HAMLET: An Introduction

HAMLET: An Introduction
Probably written in 1601 or 1602, this tragedy is a milestone in Shakespeare's dramatic

development; the playwright achieved artistic maturity in this work through his brilliant
depiction of the hero's struggle with two opposing forces: moral integrity and the need to
avenge his father's murder.
Hamlet as a character:
The protagonist of the tragedy, Hamlet is a beloved prince and a thoughtful,
melancholy young man. Distraught by his father’s death, Hamlet is only made
more depressed by his uncle Claudius’ succession to the throne and his
subsequent marriage to his mother. When the ghost of the king, Hamlet’s father,
tells him that he was murdered by his brother Claudius and that Hamlet must
avenge him, Hamlet becomes almost suicidal and obsessed with revenge. He is
slowly driven mad by his inability to act on this instruction.
Very intelligent, Hamlet decides to fake madness in order to fool his uncle and
those loyal to him while he uncovers whether Claudius is guilty for his father’s
death—although often his mental health is genuinely in question. Worried about
his own guilt, Hamlet also becomes hateful, despising his uncle, voicing anger at
his mother, frustrated with his traitorous friends, and alienating Ophelia (whom
he once courted). His anger borders on ruthlessness, and he is responsible for
numerous deaths throughout the play, but he never loses his reflective and
melancholy traits.
an analysis of his relations with different characters in the play, namely, Gertrude, his mother, Claudius,
his new stepfather, Ophelia, his love and his school friends, would help give an insight to the
contradictions in the character ‘Hamlet’ that Shakespeare has attempted to portray. ‘Hamlet’ represents
the humanity in general who are forever plagued with contradictions in life. He is reckless yet cautious,
courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious, heartless and sensitive. Hamlet has negative traits such as
indecisiveness, hastiness, hate and brutality, yet he has a lot of virtues.
That Hamlet was an extremely sensitive person is evident from his reactions at the murder of his father.
His mind was disturbed and he was determined to take revenge especially when he was convinced of
the identity of the murderer. He was horrified at his mother having incestuous relations and ultimately
marriage to his uncle Claudius very soon after his father, King Hamlet was murdered. The very act which
outraged him gave him no feeling of remorse or regrets when he murdered Polonius, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern. He was heartless yet sensitive. Attachments, emotions, and sensitivity can drive any
human being insane, the inner turmoil drove Prince Hamlet to the point of insanity, which perhaps was
the cause of the suicide of Ophelia. The turmoil brings out the mental level at which Hamlet was even
during the teenage. This insanity coerced him to stab Polonius through the curtain while believing that it
was Claudius who he was actually stabbing. This brings out the reckless trait in him yet he was overtly
cautious when he took a long time to kill Claudius. He is extremely philosophical and contemplative. He
is distressed with questions about the afterlife, about the wisdom of suicide, about what happens to
bodies after they die. This is yet another contradiction, which leaves the human beings in a state of
dilemma.
Based on the letters and the gifts that Hamlet gave to Ophelia it is obvious that he did love her and had
tender affection towards her. He hates her one moment and longs to have intimacy the next. The
following words express his longing
Hamlet: Lady, shall I lie in your lap? Lying down at Ophelia’s feet.
Ophelia: No, my lord.
Hamlet: I mean, my head upon your lap?
Ophelia: Ay, my lord.
Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters?
Ophelia: I think nothing, my lord.
Hamlet: That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs. (III.ii.111-20)
Hamlet uses Ophelia as an outlet to express his hostility and frustration towards his mother. He is
ferocious towards her not out of insanity but due to his outrage at the murder of his father.
Hamlet was a weak character, which caused him to procrastinate. The dilemma within him resulted in
the delay of murdering his father’s murderer. He felt inadequate and incapable of taking quick decisions
even when the situation demanded. He criticized himself for this weakness although he felt that he was
being forced to take a decision against his conscious. Human beings do understand and accept their
weaknesses but it is not always easy to overcome them.
While Hamlet does give an impression of a thoughtful and introspective person, there were moments
when he acts rashly, when he swiftly stabs Polonius through the curtain without verifying who was
standing there. This also brings out the brutal character that he was.
Situations like the suicide of Ophelia left him lonely at heart. His loneliness deepens, as he is unable to
arrive at a decision. Loneliness is also known to drive a person insane. Hamlet was disgusted,
disappointed, disenchanted and disillusioned with life when he says that the world is “weary, stale, flat,
and unprofitable. . .an unweeded garden.” He constantly ponders over “To be, or not to be, that is the
question.” Hamlet was a virtuous and a humble person and cared little for the fact that Ophelia came
from a very simple background. His virtuous and princely qualities leave a lasting impression on the
mind.
HAMLET AS A REVENGE TRAGEDY

Shakespeare is the best dramatist of English literature. Hamlet is his most
popular play. It is called a Revenge tragedy. When we go through the whole play,
it seems that it is a revenge play. Many critics approve it. Revenge is a powerful,
natural and dangerous emotion. To satisfy inner urge, an individual takes the law
into his own hands. Some times the revenge appears as the source of political
and domestic horror. It is a feeling that never sleeps. It appeals to dramatist
because it provides a logical framework for the depiction of human passions. It
also appealed to Shakespeare and he used it as a major theme in his Hamlet.
The Revenge Tragedy is especially associated with Seneca, an ancient Roman
dramatist. Seneca produced the tragic effect by horrifying incidents, bloody
actions. This type of tragedy reached in England during Elizabethan period. Kyd
opened a new chapter in the history of The Revenge play. Shakespeare also
adopted the dramatic tradition of the Revenge tragedy. His Hamlet follows the
major convention of Revenge tragedy. The story, from which its material is
drawn, has a dominating revenge theme. The exciting plots of this play fulfil the
need of the theme of revenge. In a revenge tragedy, the role of the ghost is very
important. The ghost urges the avenger to action. In this context Hamlet has clear
affinities with this type of tragedy. Here the ghost of the dead king urges the
Prince of Denmark to wreak vengeance upon Claudius. He has ascended to the
throne by foul means. His guilt is unknown to anybody. Hamlet stages a play to
verify the ghost's story. Thus the central theme of Hamlet becomes the revenge.
Ultimately the revenge is taken. But in doing so the avenger has to loose his own
life too.
Apart from the central theme, Hamlet has all the important characteristics of the
Revenge play. Here we have violent, bloody and terrifying scenes. Those scenes
create a feeling of terror in the minds of the audience. The appearance of the
ghost is one of them. Hamlet murders Polonius before our eyes. This unexpected
murder creates panic. Ophelia becomes mad. She drowns and dies. Laertes leaps
into her grave. Hamlet also follows him. All these events make it a revenge play.
Murder is one of the important features of a revenge play. In Hamlet we find this
important feature. Hamlet kills Polonius. At the end of the play there are several
deaths on the stage. Firstly, the queen drinks the cup of poisoned wine and dies.
Secondly, Hamlet kills Claudius, the king. Then Laertes and Hamlet also die. They
die due to the wounds of poisoned rapier. What a horrifying scene it is!
Thus Hamlet is a revenge play. Here we find all the important characteristics of
the revenge play. Here we get horrifying incidents, bloody actions and ranting
speeches. Here we have the ghost, madness, incest, violence, fighting,
bloodshed and murders too. It is said that Hamlet is basically a revenge play, yet
it differs from a revenge play. Many critics approve this comment. In the support
of this comment many arguments are given. Goggin argues that Hamlet is not to
be regarded as tragedy of revenge, but as the tragedy of human soul. He wants to
say that Hamlet is a tragedy of humanity. It is the tragedy of human soul also.
Goggin is true because Hamlet holds the mirror of life. In that sense every
tragedy is the tragedy of human life. But the basic motive of the play is nothing
but revenge. It cannot be denied
HAMLET'S MADNESS
INTRODUCTION: 'Hamlet' is considered to be the best tragedy of Shakespeare.
The prince of Denmark, Hamlet, is the protagonist of this play. He is a very
complex character. His madness in the play is a contradictory issue. On this
issue the critics of Shakespeare and the characters of the play are divided in their
opinions. Some critics are of the view that Hamlet is really mad. Some others say
that his madness is a mere pretence. Is Hamlet's madness real or feigned? This
question demands discussion. To know the answer of this big question, it is
essential to analyse and evaluate the major incidents of this play.
FEIGNED MADNESS: First of all it should be noted that the feigning of madness

is a part of the Revenge play. In 'Hamlet' Shakespeare maintains this convention.
Hamlet is sane throughout but feigns insanity. Some important critics like
Dowden, Richardson and Wilson Knight say that Hamlet's madness is not real but
it is pretence. Some others call it crafty madness. Some of the important
characters like Claudius and Polonius always suspect his madness. Through his
various statements, speeches and soliloquies Hamlet himself accepts that he is
not mad. We can find his acceptance in the following statements. Once he says to
Horatio: " Here as before, never, so help you mercy How strange or old soe'er I
bear myself - As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet To put an antic
disposition on - " Once again he says to his mother that he is not really mad. He
says: My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time, And makes as heathful
music; It is not madness That I have utter'd. Bring me to the test, And I the matter
will reword, which madness Would gambol from". Hamlet assumes madness for
various reasons. It is a defensive apparatus. It is to shift all suspicion from him.
Thus he assumes madness in order to befool his uncle and other enemies.
REAL MADNESS: Some important critics are of the opinion that Hamlet's

madness is not feigned but real. They say that Hamlet is actually mad. According
to them if he feigns madness in the beginning, he becomes actually mad later on.
Such critics have some ground for their belief. They refer to Hamlet's hysterical
out burst in his interview with his mother and by the graveside of Ophelia. The
murder of Polonius, his consent to participate in the duel with Laertes and his
behaviour at Ophelia's funeral prove his madness. The characters like Gertrude
and Ophelia also believe in his madness. The fact is that Hamlet is disturbed due
to a lot of shocks. He receives three rude shocks. These rude shocks are - the
death of his father, the hasty re- marriage of his mother and the loss of his hope
of inheriting the throne. Due to these shocks he loses his mental balance.
Sometimes he thinks of suicide also. The communion with the ghost of his father
aggravates the situation.
CONCLUSION: to conclude, Hamlet's madness is really a very difficult issue.

Opinions are divided on this. Sometimes Hamlet appears as sane and at the same
time he appears as insane also. But when we minutely observe, we find that his
madness is not real. On certain occasions he does appear to be almost crazy. But
it can be explained as the result of an excess of bitterness and melancholy. It is
not indicative of madness. Hamlet's madness is feigned. It is a kind of defense
mechanism. His madness has a touch of wisdom and method. All men of genius
are mad and Hamlet is mad only because he is a genius. He is depressed and
melancholy and yet mostly he retains his artistic sense, his ready wit and his
imaginative vision.

HAMLET: An Introduction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

HAMLET: An Introduction

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

HAMLET: An Introduction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

HAMLET: An Introduction

Probably written in 1601 or 1602, this tragedy is a milestone in Shakespeare's dramatic

Ophelia: No, my lord.

Hamlet: I mean, my head upon your lap?

Ophelia: Ay, my lord.

Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters?

Ophelia: I think nothing, my lord.

Hamlet: That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs. (III.ii.111-20)

HAMLET AS A REVENGE TRAGEDY

FEIGNED MADNESS: First of all it should be noted that the feigning of madness

REAL MADNESS: Some important critics are of the opinion that Hamlet's

CONCLUSION: to conclude, Hamlet's madness is really a very difficult issue.

You might also like