Hamlet
In Hamlet, William Shakespeare presents the main character Hamlet as a man who is fixated on death. Shakespeare uses this obsession to explore both Hamlet's desire for revenge and his need for assurance. In the process, Shakespeare directs Hamlet to reflect on basic principles such as justice and truth by offering many examples of Hamlet's compulsive behavior; as thoughts of death are never far from his mind. It is apparent that Hamlet is haunted by his father's death. When Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, their conversation raises all kinds of unthinkable questions, for example murder by a brother, unfaithful mother, that triggers Hamlet's obsession. He feels compelled to determine the reliability of the ghost's statements so that he can determine how he must act. Ultimately, it is his obsession with death that leads to Hamlet avenging the death of his father by killing Claudius. In act 3, Hamlet questions the unbearable pain of life and views death through the metaphor of sleep. "To be or not to be: that is the question: / whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles / and, by opposing
Hamlet also learns about justice through the lesson of forgiveness. Since he realizes that everyone will eventually die and get their just punishments, he is able to move from obsession to understanding and forgiveness. Hamlet also learns that outcomes may vary since other people may not share the same thoughts about whether or not to forgive. The ghost of Hamlet's father forgives Gertrude, because he knows she will be judged elsewhere; Leartes cannot forgive Hamlet because he has not come to this realization. However each of these situations brings Hamlet to understand more about human nature. Hamlet realizes that people are ultimately held responsible for their actions, whether through punishment and a heavy conscience in this life or in the uncertain world of the afterlife. Despite all of his desire for the truth, Hamlet slowly comes to realize that very notion of the truth is, in fact, questionable. Through confronting his anger and his personal need for revenge, Hamlet finally understands that the only thing that is certain is death itself. In general, however, Hamlet is a man who needs to be in control of his actions and assured of the outcomes. Hamlet does not act rashly, but continuously delays his actions while he tries to obtain more accurate knowledge about what he should do. From Act 1 through Act 4, Hamlet carefully thinks through every detail. Finally he comes to the realization that revenge is not always the best solution. He then moves beyond his earlier need to settle the score and asks for forgiveness from Leartes. Hamlet's need to know is highlighted in his interaction with the ghost
Some topics in this essay:
William Shakespeare,
Leartes Hamlet's,
Dwelling Denmark,
death hamlet,
obsession death,
desire revenge,
hamlet's obsession,
/ thy mother,
nor thy soul,
thy soul contrive,
contrive / thy,
soul contrive /,
soul contrive,
thy soul,
contrive /,
mother aught,
father's death,
justice truth,
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Approximate Word count = 1088
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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