Essay Question Hamlet (1 Viewer)

[shwaze]

"Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as a tortured figure who struggles between disillusionment and the need for revenge"?
In the light of your critical study, does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of the play?

Can someone help me with the "struggle between disillusionment and the need for revenge"? Im not entirely sure what this actually means. Thank you!

 

[Sammy Robinson]

Because Hamlet is disillusioned with life-death of father, mother remarrying, corruption at court, he finds it difficult to ACT in a positive way. His soliloquies and his conversations with Gertrude and Horatio early in the play reveal his lethargy and cynicism. The ghost of his father, however, commands Hamlet to take revenge, and this involves making decisions and action. That's extremely difficult for him, given both his personality and his situation. So that's what you have to decide. In your interpretation of the play, is the main focus Hamlet's dilemma, as this statement asserts, between thinking life is pointless and being forced to bring some meaning to his life by avenging his father OR do you believe the main focus is on another issue entirely? Hope this helps.

 

[castiell]

The ghost of his father, however, commands Hamlet to take revenge, and this involves making decisions and action. That's extremely difficult for him, given both his personality and his situation.

I think you could even go one further and bring in Shakespeare's own context and discuss the importance of the ghost. A factor of Hamlet's procrastination lies within the notion that ghost's of people were non-existent so this would toy with Hamlet's mind; was it really a ghost or was it a devil in disguise?

 

[celadoncity]

I actually did my grade 12 english essay on this exact topic.
One important thing to look at is the fact that the play was written during the renaissance but set a few hundred years before that. So, the "expectations" society had of people were different in both those times.
In medieval times (when it's set) people were expected to be really eager to adhere to a code of honour (so someone in hamlet's situation would jump wholeheartedly at the opportunity to get revenge "it's for the honour of my father" etc.) whereas in the renaissance (when it was written) people were starting to put a huge emphasis on not letting emotions rule over your logic. That's why Hamlet is so disillusioned, because he represents the renaissance perspective and is really torn between doing what is expected as honourable (feels guilty about not avenging his father but would feel guilty succumbing to Claudius' level and killing him)

Then look at someone like Laertes who is really put in the exact same situation (gets the guilt trip from Claudius "was your father dear to you? or are you like the painting of a sorrow.....") he absolutely jumps at the opportunity. He represents the medieval perspective.