The Nature of Hamlet's Tragedy

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The Nature of Hamlet's Tragedy

As a play, the part of Hamlet is portrayed by an actor and we would expect the piece to be detached from "real" life. In fact, the reason why this play has survived and is regarded as the greatest play in the English language is because it is universally linked to "real" life.

The tragedy in Hamlet is not simply one dimensional because the play operates on several levels.

It is in one sense a political play, as Hamlet is ordered to carry out an act of vengeance on a head of state, who is above the law. (Where do you go for justice if the criminal is the head of the justice system, as Claudius would be, as absolute monarch?) There is no chance of a trial on the death of Old Hamlet. Hamlet has no platform for accusation of Claudius. Shakespeare is accurate in his description of the passions and relationships which pervade the court - they are still relevant today in any contemporary news item of injustice and suffering at the hands of corrupt regimes.

The title of th...

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