Hamlet as a Living Death in the Midst of Life in Hamlet by Wlliam Shakespeare

Hamlet as a Living Death in the Midst of Life in Hamlet by Wlliam Shakespeare

In claiming that Hamlet is 'a living death in the midst of life',

Knight depicts Hamlet as a character who is entirely a corrupting

force in the lives of others, rather than a morally superior character

attempting to orchestrate justice. In that Hamlet is secluded and

absolutely isolated from those who experience 'life', Knight condemns

Hamlet to the title of being an emotionless element of malevolence. It

is important however to consider Hamlet’s circumstance before

labelling him as an ‘element of evil’. This title portrays a being

that has no conscience and feels little, if any, emotion; it could be

argued however, that the corruption Hamlet brings to the lives of the

other characters in the play is not a manifestation of his evil ways,

but of a sensitive man whose despair drives him to the edge of

insanity, and inevitably causes chaos.

Hamlet is presented as an outsider from the very beginning of the

play; he rejects the events of the court by denying Claudius’ attempts

at calling Hamlet his son, [Aside]‘A little more than kin, and less

than kind.’ Hamlet is portrayed as an almost ominous, sinister

presence from the beginning, whereas Claudius is illustrated as an

eloquent extravagant man of power by his complex and elegant language;

‘Here is a field open for talent; and here… industry is graced with

its due reward.’ Hamlet is dressed in black and elaborates on his

feelings, those which accompany and mirror his dark garments, ‘’Tis

not alone my inky cloak’.

The Danish court is a royal place where people celebrate contentedly

with each other, and i...

... middle of paper ...

...n in fact the

opposite is true. The possible perception that Hamlet is evil is

merely a manifestation of confusion, emotion and desperation, these

being traits that an element of evil could not possibly possess.

Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s ambiguous nature as a way of raising

philosophical questions about human nature. Almost every kind, noble,

or gentle act Hamlet commits is coupled with one lacking morality.

Given this however, this is merely an analysis on a human life, and a

series of events based on the elements of confusion and depression; to

call Hamlet a corrupting force may be a little more accurate, however

I believe to call Hamlet an ‘element of evil’ is a generalisation of

an ingeniously intricate character designed to make the audience think

about Hamlet’s true nature, not to brand him as a ‘living death’.