Disease and Death in Hamlet
analytical Essay
986 words
Disease and Death in Hamlet
In Shakespeare's time, Denmark was a horrible, rotting, poisoned land due to its hidden deceit. In "Hamlet," Shakespeare makes many references to this as a means of clarifying relationships in the story. Writers often use imagery to provide detail and development, which help us understand ideas within and the atmosphere of the play. Hamlet, Horatio, and the ghost are the characters who allude to Denmark's state of decay. Shakespeare's frequent references to death and disease are not only evidence of the harsh and dirty living conditions of the time; they are a recurrent theme in all of his works.
Hamlet himself constantly references disease. After the death of his father and marriage of his mother, his mind becomes dark and he enters a grim state of being. Although cowardly at first, Hamlet becomes bent on avenging his father whose murder was "most foul." In one of Hamlet's first soliloquies, his downward spiral becomes evident as he is already contemplating suicide; "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew (I, II, ...
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...AMS Press, 1994.
Hodkin, Maud. Disease and Death in Hamlet Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1934.
Levin, Richard. 1990. 'The Poetics and Politics of Bardicide.' PMLA 105: 491-504.
Shakespeare, William. The Tradegy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992
Vickers, Brian. Appropriating Shakespeare: Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1993.
Watson, Robert N. 1990. 'Giving up the Ghost in a World of Decay: Hamlet, Revenge and Denial.' Renaissance Drama 21:199-223.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's references to death and disease are a recurrent theme in all of his works.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's death imagery helps us feel what hamlet is experiencing because we can actually picture festering carrion as a metaphor for his death.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's use of decay and disease imagery helps to get the reader to understand the exact feelings, emotions, and atmosphere of the scene.
- Analyzes how the use of poison imagery wraps up the story, unravels the denouement, and makes the reader satisfied.
- Analyzes how shakespeare uses disease, poison and death imagery in both poetic and non-poetic manners and emphasizes the atmosphere and emotion of the play.
- Cites burnett, mark, and hodkin, maud. disease and death in hamlet oxford: oxford university press, 1934.
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- Cites watson, robert n., "giving up the ghost in a world of decay: hamlet, revenge and denial." renaissance drama 21:199-223.
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1720 wordsRead More - Disease Imagery In Shakespeare's Hamlet, By William Shakespeareanalytical essayIn the original play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is funneled into a situation where he feels obligated to avenge his murdered father. Disease imagery is evident all throughout the play ranging from the beginning with the King’s ghost, to the end with Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother. Through disease imagery, William Shakespeare illustrates the human nature of corruption that drives an individual to benefit his own greed at the expense of others.
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- Analyzes how shakespeare illustrates the human nature of corruption that drives an individual to benefit his own greed at the expense of others.
- Quotes from confessing claudius: sovereignty, fraternity and isolation at the heart of hamlet.
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- Analyzes how shakespeare uses a simile to describe the corruption that drives an individual to benefit his own greed at the expense of others.
- Analyzes how shakespeare proved that individuals will harm even themselves if they believe that the reward is greater than the risk.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare explores the idea of suicide as an important theme through the imagination and actions of his characters.
- Analyzes how hamlet is approached by an apparition, claiming to be his deceased father, and the ghost tells him that claudius was the man who killed him.
- Analyzes how ophelia's thoughts and actions illustrate the insecure character she is.
- Analyzes how the final destruction begins with hamlet's tentative temperament; his prolonged plan to seek revenge for his father’s murder has led to the accidental murder of polonius.
- Analyzes how shakespeare reveals various perspectives and beliefs about suicide throughout the minds and actions of his characters.
1311 wordsRead More - Death, Decay and Disease in Hamletanalytical essayDeath, Decay and Disease in Hamlet Within ‘Hamlet’, Shakespeare makes a number of references to Denmark's degraded state due to the deceit that lies within. These references are made by Hamlet, Horatio as well as the apparition, thus enforcing the strong theme of death, decay and disease. As aforementioned Hamlets makes a number of references to Denmark. Preceding the death of his father and the marriage of his mother, his mental state begins to fall into demise .
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet, horatio, and the apparition enforcing the strong theme of death, decay and disease.
- Analyzes how the notion of festering carrion being a metaphor for king hamlets death epitomizes this notion. the ghost furthers the idea by stating at the moment of his death, his skin became "most lazar-like with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body."
- Analyzes how shakespeare's use of decay and disease imagery is associated with horror.
- Explains that poison is the third example of imagery that shakespeare frequently uses. it refers to claudius and denmark's state.
- Analyzes the use of irony and retributive justice in the play. claudius uses poison to kill king hamlet and his wife laertes.
- Analyzes how shakespeare uses poetic and non-poetic manners to emphasize the atmosphere and emotion of the play.
655 wordsRead More - Hamlet Death Essayanalytical essayDeath is an eternal mystery and the most controversial subject stemming from human inexperience. Its inescapability and uncertainty can give insights on the core principles and vulnerability of human nature. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet he skilfully makes use of death as a lashing force to explore the depths of his characters along the way illustrating man’s continual dilemma “To be or not to be”?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how death is an eternal mystery and the most controversial subject stemming from human inexperience. shakespeare's tragedy hamlet uses death as a lashing force to explore the depths of his characters.
- Analyzes how the reappearance of king hamlet in the spirit form of a ghost signifies and reinforces the suspicion clouding the demeanor of his death.
- Analyzes how hamlet's dialogue with others conveys his thoughts on specific topics in the play.
- Analyzes how king hamlet's impulsive killing of polonius, who he thought to be claudius spying on his personal conversation with his mother, leads to laertes' revenge and the death of ophelia.
613 wordsRead More - Mortality In Hamlet Essayanalytical essayIt is primal instinct for humans to say they understand what something means, even if they have never heard of it before. Take the word mortality, for example, news reporters and journalists are constantly saying it, but ask a viewer what it means and they will stumble. William Shakespeare however, understood mortality very well and was quite fond of using the word as a motif in many of his plays, especially so in Hamlet. By using direct references to disease and illness, an unweeded garden, and rotting and decay, Shakespeare’s Hamlet illustrates how death and corruption run rampant in the helpless state of Denmark while under the rule of Claudius.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that it is primal instinct for humans to say they understand what something means, even if they have never heard of it before. shakespeare understood mortality well and was quite fond of using the word as a motif in many of his plays, especially in hamlet.
- Analyzes how laertes pesters ophelia with warnings of her relationship with hamlet by using imagery of sickness and poor health.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's reference to sickness and disease highlights how strong the theme of death is in the play.
- Analyzes how shakespeare represents mortality in the symbolic metaphor of the unweeded garden. hamlet relates denmark's royal court to a garden by declaring that something foul is consuming the palace
- Analyzes how the royal family's realization that claudius is the index weed, which corrupts the entire garden of denmark, does not come until later in the play.
- Analyzes how marcellus coined an important quote that alludes to the play's overall theme of corruption and death without explicitly stating it.
- Analyzes how hamlet uses the imagery of a decomposing dead dog to allude to the decaying state of denmark.
- Analyzes how the theme of mortality is overbearing in shakespeare's hamlet. understanding what influences mortality, is an important aspect of the play.
1316 wordsRead More - Death In Hamlet Essayanalytical essayAncient Greek and Christianity both have different vision of death. Therefore, the idea of death and the afterlife was contrarily shown in the two texts. Death permeates Hamlet from the beginning of the tragedy through the ghost of king Hamlet. Suicide was desirable way to replace suffering the life but it is forbidden by the Christian religion. Also Hamlet explains how the body return to dust at the end and what happen in the afterlife. However, death in apology by Plato was unknown idea thus Socrates does not fear it. In addition death is an honourable thing for men. For Socrates death is the nonexistence or the transmigration of the soul.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ancient greek and christianity have different visions of death and the afterlife. death permeates hamlet from the beginning of the tragedy.
- Analyzes how death pervades hamlet from the introductory part of the play. the ghost of hamlet announces the notion of death and it costs.
- Analyzes how the ghost clarifies to hamlet that his soul is left wandering on earth because his murdered has been unpunished yet.
- Analyzes how hamlet's first soliloquy introduces the idea of suicide; he desired that his body dissolves and the self-slaughter not seen as a transgression.
- Analyzes how hamlet's hostility with death starts in his detection of yorick’s skull and his concern with the physicality of death.
- Analyzes how hamlet's soliloquy examines the moral legitimacy of suicide. he compares death to sleep to comprise the opportunity of dreaming, where the dreams in the sleep may be daunting and harmful on the person.
- Analyzes how socrates in apology explains that death is an unknown thing. men should not fear from something they don't know about.
- Explains that death is an honourable duty for socrates. he obstinately claimed that he will not change his action or philosophy, but chose death several times and continued true to his spirit and personality.
- Explains that if there is no consciousness but only a dreamless sleep, death must be marvellous gain. the first explanation of the meaning of death is the non-existent or annihilation.
- Explains that socrates believed that there is only one place where the dead go to but we think logically there might be different places where souls after death.
- Concludes that the idea of death in hamlet was different from that in apology by plato. death for socrates is the nonexistence or the transmigration of the soul to another place.
1315 wordsRead More - The Importance of Fear in Hamletanalytical essayDisplaying an 'antic disposition', Hamlet first attempts to side step his trepidation by feigning madness. After meeting with his fathers proposed ghost, Hamlet attempts to distance himself from the thought or evidence of death. Hamlet notifies his friends, Marcellus and Horatio, of his plan to distract the kingdom from his real intentions. Although Hamlet proposes this as a way to fool those in Denmark, in the last lines of his meeting with Horatio and Marcellus, he curses that this revenge be placed upon him. This is the first indication of Hamlets reluctance to perform murder. Hamlet then returns to Claudius and Gertrude, at the castle, and acts out his madness for them and for the visitor, Polonius. Upon speaking to Polonius, Polonius picks up upon Hamlets 'madness', yet decides that this unnatural nature is because if Ophelia's behavior toward Hamlet. Indication of Hamlets fear is presented when Polonius asks leave of the prince. Hamlet then states that Polonius can take anything from him, anything but his life. Hamlet repeats thrice this idea of taking anything 'except [his] life.' Not only does this indicate how compulsive Hamlets fake insanity is becoming, but how afraid he is of dying. During the 'To be or not to be' soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates his view of death. As he go...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how fear plays an important role in shakespeare's tragic play, hamlet. the main character attempts to overcome his fear and fulfill his father’s revenge.
- Analyzes how hamlet displays an 'antic disposition' when he feigns madness and distances himself from the thought or evidence of death.
- Analyzes how hamlet's indecision towards the afterlife carries over into his actions when trying to go through with claudius' murder.
- Narrates how hamlet confronts the finality of death, breaking his guise of insanity.
- Analyzes how hamlet overcomes his fears to focus his father's revenge and face confidently his end. his indecision prolongs the 'rotting' in denmark.
- States bloom, harold, danson, lawrence, goldman, michael, and rose, mark, in modern critical interpretations: hamlet.
1064 wordsRead More - Hamlets Obsession with Deathanalytical essayHamlet's Obsession With Death In Hamlet, William Shakespeare presents the main character Hamlet as a man who is fixated on death. Shakespeare uses this obsession to explore both Hamlet's desire for revenge and his need for assurance. In the process, Shakespeare directs Hamlet to reflect on basic principles such as justice and truth by offering many examples of Hamlet's compulsive behavior; as thoughts of death are never far from his mind. It is apparent that Hamlet is haunted by his father's death.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare uses hamlet's obsession with death to explore both his desire for revenge and his need for assurance.
- Analyzes how hamlet questions the unbearable pain of life and views death through the metaphor of sleep. his lack of knowledge about what happens in the afterlife causes him to question what death will bring.
- Analyzes how hamlet's obsession with death fuels his desire for revenge.
- Analyzes how hamlet is a man who needs to be in control of his actions and assured of the outcomes.
- Analyzes how hamlet learns about justice through the lesson of forgiveness. he realizes that everyone will eventually die and get their just punishments.
1081 wordsRead More - Hamlet Vs. Much Ado About Nothinganalytical essayShakespeare, William. The New Cambridge Shakespeare: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Philip Edwards. Cambridge: Cambridge U P, 1985.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hamlet and much ado about nothing have the same author, but both have similarities and differences in themes.
- Analyzes how love in hamlet is often depressing, even though love is wanted by all.
- Analyzes how much ado about nothing is based on love and the relationship between claudio and hero.
- Analyzes how hamlet's mother marries her brother-in-law after her husband dies. the immediate marriage between gertrude and claudio is scandalous.
- Analyzes how hamlet wanted the king to confess his guilt during the play so he retold the story of the whole situation.
- Analyzes how hamlet's depressing questioning of life and death is a question of great matter, and the existence of humans is looked at throughout the novel.
- Analyzes how hamlet's conversation with the gravedigger shows how lightly he views death. he picks up a human skull from one of the graves and stares at it in amazement.
- Compares hamlet and much ado about nothing in terms of love, marriage, and death, but they are both viewed differently.
- Explains shakespeare, william, and philip edwards' the new cambridge shakespeare: hamlet, prince of denmark.
1746 wordsRead More