The Nature of Evil in William Shakespeare's Hamlet
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'Hamlet' is a Shakespearean revenge tragedy, which was a strong, and
entertaining form of drama popular in the Elizabethan era during which
Shakespeare (1562-1616) lived. 'Hamlet', like many of Shakespeare's
plays has been inspired by another famous tragedy, in this case, 'The
Spanish Tragedy', a revenge play written by Thomas Kyd. The great
political turbulence that was taking place in England with
conspiracies against the Queen and those in power could also have
prompted Shakespeare to write a play like 'Hamlet'. Though the play is
made up of the stock conventions of a typical revenge tragedy - a
murder, with the ghost of the murdered returning to a loved one, the
delay in vengeance, mental disturbance of the avenger and finally, the
avenger's death, Shakespeare has made 'Hamlet' original by focusing on
the psychology and tragedy of the characters and the situations.
The characters in the play are like real people, and even though the
play was written centuries ago, readers can still relate to their
mentality, sensitivity and reactions to situations. The main character
around whom the play revolves is Hamlet. He is the young Prince of
Denmark, son of Gertrude and the nephew of the present King, Claudius.
Hamlet finds himself in a difficult situation when his dead father's
ghost pays him a visit, calls Claudius a murderer and demands revenge.
The complete court of King Claudius was corrupt and Claudius himself
was the source of all evil in the play, which i...
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...ices, where weapons to eradicate the whole of mankind itself are
being made and where the word 'humanity' has lost its true meaning. A
world in which corruption is widespread and thirst is quenched, not
with water, but with money and power. Maybe the Elizabethans were
right in regarding ambition as a sin, because I do believe that even
in the modern world, if only people were content with what the many
blessings they had been given, we would not have reached the state,
which we are in today. If Shakespeare has written 'Hamlet' with the
intention of wiping out evil from this world, then his views and aims
have been beautifully expressed. If only, instead of groping at each
other's throats, we'd care to learn a lesson from a play, which is so
pertinent for our times and yet, has been written more than five
centuries ago!
Arguably William Shakespeare’s great tragedy, and perhaps his greatest work overall, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a gripping tale of betrayal, insanity, and grim horror that captures the imagination of the reader. This tragic play centers around the titular character, Hamlet, and his quest to kill his Uncle, Claudius. Although it sounds to the common ear to be merely a story of revenge, the play contains vivid characters that bring the play to shocking light for the reader or the viewer. Controversy is common in discussion of Hamlet due to the choices of the main character to reject his love, spare his traitorous uncle for a brief moment in the pursuit of a ruthless revenge, and the accidental killing of an innocent man, having mistaken him for the aforementioned uncle. These actions can be seen as mere plot devices, or sloppy writing on behalf of Shakespeare. They can also be seen as the literary genius that enriches Hamlet, depending on the point-of-view of the reader or the viewer. This essay will be an examination of the idea that, while these actions may not be genius, and they are in-fact simple plot devices, the actions taken by Hamlet in this play are deliberate, as the author intended them. Hamlet’s actions during this play, sparing his uncle and banishing his love, and also killing an innocent man, are a masterful portrayal of justified retribution turning into hate-driven revenge and its consequences.
What drives Hamlet to his madness? How does it relate to Ophelia’s madness? Are Hamlet and Ophelia both truly mad? These are some questions that I contemplated as I read Hamlet. The main character, Hamlet feigns madness after learning of his father’s murder; however, he becomes mad later on in the play. Is it possible that Hamlet became so wrapped up in his father’s murder that he was unable to distinguish fantasy from reality?
In every society throughout history, there has been a common fear of the disastrous collapse of the world around them, resulting. This “fear” has resulted in numerous stories and religious beliefs surrounding the apocalyptic fall of man’s corrupted society, including the Book of Revelation, the final book of the Christian Bible. William Shakespeare’s tragedies, especially the tragedies written in the early 1600s, all display this collapse of authority in one way or another. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the classic example of this prevalent break down of society. Prince Hamlet learns that his uncle-father King Claudius murdered his father and, thus, assumed the throne and gained his mother’s hand in marriage. The revelation is then followed by even more treacherous acts of hatred, vengeance, conspiracy, and murder,
Shakespeare’s vast utilization of plot devices allow the story to develop in a riveting manner. The presence of vengeance as one of these plot devices appears consistently throughout the play, representing the deceitful, suspicious nature of the characters. The tragedy is built on the festering wounds of broken families and vengeful sons. Through the irrational behavior of these characters, Shakespeare foreshadows what can only be a dismal ending. Nearly all the characters die to avenge the life of another, tossing their lives away to obsessive and needlessly bloody deaths. These incredible usages of thematic imagery truly support Hamlet as one of the greatest independent pieces of classic literature, and in many ways explains how the text has survived the test of time.
“Needs are imposed by nature. Wants are sold by society.” The words of Mokokoma Mokhonoana are continually relevant throughout all cultures and generations as it forces us to question the pertinence of outside ideals upon our lives. In William Shakespeare’s celebrated tragedy, Hamlet, he comments upon the moral struggles of mankind, such as overwhelming emotion and reason. By vividly dramatizing the complex philosophical and ethical issues surrounding conscious murder, calculated revenge, and thwarted desires, the audience is stands in awe of the effects of melancholy and insanity upon mortal men. It is continually perceived throughout the entirety of the play how the resolves men compromise in response to their circumstance directly constitute
The meaning of evil has changed throughout history. In today’s world, evil has become a hazy term. What is evil? Who is evil? Men like Osama Bin Laden have been described as the term 'evil' for their atrocities against humanity. Now it seems evil has an exclusively human meaning; when a person violates the rights of others on a massive scale, he or she is evil. In Shakespeare's time, the Renaissance period, evil had a similar, but altered meaning for people. Evil was a being that violated Christian moral codes. Therefore, a man such as Claudius, from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, a murderer and a ruthless manipulator, who uses "rank" deeds to usurp the thrown is in direct violation with the Elizabethan societal rules, and he is evil. Greed,
More tragic play The tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark is the most popular works of William Shakespeare. Probably the popularity of this play lies in the use of character of Hamlet in exemplifying the human mind through its complex workings. Hamlet’s internal dilemma of making the decision whether he should revenge the death of his father or not was a crucial turn in his life as the state of mind was the main reason which effected the decision power one makes in his life. His uncle Claudius was the one who murdered his father and the moment when the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and asks Hamlet as to when the revenge of his foul and most unnatural murder is to take place. From this point onward Hamlet is under a constant dilemma. He does not find himself ready to take the revenge. If Hamlet had killed Claudius at the first opportunity than the revenge would have been taken but his internal dilemma would have never been solved. This play became very popular and the reason for the popularity was Shakespeare’s use of the character Hamlet and through this character he has tried to exemplify the complex workings of human’s mind. Shakespeare used emotion, reason and attitude of Hamlet to allow the readers to form an opinion or make a judgment about the basic aspects of the life of human beings. The reason the prince could not take the revenge of his father’s death was that he was a man of great moral integrity and to take revenge was an act which was against his deepest principals. Some of the other behaviors of the prince was that after the death of his father Hamlet became so disenchanted with his life that he lost all his desire and will to take any kind of revenge. Due to the delay in revenge Shakespeare was able to develop th...
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is a story about revenge, murder, and insanity, which leads to the untimely deaths of many characters within the play. As Hamlet seeks revenge from the murderer of his father, the story unravels into a wave of conflict and play on of words; all the while getting ever closer to the truth behind Hamlets fathers death. Hamlet a son of a murdered father strays from his obligations though, and causes more trouble than what its worth to the ones he loves, just to keep his mind at ease; this leads to the rebirth of old characters and how they see him, some being left in sorrow and hatred over his impetuous actions. It’s a really remarkable play, and to see all these sons seeking revenge for there fathers really speaks about the human tendency to overlook key things; if you are the cause of such hatred what hate can be created because of that, this is what ultimately Shakespeare is trying to show us through “Hamlet” and to show it in such a way is a perfect example of this.
In every good novel known to man, there is a hero and also a villain. The villain tortures the world, the hero saves the day, and the hero lives happily ever after with the woman or man they fell in love with during their journey. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, it does not follow the original guidelines of the other novels. It is different. The reader has their own perspective of which Hamlet is ethical or evil for his actions throughout the play. The question all readers ask themselves is if Hamlet is considered evil because he murders evil people, or if he is considered a hero, although he is a murderer? This is a worldwide question for every reader. Although Hamlet chooses broad decisions based on impulse, he is ethical in his actions
An important factor of any fictional story is the antagonist, or a person who conflicts with the protagonist – the “hero” of the story (Encarta). As many have come to the realization already, Claudius is the main antagonist to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Uncle to Prince Hamlet, King of Denmark and Husband of Gertrude, Claudius is quite a character. Imagine the guilt and anxiety brought about by killing one’s own brother, claiming his kingdom as your own, and then going so far as to marry his widow. These were the crimes of King Claudius of Denmark, and one can see that he was pretty much written to be despised by the reader, a noticeable aspect of Shakespeare’s age-old work. Moreover, many often quickly assume, upon their first reading of the play, that Prince Hamlet ought to kill the king (Goddard).
How are the perceptions of human nature conveyed by individuals subject to the influence of
Nemesis is defined as being a deserved fate; just punishment for wrong-doing. Nemesis plays a tremendous role in Hamlet. The majority of characters in the tragedy of Hamlet deserved what happened to them in the end. Nemesis and its role in Hamlet create ironic endings for the characters of this tragedy.
Shakespeare's use of antagonists in Hamlet emphasizes the contradictories in Hamlet’s personality and reveals Hamlet’s nature of being indecisiveness. Claudius and Polonius are considered as antagonists in this play. Meanwhile, they reflect Hamlet’s complex personality.
Throughout Hamlet, each character’s course of revenge surrounds them with corruption, obsession, and fatality. Shakespeare shows that revenge proves to be extremely problematic. Revenge causes corruption by changing an individual’s persona and nature. Obsession to revenge brings forth difficulties such as destroyed relationships. Finally, revenge can be the foundation to the ultimate sacrifice of fatality. Hamlet goes to show that revenge is never the correct route to follow, and it is always the route with a dead
Over 400 years ago, William Shakespeare began writing Hamlet, a play that is still seen as relevant and important today. Hamlet tells the story of a Danish prince, who returns home after the death of his father to find out that his mother has married his uncle, Claudius. One night, Hamlet sees the ghost of his father who requests that he exact revenge on Claudius for the role that he played in his death. Although it seems as if Hamlet takes action to defend his father, this is not necessarily true. In fact, Hamlet did not love his father; his revenge was purely in defense of his mother. This can be seen through the fact that he only takes action when Gertrude is in imminent danger, that Hamlet feigns insanity in order to get her attention,