Is Hamlet Worthy

The author of 154 sonnets, the author of 37 plays and the creator of over 1700 words, William Shakespeare is undoubtedly regarded as one of the most influential poet and playwright today. Many people have devoted their lives to studying Shakespeare’s work and even a university program is dedicated to the high-school students who wish to further their knowledge of him. Out of the numerous plays Shakespeare has written to this day, Hamlet was declared – as of November 23, 2008- his greatest play through a survey conducted by the Sunday Telegraph; however, the question of whether or not Hamlet, written 400 years ago, is a valuable and worthwhile text for students to study. In arguably the greatest play to ever be written, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, proves to be a suitable and beneficial text for teachers to study its themes, characterization and entertainment value with their students as it manifests aspects of our society that students can learn from, relate to, and further their ability to evolve as a person. Through the different themes of appearance versus reality, the uncertainty of life after death and the misogynistic tendencies that is attributed regularly in the play, readers can use this knowledge as a platform to gain awareness of the surrounding themes in their society and the effects it has on the people in it. Additionally, through the different characters Shakespeare has created in the play, Hamlet, Horatio and Polonius offers a parallel of the people its readers will often come across and associate with today. Lastly, through the classic plot of the tragic hero, the rich and alluring allusions, and Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony, does a great deal to engage with their audience and to bring them into experiencing the s...

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...f Cain and Abel which compares Claudius’ sin of killing his brother, King Hamlet, to Cain’s sin of killing his brother, Abel. This allusion not only provides an image to its readers but it also allows them to interpret the meaning for themselves, effectively engaging them in the story. Shakespeare’s use of Hamlet as a tragic hero, dramatic irony and allusions excellently attracts readers to the play.
As seen through Shakespeare’s exploration of universal themes, relatable, insightful, and knowledgeable characterization, and it’s intellectually stimulating entertainment value, Hamlet, demonstrates that it is still appropriate for students to study it today. In an era where nothing is simple and nothing is easy to understand, Shakespeare has managed to capture – 400 years earlier- the issues and people of our society today, all the while engaging us at the same time.