The psychology behind inner conflict and an individual’s decisions has been well explored, but it can be truly demonstrated through the use of William Shakespeare’s dramatic play, Hamlet. An inner conflict evolves as he learns of his father’s death and that it was due to the ambitions of his uncle Claudius. Depression is the first conflict that is shown by Hamlet in which he is mourning, but shortly after we see a contemplation between action and inaction in regards to avenging his father’s death. He eventually reaches an epiphany which allows him to truly understand that absolute control can not be achieved. Until one’s life is hurt by another’s evil ambitions, a true understanding of self is not yet fully developed. It is when they are influenced …show more content…
One soon realizes that this later turns into anger and spite. This is seen by how Hamlet became extremely mournful after the loss of his father and goes on to say that “Tis not alone my inky cloak good mother. But I have that within which passes show, these but the trappings and suits of woe” [I, ii, 90]. He has a dark emotion trapped in his being that he expresses through his apparel. Hamlet is feeling a deep depression due to his father’s death, but it is not until he speaks with the ghost of his father that his emotions escalate. King Hamlet’s ghost goes on to say that “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” [I, v, 47]. This making Hamlet’s heart clench, he allows his emotions to escalate even further causing a sense of hopelessness in the world around him. Due to Claudius’ ambitious killing of the King, Hamlet feels the loss rather deeply but is now faced with a new emotion. He feels anger and resentment towards the smiling, damned villain and now has to decide whether it is just to avenge his father’s …show more content…
Hamlet gets agitated with himself once he sees that he is unable to make a decision about killing Claudius and it is not until he speaks with the captain from Fortinbras’ army that he sees how to change this. He learns about their plans to invade the Polish for nothing but a worthless piece of land. Hamlet now becomes more determined to carry out his actions after seeing the ambition of Fortinbras and how easily he made his decision. Hamlet wishes he could be this decisive and cunning and he now sees how it is done. From this point onwards Hamlet has made up his mind that “from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth.” [IV, iv, 67]. With his new found way of thinking, he later speaks with Horatio saying that "There 's a divinity that shapes our ends rough hew them how we will." [V, ii, 12]. Hamlet shows after he sees how easily decisions can be made that fate plays a part in everything around him and that no one has absolute control. He has to let go in order for things to fall into place the way they are meant to be and all he can do is the best of his ability. ”The readiness is all.” [V, ii, 216]. His way of overthinking is over and has changed his entire outlook and perception on life and his own
Conflict, in literary context, can be defined as “the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction.” Conflicts can be external, between two or more persons, or internal, within one’s self. In most literature the conflict adds to the execution of the plot itself. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” makes use of both forms of conflict as an essential element of the play. I will show how “Hamlet” presents inner and outer conflicts with examples of each and how their resolutions (if any) serve as a major part of the overall play itself.
On the journey through the path of life, there are encounters with many different incidents and situations where we must act accordingly. Depending on what type of personality is possessed, there are numerous ways that we can deal with these encounters. In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the main character is confronted with a cluster of dilemmas and is in emotional distress. The ghost that encounters Hamlet, the monarchs’ incest, and the contemplation of murder, are the major conflicts which he must deal with one way or another. As a result of these three issues, as well as Hamlet’s particular character, he handles these issues internally which causes internal struggle and a passive response.
One might say that Hamlet could be linked to many news articles today, specifically, consider the case featuring the Bever teens. These teens really didn’t have a motive behind their actions. Hamlet didn’t have a specific motive other than revenge, and the Bever brothers possibly had the same mind set. Maybe their parents didn’t treat them fairly, or possibly they struggled with coping with these parent struggles, just like Hamlet. He was still coping with his father’s death and his mom got over it pretty quickly. That could be a reason why Hamlet was out for revenge. Hamlet came across as a confused man. He was a very passionate man and then he descended into a deep, dark state of depression. A conclusion could be made for the brothers also.
Hamlet, a young prince preparing to become King of Denmark, cannot understand or cope with the catastrophes in his life. After his father dies, Hamlet is filled with confusion. However, when his father's ghost appears, the ghost explains that his brother, Hamlet's Uncle Claudius, murdered him. In awe of the supposed truth, Hamlet decides he must seek revenge and kill his uncle. This becomes his goal and sole purpose in life. However, it is more awkward for Hamlet because his uncle has now become his stepfather. He is in shock by his mother's hurried remarriage and is very confused and hurt by these circumstances. Along with these familial dysfunctions, Hamlet's love life is diminishing. It is an "emotional overload" for Hamlet (Fallon 40). The encounter with the ghost also understandably causes Hamlet great distress. From then on, his behavior is extremely out of context (Fallon 39). In Hamlet's first scene of the play, he does not like his mother's remarriage and even mentions his loss of interest in l...
William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet strikes many literary chords and themes. It primarily chronicles a quest for revenge, political intrigue and a slow descent into madness. Throughout the play, two men of different rank and intellect; Hamlet and Laertes are portrayed in this play as each other’s foils. Hamlet who has lost his father in the hands of his uncle and Laertes who has lost his father in the hands of Hamlet, seek out similar goals but in very distinct ways. Hamlet and Laertes both go through stages of their carving vengeance to finally fulfill their goals of killing their fathers’ murderers. The readers detect that Hamlet goes in the path of plotting and deceiving to kill Claudius whereas Laertes goes in a more haste and reckless path
One single moment or event during the course of an individual’s life can effectively alter their priorities and transform their identity drastically. In The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare introduces the readers to the protagonist Hamlet who is draped in anger and emotions and has a new-found mission in life. Initially, Hamlet is portrayed as an individual in mourning over his father's death and his mother's haste in remarrying to her brother-in-law and Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. However, Hamlet’s character and personality were drastically altered after meeting the Ghost and discovering the true nature of his Father’s death. Hamlet is now a man with a lust for revenge and a willingness to do anything that will enable him to accomplish this goal. When burdened with the task of killing Claudius, Hamlet chooses to sacrifice all he holds dear by transforming his identity in a noble effort to avenge his father’s death.
Throughout the play Hamlet is in constant conflict with himself. An appearance of a ghost claiming to be his father, “I am thy father’s spirit”(I.v.14) aggravates his grief, nearly causing him to commit suicide and leaving him deeply disgusted and angered. Upon speaking with his ghost-father, Hamlet learns that his uncle-stepfather killed Hamlet the King. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown”(I.v.45-46) Hamlet is beside himself and becomes obsessed with plotting and planning revenge for the death of his father.
Throughout a variety of movie interpretations of a given film, one version proves to be the most effective for distinct reasons. Within Act 3, Scene 4 of Hamlet, Shakespeare provides little direction by which the scene should be interpreted, but the play, taken in its entirety, proposes a certain way in which Hamlet and Gertrude express their emotions. This has led to distinctive cinematic interpretations of this scene, all in which portray the storyline in a unique way. Kenneth Branagh’s version of the closet scene provides a more realistic portrayal of the conflict between Hamlet and Gertrude than the Gregory Dovan and Campbell Scott versions; Branagh’s view on the mother-son relationship, Hamlet’s reaction to the ghost and Gertrude’s guilt is closer to the original text in which Shakespeare leaves room for audience interpretation.
It is often said that the easiest way to drive a person mad is to leave them alone with nothing but their thoughts. When one overthinks, it can become a toxic habit that can cause more damage than many may realize. Oftentimes, overthinking a situation can lead to serious emotional distress and can lead to the inability to make decisions quickly and effectively. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet is a thinker rather than a man of action. Hamlet’s inclination to think about every situation is proven by his multiple soliloquys throughout the entire play. Throughout these numerous moments of thought and contemplation, Hamlet is unable to make decisions confidently and, consequently, is hesitant to follow through with his initial intentions. Hamlet is unable to take swift revenge on Claudius because of his constant need to overthink.
Making decisions is a hard task as any hesitation as well as a lack of commitment can result in unsuccess and disappointing results. In Shakespearean plays, the hero consistently played a major part of the tragedy in which he/she has fallen to their demise. In Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet is on a mission to seek revenge for his father, King Hamlet and kill his brother King Claudius. Hamlet has displayed his desire for vengeance numerous times throughout the play but it is his uncertainty in his decisions that delays his plan of revenge, which in turn, also contributes to his own death. Revenge also plays a key role in the death of Hamlet as he struggles to simultaneously seek vengeance while satisfying his morals. Hamlet’s indecisiveness
Hamlet is a story about a prince who wants revenge on the new king for killing his father. Most people believe that revenge and the events drive the story, but Hamlet’s plot and actions are driven based on the conflicts between the two characters and themselves. Their conflicts affect more than themselves, it also affects other characters within the story and the audience reading the story, making it hard for the reader to cheer for a character and want them to succeed but yet at the same time forcing them to continue to read to solve their own conflict. Even though conflict is the major backbone to the plot, both the theme or revenge and other events have a strong case of why they are the actual reasons for the plot development and not conflict. The two major types of conflicts that take place in the story are internal and external.
Incest, hatred, trickery, revenge, justice and a thousand more themes all appear in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Each character is complex and troubled by something. They all have their own sins which they face. The story follows each character, whether evil or good, and creates a dramatic atmosphere in a whirlwind of external conflict which then stirs up emotions, fashioning an internal conflict. One most certainly drives the other. The main character, Hamlet, certainly is focused on the most in terms of internal conflict; however, the other characters give off many signs and speeches that tell us he’s not the only one. All of the scenes where we get the most in depth with Hamlet’s internal struggle.
An individual’s response to conditions of internal and external conflict is explored throughout literature. In his play, Hamlet, Shakespeare delves into the themes of appearance versus reality, lies versus deceit, rejection versus self doubt and tragedy, and in doing so attacks the frivolous state of humanity in contemporary society. In order to explore these themes, however, he uses several forms of conflict to project his opinions and expand his ideas relating to the themes of the play. Internal conflict, as well as external conflict are dominant features of his works, and in Hamlet are made evident through a succession of dire events which can attack and destroy someone. However perhaps the most captivating form of conflict Shakespeare uses to expand and explore the ideas presented within the text is the conflict between the self and the universe.
Hamlet soul becomes corrupt since the beginning with the sudden marriage of his mother to his uncle, the man who killed his father. His depression is much deeper then what everyone believed. Hamlet tries to explain it to his mother and Claudius that his grief is deeper and is much more then the appearance of someone who mourns. His mother seems cold rather then understanding she tells him to get rid of the black clothes and move on, “Thou kno’st’tis common. All that lives must die passing through nature to eternity.” (1.2.74-75) Claudius too is insensitive and says he over doing it and advises him to stop his “un manly grief.” (1.2.98) This lead to the physical and mental corruption Hamlet faces. He contemplates suicide. Suicides along with murder are against Hamlets religious beliefs and are the wor...
Hamlet is one of the most often-performed and studied plays in the English language. The story might have been merely a melodramatic play about murder and revenge, butWilliam Shakespeare imbued his drama with a sensitivity and reflectivity that still fascinates audiences four hundred years after it was first performed. Hamlet is no ordinary young man, raging at the death of his father and the hasty marriage of his mother and his uncle. Hamlet is cursed with an introspective nature; he cannot decide whether to turn his anger outward or in on himself. The audience sees a young man who would be happiest back at his university, contemplating remote philosophical matters of life and death. Instead, Hamlet is forced to engage death on a visceral level, as an unwelcome and unfathomable figure in his life. He cannot ignore thoughts of death, nor can he grieve and get on with his life, as most people do. He is a melancholy man, and he can see only darkness in his future—if, indeed, he is to have a future at all. Throughout the play, and particularly in his two most famous soliloquies, Hamlet struggles with the competing compulsions to avenge his father’s death or to embrace his own. Hamlet is a man caught in a moral dilemma, and his inability to reach a resolution condemns himself and nearly everyone close to him.