could have been avoided if Hamlet had killed his uncle from the get-go: when he had his first chance. The praying was just a wallowing attempt by Hamlet's father anyway. But then there would be no story, would there?
It may be safe to say that Hamlet is a story for the time that it was made for. This would be accurate because in the theatres at the time, the audience's attention span was quite low; therefore violence, murder, incest and betrayal were almost necessary to keep the audience from creating their own, to entertain themselves. The brilliance of the story is the ability to still be original and somehow create a beautiful poetry through all the squalor. In today's society, flashy lights and poop-humor take place of the violence for our desensitized and ADD (attention deficit disorder) generation. For our time this is necessary.Partner sites: Study Spanish in Guatemala, American Bulldog Information, and Eulogies