This is one of Shakespeare’s greatest works. It is a tragedy with a conventional tragic ending, yet it remains one of the most popular plays of all time. The
play is as relevant now as it was in Shakespeare’s time as the issues it deals with are universal and they figure in all human beings, as the main question it poses is one of humanity and what it means to be human.
Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark; his mother Gertrude has just married Claudius, who is Hamlet’s uncle, the old
king’s brother. Hamlet is disgusted at the match and
knows deep down that this match is unnatural. During nightfall the old king appears to Hamlet up on the battlements of the palace and tells him how he met his end. It comes as no surprise that Claudius was responsible for his
death. Hamlet, outraged at this news, swears
revenge on the usurper. This all happens early in the play. The rest of play we see Hamlet struggle to come to terms with the knowledge he has acquired and more importantly we see him undecided in his actions. Hamlet is tormented by the
ghost’s
words. He knows what he should do, kill Claudius and avenge his father, but to do so would mean certain death for Hamlet. During his torments we see him grapple with indecision. This becomes the main focus of the play, with most of the audience wondering why is Hamlet delaying his revenge? Hamlet delays his revenge because he is a truly moral man. He is a great moraliser and he moralises on his own feelings and experiences. He knows that to rush in and kill Claudius would be wrong. He decides to conduct an experiment in order to confirm the ghost’s revelation. He invites a group of players to act out the murder of his father in the presence of Claudius. Hamlet would watch Claudius’s reaction, and then Hamlet would know for certain whether his father’s words were true. In the midst of his procrastinating, his lover, Ophelia, is distraught, as she is harshly rejected by Hamlet as a whore. Since his grim discovery he turns against women and his lover. Hamlet’s rejection results in Ophelia going mad and she finally kills herself, giving herself peace at last. The ending of Hamlet is predictable, wherein the tragic hero dies, yet he does manage to get his revenge by killing Claudius minutes before his own death. The killing of Claudius though is not a premeditated murder, it occurs as the circumstances were right. Hamlet was taking part in a duel with Laertes; Getrude had just died as a result of drinking from a poisoned cup and Hamlet himself is fatally wounded. Hamlet and what was left of his family end up dead. This massacre can be viewed as a cleansing of the corrupted Danish court, making way for a new, legitimate king.
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