Characterization within the Drama Hamlet

1929 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Reading and reflection on hamlet

Characterization within the Drama Hamlet

The purpose of this essay is to enlighten the reader regarding the characters in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet – whether they are three-dimensional or two-dimensional, dynamic or static, etc.

The genius of the Bard is revealed in his characterization. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt in Literature of the Western World examine the universal appeal of Shakespeare resulting from his “sharply etched characters”:

Every age from Shakespeare’s time to the present has found something different in him to admire. All ages, however, have recognized his supreme skill in inventing sharply etched characters; it frequently happens that long after one has forgotten the exact story of a play one remembers its people with absolute vividness. (2155-56)

Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar in “Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts” comment on the propensity of the Bard for well-rounded characters in Hamlet: “We feel that they are living beings with problems that are perennially human” (62).

Hamlet has over 20 characters with speaking roles; in occupations from king to grave-digger; and in 20 different scenes; and with a differentiation in speech, actions, etc. between every single individual character. Where else can such great variety in characterization be found? This aspect of the dramatist is emphasized by Robert B. Heilman in “The Role We Give Shakespeare”; he says that this variety is “graspable and possessable to many men at odds with each other, because of the innumerableness of the parts” (10).

The play begins with the changing of the sentinels on a guard platform of the castle of Elsinore in Denmark. Recently the spectral likeness of dead ...

... middle of paper ...

...e.” Essays on Shakespeare. Ed. Gerald Chapman. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965.

Levin, Harry. General Introduction. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.

Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. “Shakespeare.” Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.

Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. “Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.” Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.

Show More
Related

  • Topics Deeply Hidden in Hamlet by Williams Shakespeare

    2200 Words  | 5 Pages

    There are many topics deeply hidden in the works of William Shakespeare. One of his greatest pieces of works is the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Not only are the words of Shakespeare meaningful, but there are also many follow up pieces of literature that contain important interpretations of the events in this play. These works about Hamlet are extremely beneficial to the reader. I have found four of these works and will use them as sources throughout this essay. The first source is “The Case of Hamlet’s Conscience,” by Catherine Belsey, and it focuses on the topic of Hamlet’s revenge in the play. The second source is “’Never Doubt I Love’: Misreading Hamlet,” by Imtiaz Habib, and it explains a lot of information about Hamlet’s “love” for Ophelia. The third source is “Shakespeare’s Hamlet, III.i.56—88,” by Horst Breuer, and it talks in depth about the issue of suicide in Hamlet. The fourth and final source is “Shakespeare’s Hamlet 1.2.35-38,” by Kathryn Walls, and it describes the significance of the role the Ghost plays throughout Hamlet. There are many different confusing parts in Hamlet and the best way to fully understand the play is to understand all of these parts. By understanding every miniscule detail in the play, it creates a different outlook on the play for the reader. In this essay, I will explain these confusing topics, as well as explain why the sources are helpful and what insight they can bring. At the end is this essay, the reader will have a complete understanding and appreciation of the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Procrastination

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some believe that procrastinating will cause a great decline in the cognitive process and bring great disarray to the student’s assignments and projects, yet that is not true; it is the complete opposite. Procrastinating will help generate greater learning environments, and will allow you to pass the class. Your learning will improve in the sense, as you will begin to develop better skills; and in the meanwhile, you’ll have more time to do the activities which are fun. Some good ways to procrastinate include creating a schedule, and then clearing it. Furthermore, by doing this you will begin to see that your schedule is free, and this will take your mind off your work. Once you set your mind to it, the procrastinating will become the easiest part. The urge to complete the assignment will be crawling behind your ear, yet over time you will learn to ignore this voice. Staying up late and doing your assignment is better for you, and your grade, as you are more awake and understanding of your surroundings, and overall you are the one in control of your thoughts; and not your sleep deprived self. This will be a challenge at first, but a challenge worth taking on. As mentioned earlier. Procrastinating takes much attention and skill; moreover, if you become more efficient at it, your grades will rise, and you will have more fun in the

    Read More

  • Mythology In Mythology

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    How is the word myth used popularly? In today’s society, myths are more commonly referred to as a story that is known amongst a group that may or may not have any truth or validity to it. These type of stories have been told from one generation to another generation with a common theme every time it is said or repeated. I remember growing up my older sister would scare us younger kids with the urban myth of Candyman. This was during a time before I even knew about the movie, and for her, it was a way to scare us kids out of our wits. She would tell us about this story of a slave who returns from the dead as a ghost who was in search of revenge and could only be summoned by saying his name five times while facing a mirror.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Hamlet Was Certainly Sane

    2213 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Excerpted from Stories from Shakespeare. N. p.: E. P. Dutton, 1956.

    Read More

  • Othello is Not a Tragic Hero

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dutton, R., & Howard, J.E. (2003). A Companion to Shakespeare’s Works.(p. 9) Maiden, MA: Blackwell Pub.

    Read More

  • hamlet

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    The. “Hamlet.” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 9th ed. of the book. Edgar V. Roberts.

    Read More

  • Deaf Culture Gap Essay

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    10. Would you be open to the idea of having ASL a part of the school curriculum, and as a mandatory second language

    Read More

  • Animal Imagery in Shakespeare's Coriolanus

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. "Shakespeare." Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech On Sweatshops

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    “I am, somehow, less interested in the weight, and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived, and died in cotton fields, and sweatshops.”- Stephen Jay Gould. Sweatshops exploit people, and children. They take advantage of their poverty, and there need, for a better life. Sweatshops are one of the worst things that ever happened to the business world, and poor people around the world. Sweatshops should be stopped, and ended.

    Read More

  • Hamlet-identity Crisis

    1845 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably one of the best plays known to English literature. It presents the protagonist, Hamlet, and his increasingly complex path through self discovery. His character is of an abnormally complex nature, the likes of which not often found in plays, and many different theses have been put forward about Hamlet's dynamic disposition. One such thesis is that Hamlet is a young man with an identity crisis living in a world of conflicting values.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Hamlet as a Tragic Hero

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the play’s tragic hero, Hamlet exhibits a combination of good and bad traits.  A complex character, he displays a variety of characteristics throughout the play’s development.  When he is first introduced in Act I- Scene 2, one sees Hamlet as a sensitive young prince who is mourning the death of his father, the King.  In addition, his mother’s immediate marriage to his uncle has left him in even greater despair.   Mixed in with this immense sense of grief, are obvious feelings of anger and frustration.  The combination of these emotions leaves one feeling sympathetic to Hamlet; he becomes a very “human” character.  One sees from the very beginning that he is a very complex and conflicted man, and that his tragedy has already begun.

    Read More

  • Condemned: Hamlet’s Moral Dilemma

    1663 Words  | 4 Pages

    Corum, Richard. Understanding Hamlet: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. Print.

    Read More

  • Inconsistency in The Character of Hamlet

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    The perfection of Hamlet’s character has been called in question - perhaps by those who do not understand it. The character of Hamlet stands by itself. It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment. Hamlet is as little of the hero as a man can be.  He is a young and princely novice, full of high enthusiasm and quick sensibility - the sport of circumstances, questioning with fortune and refining on his own feelings, and forced from his natural disposition by the strangeness of his situation.

    Read More

  • Hamlet as the Tragic Hero

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. Here, Shakespeare exposes Hamlet’s flaws as a heroic character. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main character’s unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness. This fatal attribute led to the death of several people which included his mother and the King of Denmark. Although he is described as being a brave and intelligent person, his tendency to procrastinate prevented him from acting on his father’s murder, his mother’s marriage, and his uncle’s ascension to the throne.

    Read More

  • Hamlet – A Psychological Drama

    1933 Words  | 4 Pages

    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. “Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.” Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.

    Read More

More about Characterization within the Drama Hamlet

Open Document