The Trap Motif in Hamlet
Hamlet, William Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, is a story of murder and deceit. The "trap" is a major motif in Hamlet because it is set by various characters, it is motivated by a variety of reasons and the results are often ironic.
The first trap is set by Hamlet for the king. Hamlet is enraged by his fathers murder and is seeking vengeance. Hamlet sets a trap by persuading the actors to re-enact his fathers murder on stage. * He sets this trap because he wants to be sure that Claudius is the killer; Hamlet is delighted to see Claudius's reaction to the play.
Ah, ha! Come, some music; come, the recorders.
For if the King like not the comedy, Why then,
belike, he likes it not, perdy. Come, some music.
(3.2)
It scares Claudius and makes him afraid of Hamlet. * Hamlet is now sure that Claudius is the murderer, but Claudius is so worried that he sends Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with an order for Hamlet to be killed.
I like him not, nor stands it safe with us to
let his madness range. Therefore prepare
you. I your commission will forthwith
dispatch, And he to England shall along
with you. (3.3)
The next trap Hamlet sets takes place at sea. While Hamlet is on his way to England he boards another ship during a battle and he sets a trap for Rosencratnz and Guildenstern. Hamlet leaves a letter with the Kings seal on it ordering them to be executed when they arrive in England. Hamlet does not like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because they worked so closely with the King and were always troubling Hamlet.
Why, man, they did make love to this employment.
They are not near my conscience. Their defeat by
their own insinuation grow. `Tis dangerous when
the baser nature comes Between the pass and fell
incensed points of mighty opposites. (5.2)
When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive in England they are executed.
The final trap is set by Claudius and Laertes. * When Claudius gets word from Hamlet that he is coming back from England alone he decides to set a trap for Hamlet, at the same time, Laertes is seeking revenge on Hamlet for killing his father.
Checks and Balances. Checks and balances is a system that is a part of out U.S. Constitution. This system was put in to place so that no part of government would have too much power. The three branches: judicial, legislative and executive are constantly granting and checking the other branches actions, this is to make sure no one person can gain an excessive amount of control in government. For example according to ," the legislative branch is in charge of making laws. The executive branch can veto the law, thus making it harder for the legislative branch to pass the law. The judicial branch may also say that the law is unconstitutional and thus make sure it is not a law.The legislative branch can also remove a president or judge that is not doing his/her job properly. The executive branch appoints judges and the legislative branch approves the choice of the executive branch. Again, the branches check and balance each other so that no one branch has too much power".
The American government is comprised of three different branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branch. Each one of the branches is essential to the government, and the other two branches. Each branch plays an important part in making sure the other two are doing what they are supposed to be doing, as well as making sure its own duties are getting done. Without these three branches America’s government would be chaos.
Of the three branches, the first one to be outlined in the Constitution is the Legislative branch. This branch serves many purposes regarding the formation of the nation's laws. The Legislative branch, is a bicameral house, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of these houses have different tasks that work together to create laws for U.S. Citizens.
Hamlet is a character that we love to read about and analyze. His character is so realistic, and he is so romantic and idealistic that it is hard not to like him. He is the typical young scholar facing the harsh reality of the real world. In this play, Hamlet has come to a time in his life where he has to see things as they really are. Hamlet is an initiation story. Mordecai Marcus states "some initiations take their protagonists across a threshold of maturity and understanding but leave them enmeshed in a struggle for certainty"(234). And this is what happens to Hamlet.
Hamlet was told by the ghost of king hamlet to get back at Claudius for his death, or his soul will travel on earth forever. Even before hamlet knew about Claudius killing his father he had problems. It made hamlet mad that his mother would marry so fast and with his uncle. What Claudius did was an outrageous, back stabbing, and unbelievable thing. It was clearly an act of jealousy for his brother's throne and the wife. Claudius did pay back for his actions. Claudius lost his wife, his messenger, and died and even after his death kept loosing because he lost his castle to Fortinbras.
Deceit, misleading information, and spying on others can lead to their demise, intentionally or accidentally. The misleading and deceitful instances in the play are indirectly responsible for Hamlets’ death. Claudius misleads Hamlet when he shipped him off to England under the guise of a restful retreat and when he realizes that the new king has lied to not only him, but the people of Denmark about the death of the former king. Hamlets’ deceit comes from his mother, believing that she has betrayed his father’s love by not mourning for long enough after his death, and by marrying Claudius. Spying also causes problems for Hamlet down the line since it leads to the killing of Polonius, and the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.
Hamlet does not take the opportunity to slay Claudius as he prays because he believes it will save his soul. His contemplative nature takes over regarding the ghost’s revelation and he decides to devise a play to pique Claudius’ conscience and make sure he is really guilty.
Entrapment and deception are the dominant themes in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, they are evident throughout the play and show how key they are to the plot. Entrapment is best shown through the mouse trap play the entire scene is dedicated to trapping Claudius. Deception is shown in a variety of ways, most notably is Hamlet’s antic disposition. Throughout Hamlet, Ophelia is also used to deceive and manipulate others. Lastly, Laertes’ and Hamlet’s duel aims to trap Hamlet. Shakespeare’s use of these themes helps to highlight the impact of deception and entrapment within Hamlet.
The legislative branch is comprised of two bodies; the Senate and the House of Representatives. Their primary responsibility includes making and modifying laws to be adopted and enforced by other branches of government. The legislative branch also oversees the military operations and funding, to help protect the United States of America. The legislative branch helps finance the Armed Forces and helps protect those men and women who serve by enacting policies and laws for their specific branch of military. This particular duty- helping the Armed Forces-, gives me the freedom each and every day to go to school, work in an establishment of my choice and gives me the ultimate freedom, that my country prides for future generations to come. I find my protection granted to me by the people who selflessly serve to be the most rewarding gift I have ever received, and sadly I often take it for granted. An interesting fact I gathered from researching this topic is that the Legislative Branch is the only branch of the government who can declare war.
Hamlet is a bitter tragedy of revenge and deceit. Unbeknownst to Hamlet, his father, the king of Denmark, is murdered by his own brother, Claudius — who then marries the queen and assumes the throne. Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost, who compels him to enact revenge upon his uncle — but spare his mother. Hamlet finally decides to stage a play in which there is a poisoning scene, meant to stir his uncle into panic. Hamlet’s plan is successful, but he, in a fit of rage, accidentally...
The legislative branch the first branch of the three, consist of two branches establishing Congress, the House and Senate. Each of these components elected by residents of each state has specific requirements that they must follow. The House objectives has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an electoral college tie (Quote GCU). The Senate objectives are managed by the Vice President of the country, known to be the President of there group. Under the President the Senate confirms appointments that requires consent and ratifies treaties (Quote GCU). This helps the entire branch with duties that are performed.
William Shakespeare's Hamlet is, at heart, a play about suicide. Though it is surrounded by a fairly standard revenge plot, the play's core is an intense psychodrama about a prince gone mad from the pressures of his station and his unrequited love for Ophelia. He longs for the ultimate release of killing himself - but why? In this respect, Hamlet is equivocal - he gives several different motives depending on the situation. But we learn to trust his soliloquies - his thoughts - more than his actions. In Hamlet's own speeches lie the indications for the methods we should use for its interpretation.
With his thinking mind Hamlet does not become a typical vengeful character. Unlike most erratic behavior of individuals seeking revenge out of rage, Hamlet considers the consequences of his actions. What would the people think of their prince if he were to murder the king? What kind of effect would it have on his beloved mother? Hamlet considers questions of this type which in effect hasten his descision. After all, once his mother is dead and her feelings out of the picture , Hamlet is quick and aggressive in forcing poison into Claudius' mouth. Once Hamlet is certain that Claudius is the killer it is only after he himself is and and his empire falling that he can finally act.
Throughout the play, Hamlet is inside a mental prison. Although he is physically able to do many of the things that he wants to do, Hamlet thinks that he either cannot or should not. These thoughts render him unable to act upon his desires, effectively making his mind a prison that inhibits and/or forces his actions. These thoughts make Hamlet feel trapped within the castle and within Denmark. The words that he spoke to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about Denmark being a prison was a reflection of what he felt the moment he realized that his friends had betrayed him: that Denmark is a prison not of the body, but of the mind.