Comparison Of Hamlet's Prison: More Than A Ball And Chain

Hamlet’s Prison: More Than a Ball and Chain

The death of Danish King Frederik, in 1533, catalyzed a civil war within Denmark. At the war’s completion, the council of the state decided to postpone, indefinitely, the appointment of a new king. With divided power, it was considered that both the parliament and the later elected king would form the crown of Denmark, holding the highest level of sovereignty. Thus, the vote, for the king, would change the course of the country’s history and give immense power to a single person. In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, set at the end of the 1500s, Prince Hamlet of Denmark is in an ideal position to be elected. When his father, the king, dies, Hamlet’s plan is foiled by his uncle who quickly marries the widowed queen. Frustrated and trapped, Hamlet confesses that “Denmark is a prison” (2.2.262).

After greeting them cordially with “Good lads, How do you both” (2.2.243-244) Hamlet gives a sense to the audience that he is light-hearted, contrasting the evidence seen his turmoil. This does not last long though. It quickly turns around when Hamlet asserts that “There are many confines, wards, and dungeons [in Denmark]” (2.2.265). This rapid change of tone would easily make his friends question his sanity and hints the audience to his unbalanced state of mind. It continues to show how Hamlet is trapped because he is unsure to be happy and cordial or serious and dark. The conversation quickly turns into a debate of the imprisonment of Denmark. Hamlet, feeling the confinement of “one o’ the worst” (2.2.265-266) prisons, is adamant about proving his point and seems to be far more emotional about his side of the argument. Hamlet explains how “thinking makes [the prison] so” (2.2.269), enlightening his friends of a reason for his