William Shakespeare's Hamlet

William Shakespeare's Hamlet

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Hamlet is considered to be the greatest play ever written. The themes

of the tragedy are death, madness, murder and revenge. The

protagonist, Hamlet, like all tragic heroes, dies due to a combination

of circumstances.

The revenging son Hamlet is grieving his father's death. Hamlet, the

Prince of Denmark, starts of as an admired and noble young man.

However, fate and the turn of events lead the tragic hero to the

depths of his fortunes. The tragedy starts with the death of the

heroic King Hamlet. His brother, Claudius is the successor as King of

Denmark and married the protagonist's mother. When a ghost of the late

King Hamlet appears, Hamlet downfall begins. The ghost demands Hamlet

to kill his uncle, Claudius, in order to avenge the late king's

demise. Hamlet puts on an antic disposition to act insane so that he

to will not be murdered. King Claudius senses something suspicious

about Hamlet and sends for Hamlets two friends, Rozencrantz and

Guildenstern to spy on his behalf. When a team of actors come to

perform a play, Hamlet tells the players to perform a murder scene

just like the one of his fathers. Meanwhile, the Claudius and Polonius

force Ophelia, Hamlets recent ex-lover, to talk to Hamlet so that they

can listen to what is said. When the conversation ends. In a soliloquy

Claudius's suspicion of Hamlet grows and decides to send him to

England (to be executed). When the play is performed, the King rises

and the play breaks up. Hamlet goes to his mother's room. As the

tension rises, Gertrude calls for help. When a voice, from behind the

curtain, joins Gertrude's plea for he...

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... The climax of the play makes it what it is renowned for. Hamlet

couldn't be the successor to the throne and had to die, as the play is

a tragedy. As well as the protagonist through out the play was a young

noble prince until he committed the crime of killing Polonius,

therefore not being pure anymore.

Tragic heroes have a flaw in their character and Hamlet was no

different. Hamlet was too much of a perfectionist. This is a faultless

ending is because it signifies the character of Fortinbras, a prince,

comparable to Hamlet, trying to avenge the death of his father.

Fortinbras succeeds in avenging the death of his father because he

does not commit any sins in order to succeed.

In any part of this play I do not think that Hamlet ever turned

insane, even though throughout the play he was 'mad' (different

terms).