Since ancient times people have been interested in such immortal questions as: what is love and evil, what fate is and what is revenge. I think, Shakespeare, like nobody else can answer on these questions and his "Hamlet" is the best example of this. In my essay, devoted to the play "Hamlet", I"ll pay more attention to suggested topics and also I"ll describe the topics of my personal interest.
First of all, let us imagine the ancient times of Shakespeare, its ideals, its magnificent culture and beautiful Renaissance art... So, Renaissance established antique humanistic ideal in the art - a beautiful and smart person, the perfect creature, which is born for earthily blessings. It seems to me rather important to remind about this fact, because the events in the play "Hamlet" took place during Renaissance times. And the prince Hamlet, which is the main hero in the Shakespeare"s play of the same name, is not a hero of virtue and beauty! He is not only noble and fear, he is also cruel, and he can be a murder. And at the same time he is the son of Renaissance, with his impetuous character and the ability to watch fearlessly in the eyes of death. Running ahead, I"ll say that Hamlet will delay the murder of Claudius thanks to the manifestation of humanism, which is so natural for Renaissance...
So, let me follow the main plot of the tragedy. Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late king Hamlet. Before his father"s death Hamlet had been a careless young man. He studied at the Bittenberg University - the best European school. His world outlooks were settled down in the views of Renaissance.
Hamlet"s father was a smart ruler and a noble person first of all. His brother Claudius captured the throne by the price of his death. This was the strike which made Hamlet disappointed in life.
Speaking about Hamlet"s character I can say that he is very smart and eloquent, but his mind is too developed to be satisfacted with his inner world. He proclaims: "What a piece of work is a man! Now noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like on angel! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?" At the same time he is very proud and selfish. With his father"s death he loses everything: throne, landed property, the upper position in the society. He wants to make the conditions in his country better, but he is unable because of the lack of the power.
Hamlet enters into a deep melancholy, and everybody worries about his strange behaviour. He is divided: determined to act, destructive when he does act, and consequently disconnected from his actions. Yes, really, there seemed to be two Hamlets for me, during my reading of this play. The first Hamlet was noble and inspired, active and...alive! The second was old, boring, cynical... He was thirty years old, this is, what is called - a transitional age for every man. I think, this was also a great psychological reason for his "divided" mind.
So, at last Hamlet decides to stop thinking and start doing, exemplified by the famous speech: "To be or not to be that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the stings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or take up arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing them, end them". He knows that he only has one choice and that is "to be." Some more words about Hamlet"s attitude to his father"s death. I see, that he doesn"t consider it something special, unusual... In the conversation with his mother, when she asks him: "Why seems it so particular with thee?", he points out that he is particular inside his heart, and not the fact of death: Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know not "seems". 'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother..."
Also I would like to mention some interesting fact for me about Hamlet"s attitude to Claudius... From the history of Great Britain I"ve recently read that the symbol of monarchs had a great value for the British people. Like actors at the theatre they played different roles, serious and valuable roles... And it was especially curious for me to read that Hamlet appeals to Claudius as "a vice of kings". I think it shows a real cynism in Hamlet"s heart and sole.
And now I want to pay more attention to the topic of Ghost - the King Hamlet. An apparition who is the spirit of his father, the dead king, visits Hamlet. The ghost explains that Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, murdered him in his sleep and tells Hamlet to avenge his death. At first, Prince Hamlet is sceptical of the ghost. He states: ""'My father's spirit in arms! All is not well. I doubt some foul play"...., "the spirit that I have seen may be the Devil, and the Devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape." Nevertheless, here is the quote which shows the ghost was seen not only by Hamlet but by other people too ""That can I. At least the whisper goes so: our last king, whose image even but now appeared to us...". The turn words of the Ghost which made Hamlet to think over revenge were: "...But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown". So, in spite of rackings with conjectures and doubts, but thanks to the scene "Mousetrap" Hamlet realizes that Claudius is a real criminal. He realizes the veracity of the ghost, nevertheless, when his mother calls him, he convinces himself not to lift his sword against her: "Let me be cruel, not unnatural; I will speak daggers to her, but use none".
So, Hamlet desires to revenge Claudius, but he is planning nothing, his actions are spontaneous. At last, Hamlet decides to kill Claudius during the prayer scene. He says: "Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I"ll do"t: and so he goes to heaven . . ." Claudius has realized his sin and he is now scared of what might happen to him.
In general, the character of Claudius isn"t less interesting then that of Hamlet! King Claudius was very clever and cruel politician, but his cruelty was mixed up with pangs of conscience. In this way, I think, two characters of Hamlet and Claudius are even similar... Nevertheless, Claudius is not the same, he is much wiser, and he is a good politician first of all. And Hamlet was far from politics, he was sensible, he couldn"t realize that his mother had married Claudius for one purpose - to get throne and not for love.
But let me return to Hamlet and his actions when he saw Claudius praying. It is interesting for me especially, that when the ghost of King Hamlet had appeared to Prince, the ghost had described living in hell. Hamlet was conscious of that and knows that if he would have killed Claudius then, Claudius would be free of sin and would surely go to heaven.At last he, Hamlet didn"t not want to kill the king while the latter was praying or atoning. His revenge could not be a secret murdering, it had to become a public judgment of the criminal, King Claudius. He tried to evoke Claudius"s conscience of the guilt. Revenge remained the only thing on his mind and he carried it with him wherever he went.
At last, when judgment day comes, the criminal dyes with avenger.
And now, I"d like to compare Hamlet with Laertes as two young men and as two avengers, first of all. Laertes was Polonius son and Ofelia"s brother. Frankly speaking, it was interesting for me to guess about relationship between Hamlet and Laertes, and I think, this fact stayed a secret for me. Were they friends or rivals? Why did Hamlet show a passion interest and contradictions in dialogues with Laertes all the time? Hamlet loved Laertes sister, but Laertes was against that love. He said that Hamlet was too careless for love, why did he say so? At the same time Laertes seemed to know Hamlet very well because they had studied at the university together... And as for me, Hamlet and Laertes seem to be very similar and seem to have equal fates. Let me explain my point of view.
So, first of all Hamlet and Laertes seem to be very similar in temper, I think so. Laertes is calm, may be boring and Hamlet is the same in some way. At the same time they are hot-tempered and they both are ready for unexpected and brave actions. It seems to me it has a vague peculiarity, because temper is closely connected with the ability to revenge.
The detail description of two men as avengers can be obviously seen in the next quotes. Hamlet calls himself: "muddy-mettled rascal". From the ethimology dictionary I"ve read some interesting information that in old times words "metal" and "mettle" had the same meanings, so it was a surprise for me. And in the next quote Hamlet calls himself as "pigeon-liver"d", and we know that in old times the courage of the man was determined by liver"s qualities. So, we can be convinced one more time in that fact that Hamlet was doubtful in his revenge. Speaking about Laertes he called himself "life-rendering pelican". In old times there was a superstition that pelican feeds his nestlings with his own blood. So, we can see, that Laertes considers himself a noble man, ready for noble revenge.
According to the play Laertes and Hamlet are similar not only in character, but they also have equal fates. Look, they both lost their fathers and they are both in agony, whether to revenge or not. But, may I deeply describe Laertes and his revenge. We know, that he makes a terrible sin - in spite of honor laws, he uses the poisoned sword in killing Hamlet. This happens, when he returns from France to avenge the King, but Claudius persuades him that Hamlet is to blame in his father"s death. Claudius says to Laertes: "Laertes, was your father dear to you? Or are you like the painting of a sorrow A face without a heart?" It seems to me such comparison with "a face without heart" is rather interesting quotation.
So, Laertes simply conspires with Claudius to kill Hamlet in a single combat, where he'll be using a poisoned sword. Nevertheless, let me take Laertes under my protection. Among all the characters, who wish to kill Hamlet only Laertes has weighty arguments to do it. Careless Hamlet killed his father Polonius! Mad Hamlet made his young sister Ofelia drowns herself! I"ve mentioned yet Laertes attitude to the love between Ofelia and Hamlet, so this attitude can be exemplified with his words: "'By the heavens, thy madness shall be paid with weight till our scale turns the beam...". Afterwards his lovely sister will dye. I think this is very reasonable argument for revenge and Laertes just tried to be noble in any way. And also I mentioned such a peculiarity - indeed, both Hamlet and Laertes were very impressionable men and they made their revenge in temporary insanity. Really, Laertes just was easily persuaded by Claudius"s voice. Later defeated, Laertes would ask the Prince to forgive him and would tell that Claudius had poisoned the blade and wine and they both would die.
So, I"m sure that Laertes is a very interesting personality. Shakespeare provided this character with certain charm and power because he wanted the killer of the main character -Hamlet to be outstanding person among dull and average mass of other characters.
And now I"ll try to answer on such questions as: how far is "Hamlet" a revenge tragedy? What is revenge in general? What does revenge mean nowadays?
It seems to me it is necessary to mention woman"s role in the play "Hamlet", Ofelia"s role. It"s not a secret, that woman"s love can soft man"s heart and makes him calmer. Prince Hamlet was in love and he was rejected and turned into cruel cynic. Was it the main strike which made Hamlet to go mad and lose his temper? Everything is possibly and I think, yes, it was. Hamlet"s revenge consisted of different sences of injure, and woman had given the greatest offence to him.
Shakespeare"s works are vital and urgent all the time and the problem of revenge takes place also nowadays. For example, there are different concepts of revenge in different cultures - in western civilisation and east civilisation. So, people of different nationalities will perceive Hamlet"s revenge in different ways.