William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He was the son of John and Mary Shakespeare. William attended his town's local grammar school at age six and graduated ten years later. When he was eighteen, he married a woman named Anne Hathaway who gave birth to twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet drowned a few years later. It is said that William named his famous play Hamlet after his son and included a drowning scene in his honor. After the loss of his son, William left his family behind and headed for London to write plays. He was a poet and playwright. He wrote many famous plays, including Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. His stories were very popular with the English people because some of them were about English kings, like Henry IV. One of the characters from Henry IV was Falstaff, a drunk and crude knight. People liked him so much that William wrote another play using Falstaff, entitled The Merry Wives of Windsor. Shakespeare lived during the Renaissance period, and was one of the most influential playwrights of his time. Hamlet is set in medieval times and relates the story of Hamlet, who is the son of the dead King of Denmark, which appears as a ghost. The ghost appears at midnight and hints to Hamlet and his two friends Horatio and Marcellus about his murder. Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, quickly marries Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius barely before the King’s body is even cold. Hamlet finds out that Claudius poisoned his father while he was sleeping to gain control of the throne. Hamlet confronts his mother about knowing about the murder of his father, and her affair with Claudius. Claudius attempts to kill Hamlet on a “vacation” voyage to England, by getting Rosncrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s boyhood friends to carry a letter to the King of England to chop off Hamlet’s head. Hamlet intercepts the letter, and sends a letter to the King of England, telling him to immediately cut off the heads of the messengers. Hamlet then plots to kill Claudius because “He… killed my king and whored my mother.” Laertes is allowed a duel against Hamlet to revenge his father, Polonius’, murder. Halfway into the duel, Claudius toasts the duelers, and drops a poison-coated pearl into the wine as an inducement for Hamlet to finish the drink. However, Gertrude decides to drink it herself.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that william shakespeare was born in stratford-upon-avon, england, and married anne hathaway, who gave birth to hamnet and judith. he wrote many famous plays, including macbeth, hamlet, romeo and juliet.
- Analyzes how hamlet is the son of the dead king of denmark, which appears as a ghost.
- Analyzes how hamlet is the son of the murdered king of denmark. he is revenging the death of his father, but turns out he kills polonius thinking it is his evil uncle claudius behind a tapestry
- Analyzes hamlet's love for his mother and hate for claudius' murderer. the theme of the play is revenge and justice.
- Opines that the play is a classic because it shows how easy people become obsessed with revenge and how it only leads to travesty.
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- Betrayal Of Claudius The King In William Shakespeare's Hamletanalytical essayWilliam Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play full of sorrow and excitement, its full of gore and
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's hamlet is a play full of sorrow, excitement, gore and incest. claudius, the king and hamlets uncle, is cold-hearted, hateful, and cowardly.
- Analyzes how the play starts off with a tense setting, as the guards have seen the ghost that looks like the oldking or hamlets father. claudius is the reason that kinghamlet dies
- Analyzes how the ghost's quote tells hamlet that claudius killed him when he was asleep and took his crown and his queen.
- Analyzes how claudius storms out of the stages and prays to heaven for forgiveness of his sins, knowing that hamlet has figured out what he has done.
- Analyzes how claudius prays for forgiveness but doesn't want to be sent to hell, since his words remain below, or on earth.
- Analyzes how claudius plans to send hamlet away to england with a note for the king of england to have him killed.
- Analyzes how laertes, the son of polonius, wants hamlet dead badly and tells him that they will have a jousting match.
- Opines that claudius' ruthless personality will have laertes venom his sword if he doesn't get hamlet. the end of the play is when gertrude, hamlets mother, drinks the poison instead of dying.
- Analyzes how hamlet picks up laertes’s sword and hits him with it. claudius' cold-heartedness is the reason why all this tragedy happened.
693 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayIn Shakespeare's tragic epic Hamlet, one man is torn between loyalty of his new king or the revenge of his old king and past on father. Should Hamlet lose everything while his uncle controls what should be his? Many things led to the down fall of Hamlet some of them are the murderous acts of Claudius, the act loyalty to revenge the death of a king and father, and the great depression that Hamlet struggles to control.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's tragic epic, hamlet, is torn between loyalty of his new king or revenge of an old one. claudius' murderous acts, loyalty to revenge, and depression led to his downfall.
- Analyzes how hamlet was determined to avenge his father's death and end the incestuous acts between an uncle and mother. ophelia and laertes also acted like out of control.
- Analyzes how the ghost of hamlet's father gave him the answer of revenge by telling him about the killer.
- Analyzes how hamlet is under great depression and constant internal struggle, and the civilization was coming down around him.
- Analyzes how hamlet struggles to keep his sanity. he debates whether he can forgive, and if his only peace would come from death.
540 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayHamlet none other than the underlying thought of doubt, shape the play and its characters in such a dramatic way. In fact the plays main questions and events all come about due to some doubt and uncertainty from any multitude of characters. Although a common theme for many no other one character portrays this literary theme and crippling condition then the stories main focus and protagonist, prince Hamlet. Hamlet struggles with believing the evidence brought to him of his fathers death, and goes through much indecision and pondering about life, death and his future endeavors before he eventually fufils his purpose. Hamlet even after he’s chosen his path is crippled by his chronic indecision and failure to act, and in the end is brought down by it. Through Hamlet we are clearly shown that doubt and thought have there place, but too much can and in hamlets becomes his downfall.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the underlying thought of doubt shapes the play and its characters in such a dramatic way. hamlet struggles with believing the evidence brought to him of his father's death, and goes through chronic indecision and failure to act.
- Analyzes how early scenes often foreshadow later events or some ultimate truth that will shape coming events. the play starts off with a question about identity.
- Analyzes how hamlet struggles with avenging his father's death and acting like an assassin. although not the boldest character, he is intelligent and knows the consequences of his plans.
- Analyzes how hamlet's resistance to his newfound purpose in life isn't fully accepted but he does seem to make progress with his plans.
- Analyzes how hamlet's doubt is not contained in his plot to avenge his father, but in existential questions about his motivation and life itself.
- Analyzes how hamlet hesitates when he sees claudius kneeling and praying for forgiveness. he doubts his actions, letting it affect his perception of others.
- Analyzes how hamlet's frame of mind affects his scheme to kill claudius, his personal life, and love for ophelia.
- Analyzes how hamlets doubt infiltrates all aspects of the play, from his inner struggles with identity to his enemy claudius and every character in between. only after being stabbed by the poisoned rapier and hearing directly from laertes can he act with out doubt.
1235 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayEcclesiastes 7: 17 said “Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?” Suicide is an important part in the bible. It is one of the things that is considered a sin in Christianity. The bible has lessons and commandments for Christians to follow and those lessons are represented in books. In the early 1600’s religion was an important part of people’s lives and writers incorporated it into their writings. William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in the early 1600’s and he wrote about religion while he was writing about a prince’s revenge on his uncle. His uncle killed his father and he was prepared to take revenge. Hamlet and Christianity are both about the good, the bad and the afterlife which makes Hamlet a Christian play.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that suicide is an important part of the bible and that it is considered a sin in christianity. shakespeare wrote hamlet about religion in the early 1600's.
- Analyzes how hamlet references god and what the bible says in his soliloquies, which makes it related to christianity.
- Explains that christianity is not only about what is bad and what are sins; it is also about forgiveness. god only forgives if someone actually regrets what they did.
- Analyzes how hamlet's father is murdered and he comes back as a ghost to tell his son to get revenge. different religions believe in heaven and hell.
- Explains that hamlet and christianity have the same views on what happens after someone dies and how the burial should be.
1194 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayIn Hamlet, Shakespeare follows regular convention for a large part of the play. In the beginning, Shakespeare sets up the scene, having a ghost on a dark night. Everyone is working and something strange is happening in Denmark. It is as if Shakespeare is saying that some kind of foul play has been committed.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet follows regular convention for a large part of the play. shakespeare sets up the scene, having an evil ghost, and the major theme of revenge.
- Analyzes how the ghost tells hamlet that he has been given the role of the person who will take revenge upon claudius.
- Analyzes how alltragic heroes delayed their actual revenge until the end of the play. hamlet started a battle ofwits with claudius by acting mad.
- Analyzes how claudius' "antic disposition" isolated him from the rest of the court because of his craziness.
- Analyzes how hamlet's delay of killingclaudius takes on three distinct stages. first, he had to prove that the ghost was actually telling the truth.
- Analyzes how hamlet decided not to murder claudius at this point in the play because he didn't get the opportunity to confess. he got sidetracked and killed polonius.
- Analyzes how hamlet stands out from other revenge plays of the period because it rejects conventions of its genre but enacts andanalyses them.
- Analyzes how hamlet is faced with the fact that he has toavenge the murder of his father, since there is no fairjustice available, and takes the law into his own hands.
- Analyzes how hamlet keeps a closer relationship with the audience with his seven main soliloquies including the famous, "to be, or not to be..."
- Analyzes how hamlet follows almost every aspect of thomaskyd’s formula for a revenge tragedy. the accomplices on both sides were notkilled because at the end of the play, horatio was the onlyone to survive.
- Analyzes how hamlet was a typical revenge tragedy of the elizabethan theater era.
- Analyzes how hamlet and the spanishtragedy tackled and conquered all areas that were required for the consummation of a great revenge tragedy.
- Explains that the elizabethan audience always insisted on seeing eventualjustice, and one who stained his hands with blood had to pay the penalty.
1020 wordsRead More - hamletanalytical essayhimself to a mythical character named Hecuba and wonders what the latter would do in
In this essay, the author
- Concludes that of the four soliloquies in the play we should only include two of them.
- Explains that in order to see which two we should include or omit we have to summarize all four soliloquies.
- Analyzes how hamlet's third soliloquy, "to be or not to be...", is basically a debate on life and whether it is worth living.
- Analyzes how hamlet realizes that he can't escape his destiny and has a sense of what is about to happen to him.
- Explains that after paraphrasing all four soliloquies a decision has to be made as to what to include. the first and third ones should be included.
- Opines that the third soliloquy should also be included because it is the most famous speech in all of the english language.
- Analyzes hamlet's speech on his plan to have the players perform a play to see claudius reactions. the final soliloquy should be omitted because we see the same reasoning.
- Concludes that hamlet's four soliloquies should be added since they add precedence to the play while the second and fourth just are.
657 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayShakespeare’s characterization of Hamlet changes through the course of the play. It is most evident in an examination of his soliloquies. The progression of Hamlet is from an innocent person to a murderous madman.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's characterization of hamlet changes through the course of the play. it is most evident in an examination of his soliloquies.
- Analyzes how hamlet blames himself for many problems in act ii. he is angry with himself because he has done nothing with his plan to kill claudius.
- Analyzes how hamlet's soliloquy questions how other people become emotional. he asks what hecuba means to the actor on stage, who cried because of her.
- Analyzes how the actor is disgusted by what has just happened. he hates claudius and talks about him more in this soliloquy.
- Analyzes how hamlet comes up with yet another plan to find out if claudius indeed murdered his father. he stops assaulting himself and starts to talk more declaratively about his new plan.
- Asks whether it is nobler to suffer, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them.
- Analyzes how hamlet is not attacking himself in this soliloquy, but contemplating an issue. he compares death to sleep, and argues that people don't commit suicide, because they don’t know what comes after death.
- Analyzes how hamlet wonders why he hasn't acted and avenged his father's murder by the fourth soliloquy in act iv.
- Narrates how a delicate and tender prince puffs at the invisible event, exposing what is mortal and uncertain, even for an egg-shell.
- Analyzes how the soliloquy implies that one is not a man without honor.
- Analyzes how the three soliloquies of hamlet, in act ii, iii, and iv, emphasize a successive change that is seen in him.
727 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayIn Lesson 19 of the videotape “Literary Visions';, the actor performs two interpretations of the monologue, “To be or not to be';. As said in the video, there are many ways that an actor can choose to interpret that particular speech in Hamlet. Many actors relish the opportunity to perform Hamlet, because of that particular speech. In a play, the actors’ interpretation of the character is what gives the audience the background and insights into the characters’ feelings, since there is not a narrator, like in a short story. Each actor’s version of Hamlet is different, and therefore the interpretation by the audience will be different. There is not a right or wrong interpretation, but a change in the actor’s tone of voice or facial expressions, can transform the meanings of the words. As seen in the video, the actor’s two interpretations of “To be or not to be'; from the video are very different from each other.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the actor performs two interpretations of hamlet's monologue, “to be or not to be', in lesson 19 of the videotape.
- Analyzes how hamlet is portrayed as being extremely serious in the first rendition of 'to be or not to be'. he ponders the pros and the cons of his decisions to distinguish which would be the best.
- Analyzes how the actor portrays hamlet as if he is in a raging fury in the second version of 'to be or not to be'.
- Analyzes how the first version of 'to be or not to be' portrays hamlet as a calmer person who doesn't want to resort to violence, but knows that he must.
569 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essaySomething was definitely rotten in the state of Denmark! The king was dead of a terrible murder, a betrayal from his own brother, and young Hamlet was enraged with a sense of needing to seek revenge, which came with his father’s passing. You might think that this sort of revenge would come in the form of a crime of passion; something that would be quick and bloody. This was not the case in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, as the young prince unexpectedly drew out his plans for revenge over a large amount of time due to his own weakness of numbness.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet was enraged with a sense of needing revenge, which came with his father's passing. the young prince unexpectedly drew out his plans for revenge due to his own weakness.
- Analyzes how hamlet was full of big ideas and intentions, but he failed to act and carry out the deed of revenging the death of his father by killing claudius.
- Opines that hamlet's actions, except for his outburst at ophelia’s grave, were preplanned. he was never quick to action, but he was always thinking aloud and giving long speeches.
- Explains that hamlet wanted everything to be perfect, and this caused him to take unusual steps to gain his revenge on claudius. his play within a play caught the conscience of the king.
- Analyzes how hamlet's delay of vengeance was necessary in order for his ideal revenge to come about, but his decision to remain idle helped bring a downfall to himself.
- Analyzes how hamlet's patient form of acting did not destroy his revenge, but his action regarding his love for opheila did. he let down his guard when he saw ophelia in her coffin during the dishonorable burial.
482 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayThe appearance of madness and the reality of sadness are common occurrences after an unexpected experience of sorrow. The protagonist appears mad while the antagonist stays reserved and in control even with the guilt of killing his own brother. The appearance of sadness and madness play a role with select characters. Select characters, Hamlet and Claudius, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, portray characteristics of a villain, while one acts as a villain with manipulation and murder, the other ponders over villainous acts. Without Claudius influence on Hamlet’s revenge, none of the deaths would have occurred, thus making Claudius a deadlier villain than Hamlet.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the appearance of madness and the reality of sadness are common occurrences after an unexpected experience of sorrow. select characters, hamlet and claudius, portray characteristics of a villain.
- Analyzes how a feeling of sympathy can be felt towards hamlet but it is hard to sympathize with claudius.
- Analyzes how claudius usurps the throne by murdering king hamlet and uses rosencrantz and guildenstern to squeeze information out of him.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's hamlet demonstrates the true goals of a villain: revenge and murder.
682 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayme to know’t, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love,
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how began to question his own sanity over what he thinks about the situation.
- Narrates how he waits for the ideal moment to avenge his father's murder.
- Explains that they'll observe his looks and tent him to the quick if he but blench.
- Analyzes how hamlet proves the king's guilt and that he killed his father.
- Narrates how the vile king is enraged that his father is his.
- Narrates how he makes a plan with claudius to poison his soul.
- Opines that he does not act to establish an army and seek revenge on the country of denmark.
- Analyzes the soliloquy and labels of fortinbras as a man.
- Explains that fortinbras inspired him to become a man of action who is ready to take on the world.
- Analyzes how the characters in the play are very similar but yet different at the same time. they had love and respect for their fathers.
- Analyzes how hamlet lets things dwell in his mind before taking any action or making any attempt at trying to get on with his life.
- Analyzes how the scene shows that he is no longer in such a rush.
- Analyzes how claudius believed it was too good of a death for him and that if he were killed his sins would be forgiven.
- Narrates how the villain breaks their pate across, blows off their beard, tweaks them by the nose, and lies to the lungs.
- Explains that hamlet acts on emotions alone, and agrees to "be ruled" by the king so that he "shall not choose but fall and for his death no wind of blame shall."
- Analyzes how hamlet saw him as rationale and a good leader as he offered the crown of denmark upon him.
1003 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayHamlet, a play by William Shakespeare, was written in approximately the middle to late 1590's, while Shakespeare's work was flourishing, and his company was putting up the Globe Theater. Shakespeare was a profound writer, and Hamlet is considered to be his most prolific writing, and is a favorite among the readers. It is a tragic tale of conspiracy, death, disease, and a young man's struggle to avenge his father's murder.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet, a play by william shakespeare, was written in the middle to late 1590's, while his work was flourishing and his company was putting up the globe theater.
- Analyzes hamlet's life as a promising king, torn apart by the death of his father and his mother, gertrude, and claudius' hasty marriage.
- Analyzes how shakespeare used dramatic elements to enhance his plays, such as dramatic irony, subplots, monologues and dialogues. hamlet, in its entirety, is an excellent example of these things.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's verse forms can tell the reader what kind of person is talking. polonius talks in rhyme verse, which was used by fools, lovers, and fairies.
- Analyzes shakespeare's use of dramatic elements to keep the play flowing, such as the letter that hamlet gives to ophelia, eavesdropping, and violence.
598 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayHamlet’s self destruction is due to his reluctance to accept the role that he has been cast in. His reluctance leads to his delay which is the reason for his self destruction. His delay causes him to over think situations. He delays by spending his time pondering about situations and making plans that do not solve the heart of the problem; until the very end.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet's self destruction is due to his reluctance to accept the role that he has been cast in. his delay causes him to overthink situations.
- Analyzes how hamlet's fatal flaw is his conscience. he needs to question everything, and because of that, he delays the task given to him by his father.
- Analyzes how hamlet was given the task to take revenge for his father and to leave his mother out of the revenge. he doesn't accept or act on his role, but instead he chooses to verify whether or not the ghosts' words are true.
- Analyzes how hamlet isn't a head basher and resorts to more thought out methods to uncover claudius' deed. he has not taken revenge by doing this, but has satisfied his own conscience.
- Analyzes how hamlet didn't account for his strong feelings for when he sees claudius' reaction. he confronts his mother and kills polonius.
539 wordsRead More - Hamletanalytical essayIn the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the main character, Hamlet, is often perceived by the other characters in the play as being mentally unbalanced because he acts in ways that drive them to think he is mad. Hamlet may very well be psychotic; however, there are times when he “feigns insanity” in order to unearth the truth surrounding his father's death. This plan seems to be going well until Hamlet's mental state slowly begins to deteriorate. What began as an act of insanity or antic disposition transitions from an act to a tragic reality. After studying Hamlet's actions, one will notice that as the play progresses, his feigned insanity becomes less and less intentional and devolves into true mental illness.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet's feigned madness only appears when he is around certain characters, such as claudius, gertrude, polonius, rosencrantz, ophelia and guildenstern.
- Analyzes how hamlet feigns insanity, but now he is truly mad. in act iii, scene i, hamlets considers suicide, and ophelia confronts him about their feelings toward one another.
- Analyzes how hamlet's feigned insanity gradually devolves into true mental illness as the play progresses.
- Analyzes how hamlet tricked his audience into believing that he was mad. claudius confesses his guilt in a conversation with polonius.
- Analyzes how hamlet's behavior towards ophelia is one example of his changed disposition.
1500 wordsRead More - Was Hamlet Really Mad Essayanalytical essayWhile most people believe that Hamlet went mad for one reason, being that he saw his father's ghost, what Hamlet actually did was convince those around him that he was mad. When in reality, he was only pretending to be mad for one reason which was that he was seeking revenge for his father and Uncle, all he can think about is blood. He says, “O, this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth.”1 This is the indication that he has made a decision. He mentions that if you only think about what you want, rather than act upon it, you will never get it.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes hamlet's line 3 of act 4, scene 4.
- Analyzes how beauty transforms honesty from what it is to a bawd than beauty can translate beauty into his likeness. i did love you once.
- Analyzes how a villain kills his father, and for that, i, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.
- Narrates hamlet's "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."
- Narrates hamlet's senior ghost, scene 5, page 14: "thus was i, sleeping, by a brother'
- Analyzes hamlet's line 3 of act 4, scene 4.
- Analyzes how beauty transforms honesty from what it is to a bawd than beauty can translate beauty into his likeness. i did love you once.
- Analyzes how a villain kills his father, and for that, i, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.
- Narrates hamlet's "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."
- Narrates hamlet's senior ghost, scene 5, page 14: "thus was i, sleeping, by a brother'
- Analyzes hamlet's line 3 of act 4, scene 4.
- Analyzes how beauty transforms honesty from what it is to a bawd than beauty can translate beauty into his likeness. i did love you once.
- Analyzes how a villain kills his father, and for that, i, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.
- Narrates hamlet's "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."
- Narrates hamlet's senior ghost, scene 5, page 14: "thus was i, sleeping, by a brother'
- Analyzes how hamlet's act of madness made the other characters believe that he was truly mad.
547 wordsRead More