Hamlet
In William Shakespeare's , the protagonist exhibits a puzzling, duplicitous nature. contradicts himself throughout the play. He endorses both the virtues of acting a role and that of being true to one's self. He further supports both of these conflicting endorsements with his actions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness, for he does behave madly,only to become perfectly calm and rational an instant later. These inconsistencies are related with the internal dilemmas he faces. He struggles with the issue of revenging his father's death-vowing to kill Claudius and then backing out, several times. Upon this point stammers through the play. The reason for this teetering is ...
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the play makes an easy to follow shift. This shift consists of giving up the role of a student and mourning son. says,
"I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain" (1.5.99-103).
Hamlet is declaring that he will be committed to nothing else but the revenge of his father's death. There is no confusion about Hamlet's character. He has said earlier that he is what he appears to be, and there is no reason to doubt it. In the next act,however, Hamlet's status and intentions suddenly, and with out demonstrated reason, become mired in confusion.
When Hamlet appears again in act two, it seems that he has lost the conviction that was present earlier. He has yet to take up the part assigned to him by the ghost. He spends the act walking around, reading, talking with Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the ...
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"Whatis Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her? What would he do Had he motive and cue for passion That I have? "(2.2.561-564)
In this praise of this players ability to act, Hamlet is saying that, if he were such an actor, he would have killed Claudius by now. This link between vengeance and acting that is present here is what Hamlet struggles with until very near the end. He is then moved to swear that he should kill Claudius when he says, " I should have fatted all the region kites With this slave is off. Bloody, bawdy villain! O, vengeance! Why, what an ass am I?' (2.2.581-585) He makes this big buildup of what he should have done and how he will be revenged ...
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Hamlet. (2005, May 13). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hamlet/26850
"Hamlet." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 13 May. 2005. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hamlet/26850>
"Hamlet." Essayworld.com. May 13, 2005. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hamlet/26850.
"Hamlet." Essayworld.com. May 13, 2005. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Hamlet/26850.
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