Critique of Hamlet

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Recommended: Relevance of Shakespeare in the 21st century

William Shakespeare's works are over 400 years old, yet, they still are prevalent in modern day both in schools and as entertainment. However the works of Shakespeare are generally not well received initially by students and is often met with both fear and distaste. Why are Shakespeare's work met with such hostility by the youth of today and why are his works still around after 400 years?. I will try to answer these questions by taking a look at one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, Hamlet. I will be taking a look at how relevant his characters are to modern day readers, whether or not the plot is outdated in style or structure and if his themes still are prevalent in modern day.
The characters of Hamlet or rich in their personalities and have established the archetypes of many characters over time. Hamlet is the protagonist of the play and he is the archetype of a tragic hero which is someone who's own downfall is caused by a fatal flaw in their character. Hamlet is tasked with killing his uncle for murdering his father the king of Denmark. Hamlet is procrastinator and is very slow and methodical in how he carries out this duty. Carrying out his duty so slowly begins to cause problems for Hamlet as he never seems to find the time for acting rather then planning. Hamlet does however act rashly once during the play and by doing so he slays an innocent man and brings about his inevitable demise. Hamlets character is very relatable to the modern audience as everyone is slow to do something they would rather not do and acting rashly instead of thinking often causes problems. An example of a modern day Hamlet or tragic hero is Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series who has very noble intentions but his constant hot headiness l...

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...of Laertes, Fortinbras and Hamlet the viewer realises that revenge is acceptable but only upon those truly guilty and that there must be an end to the hatred caused by revenge.

The characters, plot, and themes that are presented in Hamlet are still very much relevant to the modern world. The characters of Hamlet are still relatable because of the archetypes they have created and the problems that they face throughout the play. The plot of Hamlet is different from modern plots because of its aged structure, yet it is no less effective on catching the readers attention and holding it because of its uniqueness. The theme of revenge in Hamlet will make many question as to whether or not revenge is indeed acceptable and allow the viewers to understand many of the characters reasons for their actions. Shakespeare's works are indeed timeless and Hamlet is no exception.

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