...Angela Romero 1226344 English IX Tim Keppel An analysis of the characters of Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, revenge is the central topic, which breathes life into the play. As his main objective in life, Hamlet craves to avenge his father’s death, the king of Denmark, betrayed and killed by his own brother. Throughout the play, Hamlet comes across two other main characters in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Laertes and Fortinbras, whose fathers are also murdered. Even though there are differences between these 3 characters, this series of unfair deaths puts them in the same situation and makes them have aspects in common. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras in terms of behavior, the honor for their beloved fathers, the desire to revenge their fathers’ death and their modus operandi of vengeance; as well as to explain the perception they have of each other. On one hand, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is characterized by his eloquent behavior, his philosophical thinking, which constantly leads him to questions that cannot be answered easily, such as his famous one “to be, or not to be”. He is smart and lets others think he’s just mad. One of his other characteristics are his constant thoughts about existence and the duties of a man. “What is a man, if his chief good and market of his time be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.” “For there are actions...
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...Justin Dathan Anders Drewry, author of “HAMLET’S FATHERS: AN ANALYSIS OF PATERNITY AND FILIAL DUTY IN SHAKESPEARE’S HAMLET”. Drewry emphasizes King Hamlet and Polonius' role in being a father figure to their respective sons and how King Hamlet and Polonius led Hamlet and Laertes to their own demise. Drewry begins his criticism between the connection of King Hamlet and Hamlet. Drewry criticizes King Hamlet as a character for having a poor paternal influence towards Hamlet. Drewry supports this by examining the quotes made by Horatio such as that King Hamlet was “a goodly king” (I, ii, 186), separating King Hamlet between his royal title and role as a father. Drewry suggests that since King Hamlet was absent most of Hamlet’s life when the Ghost...
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...Kim Nguyen Hamlet Act 1 Logs Act 1 Scene 1 Summary: The act opens with Bernardo, Marcellus, Horatio, and Francisco seeing the ghost king while on watch duty. The ghost appeared dressed in his armor and suddenly disappears. Because the ghost appeared, Horatio thinks it’s an omen of bad luck. He thinks the ghost king was trying to warn them that something bad would happen to Denmark soon, perhaps in the form of a military attack. The ghost then appears again and Horatio tries to talk to it. It would respond back and just disappears again. Horatio decides to tell Hamlet to try to talk to it because Hamlet was the ghost son so he can’t refuse to talk to his son. Quote Analysis: “No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm” Marcellus said this when the ghost appears. When the cock crowed at the first break of dawn, it was believed that it has the power to get rid of the evil powers. The morning light compels all evil because the light was believed to be good. Character Comment: Horatio – Horatio believed in thing s like ghost and witches. He believed in the world beyond ours. When Old King Hamlet came to visit in his ghost form, Horatio thought it was a bad omen for Denmark and the oncoming war with Fortinbras’ army. Act 1 Scene 2 Summary: Claudius and Gertrude get married and they have a feast to celebrate their new marriage and new life together. Claudius’ excuse for marrying Gertrude was to balance out the sadness toward Old King Hamlet’s...
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...Drama Review of Hamlet By studying the Stage Show of Wuhan University Abstract As the longest masterpiece of Shakespeare, Hamlet impresses us with its tragic revenge of prince Hamlet. This stage show presents us the core part of Hamlet through performance of “nunnery scene”, “closet scene” and Hamlet’s monologue. Thus, this article will mainly focuses on drama review of the stage show from aspects of technical arts, adaption and editing as well as performance of the actor and actresses and a character analysis combing with Oedipus complex, Electra complex together with the author’s personal reactions. Keywords: drama review; technical arts; performance, character analysis Contents I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………....3 II. Technical arts………………………………………………………………………4 A. Lighting &Music.……………………………………………………………..4 B. Stage Properties…………………………………………………………..........4 C. Costumes………………………………………………………………………4 III. Editing& Adaption………………………………………………………………..5 IV. Performance……………………………………………………………………….6 A. Hamlet…………………………………………………………………………...6 B. Ophelia………………………………………………………………………….6 C. Gertrude…………………………………………………………………………7 V. Character Analysis………………………………………………………………....7 A. Hamlet………………………………………………………………………….7 B. Ophelia…………………………………………………………………………8 C. Gertrude………………………………………………………………………..9 VI. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….................9 Introduction The original play of Hamlet is a masterpiece...
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...Character Analysis of Queen Gertrude Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark, and the mother to Hamlet. In the play, Gertrude doesn’t mean to intentionally hurt anyone, but her poor judgment is the main contributing factor to the unfortunate events. She also tends to be insensitive and lacks the ability to read her son’s emotions, as well as Claudius. The decisions she makes ultimately lead to the tragic ending. Poor judgment and insensitivity towards her son are her main character flaws, which can first be seen in Act I, Scene 2. Since her son Prince Hamlet is mourning the loss of his father, she should’ve been more conscious and sensitive towards his feelings and refrained from having a relationship with Claudius. Claudius is the brother of King Hamlet and Gertrude should’ve realized how embarrassed her son Hamlet would be in the aftermath because it was considered to be incest for a widow to marry her husband's brother. But Gertrude is not in touch with Hamlet's feelings to know why he is angry. He expresses his anger during his first soliloquy: “O most wicked speed: to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets, It is not, nor it cannot come to good, But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue.” (I.ii. 156-159) Gertrude lacks awareness and therefore is unable to realize that her marriage to Claudius hurt her son and is seen as incest to him and others. She figured that if she’d waited to remarry, it would’ve given Hamlet time to grieve and he...
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...Character Analysis Hamlet Hamlet is an enigma. No matter how many ways critics examine him, no absolute truth emerges. Hamlet breathes with the multiple dimensions of a living human being, and everyone understands him in a personal way. Hamlet's challenge to Guildenstern rings true for everyone who seeks to know him: "You would pluck out the heart of my mystery." None of us ever really does. The conundrum that is Hamlet stems from the fact that every time we look at him, he is different. In understanding literary characters, just as in understanding real people, our perceptions depend on what we bring to the investigation. Hamlet is so complete a character that, like an old friend or relative, our relationship to him changes each time we visit him, and he never ceases to surprise us. Therein lies the secret to the enduring love affair audiences have with him. They never tire of the intrigue. The paradox of Hamlet's nature draws people to the character. He is at once the consummate iconoclast, in self-imposed exile from Elsinore Society, while, at the same time, he is the adulated champion of Denmark — the people's hero. He has no friends left, but Horatio loves him unconditionally. He is angry, dejected, depressed, and brooding; he is manic, elated, enthusiastic, and energetic. He is dark and suicidal, a man who loathes himself and his fate. Yet, at the same time, he is an existential thinker who accepts that he must deal with life on its own terms, that he must choose to meet...
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...Literature Analysis of Hamlet U5A1 Letitia Stevens Introduction to the Humanities (HUM1000) Unit 5 Literature Analysis of Hamlet Capella University May 2016 Introduction During the last years of Queen Elizabeth, “The Tragedy of Hamlet” was written by William Shakespeare. The father of Hamlet appeared outside of the Elsinore Castle on what seemed to a very cold night for the season that they were in. His appearance was referred to as of a warning that was leading to the killing in ancient Rome of Caesar. The presence provided Horatio and his company a suggestion that something threatening or evil had previously taken place and the would have been an offset to nature in Denmark. There was a transfer of power post the death of the king that led some to believe that the future of Denmark was in trouble. It is proven by the later appearance of the ghost that there would be a Denmark tragedy. What is a soliloquy? A Soliloquy defined is the disregard of the people around while speaking to themselves about in-depth thoughts, usually in a play or drama. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d). In dramas and play, when this is used, the people or characters are not mindful of things that person speaking is speaking about. When realism was introduced in the late 1800’s, soliloquies was not as prevalent. In the play, “Hamlet” soliloquies were used throughout to disclose his most in depth feelings to the viewers. William Shakespeare uses soliloquies in not only “Hamlet” in...
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...Comparative analysis: Hamlet and The Lion King Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based on a tragic play with the same name, written by William Shakespeare. On the other side The Lion King is an animated musical movie. Walt Disney Pictures released the movie in 1994. As the movie Hamlet, The Lion King was also influenced by Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Both the movies are about revenging the death of a cherished family member but in different ways. Since a long time the idea of revenge has existed in our human nature. It has been our instinct to take back for a person that has been hurt. Today we find that many literary works uses revenge as a theme for the plot but how it is shown depends from a character to another. Hamlet and The Lion King are two superb examples. In the castle of Elsinore in Denmark, prince Hamlet sees his father’s ghost. Through the ghost Hamlet learns that his own brother, Claudius, who wants the thrown to Denmark had murdered his father and married his dead brothers wife, the queen Gertrude. The spirit tells Hamlet to, “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.25 Shakespeare) and Hamlet obeys the spirit’s wishes. He then begins to seek more evidence on Claudius and his betrayal towards his brother. Hamlet enters into a deep melancholy and appears to be in madness, which makes Claudius and Gertrude worry about his erratic behavior. They employ Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch over him and to discover the cause of his...
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...Shakespeare's play Hamlet , Hamlet vows to seek revenge for his fathers death however, he procrastinates throughout the play and doesn't seek revenge until the end. Hamlet is stopped in seeking revenge by a number of factors throughout the play. Through the attitudes of the characters, Hamlets high education and Analysis paralysis When his father's ghost came to him and told him to avenge his murder, Hamlet was eager to take immediate action. However before seeking revenge he needs to know if the ghost is telling the truth about his murder. Hamlet feels that if the ghost isn't telling the truth and he acts, he too will become a murderer. In order to determine if Claudius is truly guilty, Hamlet produces a play in which the plot...
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...and comes hardships. These hardships are something that the characters in Hamlet have to deal with, and it is also something the audience can relate to. This way of life is very relevant in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, which covers the competency of love, hate and power struggles found within the characters which later leads to an unfortunate ending. Hamlet, the main character of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, is one of the most complex characters ever created. His intricacy can be seen in the amount of soliloquies he speaks throughout the play. Each one of Hamlet’s soliloquies reveals his innermost thoughts and gives the reader or audience insight as to what he is feeling at that time. The audience cannot help but to show some feeling towards the characters such as Hamlet, Fortinbras and King Claudius. All throughout the play, Shakespeare uses various characters to represent the social, economical, and cultural effects that are shown in Hamlet that may also correspond to the Elizabethan audience. Some characters that represent these effects include Hamlet, Fortinbras, Claudius, and Rosencrantz. It is through these characters’’ speeches and actions that really target the audience. The numerous soliloquy presented by Hamlet is one of the speeches in the play that captivates the audience. This is because the audience can relate to it, and they can anticipate what's to come and see the development of the characters. Elizabethan audiences were people from different levels of class...
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...Imagery in Hamlet Hamlet is one of the most widely read works of literature. It's an exploration of the multifaceted world of adolescence. This world is full of confusion, thoughtfulness, intimacy, and action. It's a study in how a young person emerging into adulthood attempts to cope. In Hamlet, Shakespeare allows his hero to dream and to think through his dreams (Williams). Hamlet is a revenge tragedy and by the end, almost every character has died in some tragic or gruesome way. In this play, Shakespeare makes use of imagery, allegory, metaphor, and symbolism. In particular, the symbols of the ghost, the garden, and flowers, along with imagery and metaphors for madness are used to convey specific ideas which provide depth and complexity to this story. The ghost is a pivotal symbol and appears throughout Hamlet. Is the ghost Hamlet's father or is it Hamlet himself? Is the ghost real or is it part of Hamlet's imagination? The ghost claims he is Hamlet's father. He says he was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet's Uncle who is now wed to Hamlet's mother and who is also sitting on the throne. He also says his sins must be wiped clean before he can ascend to heaven. His soul is "doomed" to endure "sulph'rous and tormenting flames" until the "foul crimes done in [his] days of nature / Are burnt and purged away" (1.5.6; 17-18). The ghost requires revenge and this is an odd request given the religious context, yet this is what sets the revenge plot in motion. Father's Ghost. My hour...
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...Horatio, to watch with them. When he sees the ghost, he decides they should tell Hamlet, the dead King's son. Hamlet is also the nephew of the present King, Claudius, who not only assumed his dead brother's crown but also married his widow, Gertrude. Claudius seems an able King, easily handling the threat of the Norwegian Prince Fortinbras. But Hamlet is furious about Gertrude's marriage to Claudius. Hamlet meets the ghost, which claims to be the spirit of his father, murdered by Claudius. Hamlet quickly accepts the ghost's command to seek revenge. Yet Hamlet is uncertain if what the ghost said is true. He delays his revenge and begins to act half-mad, contemplate suicide, and becomes furious at all women. The Lord Chamberlain, Polonius, concludes that Hamlet's behavior comes from lovesickness for Ophelia, Polonius's daughter. Claudius and Gertrude summon two of Hamlet's old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to find out what's wrong with him. As Polonius develops a plot to spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet develops a plot of his own: to have a recently arrived troupe of actors put on a play that resembles Claudius's alleged murder of Old Hamlet, and watch Claudius's reaction. Polonius and Claudius spy on the meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet, during which Hamlet flies into a rage against women and marriage. Claudius concludes Hamlet neither loves Ophelia nor is mad. Seeing Hamlet as a threat, he decides to send him away. At the play that night, Claudius runs...
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...writing depth and makes it something to remember. In fact, it is the very concept that makes Hamlet stand out from other pieces of literature. The intense struggle between the two main characters make it one of Shakespeare’s most well-known pieces of writing. From beginning to end, two characters have the power to create, mould and exemplify countless themes throughout Hamlet. The fierce conflict between Claudius and Hamlet is essential to develop the action and inaction, revenge, the impossibility of certainty and appearance vs. reality themes. The contrast between action and inaction is emphasized between Claudius and Hamlet due to the conflict between these two characters. To begin, Claudius sends Hamlet to an almost certain death immediately after he suspects Hamlet’s knowledge of his father’s murder. Quickly, he confides in Rosencratz and Guildenstern that, “[Claudius likes Hamlet] not, nor stands it safe with [everyone] / [t]o let his madness range” (III.iii.1-2), and demands, “therefore prepare you. I your commission will forthwith dispatch / [a]nd he to England shall along with you” (III.iii.3-4). It seems Claudius proceeds impulsively, however his calculated and rapid actions are the key to the development of the theme of action. Claudius smoothly uses “[Hamlet’s] madness” as the source of his nephew’s departure, though it is his own safety that concerns Claudius. Next, Hamlet cannot find the strength to kill his father’s murderer throughout most of the play. ...
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...from Acts I & II | Characters Involved | Sympathy? Antipathy? | Reason your sympathies lean as they do | Evidence – Lines and Explanation of Effect | In Act I.v, the Ghost of King Hamlet reveals to Hamlet that the King had been poisoned to death by Claudius. Dramatic irony occurs because Hamlet, the Ghost and we know the truth that Claudius murdered Hamlet's father.Dramatic irony occurs because only the readers and his friends Marcellus and Horatio know that Hamlet is only pretending to be mad.Ophelia and Polonious thinks that Hamlet is mad in love with Ophelia but only we and his friends know that Hamlet is only pretending to be mad. | Hamlet, Ghost and Claudius | Sympathy with Hamlet and his father.Antipathy with Claudius | Claudius killed the father of Hamlet. And no one knew the reality.Antipathy for Claudius because he murdered his own brother and became the king. | | | Hamlet, Horatio and Marcellus | Sympathy with Hamlet. | Sympathy with Hamlet because he knows that his father had been murdered but couldn’t reveal the truth. | | | Hamlet, Ophelia and Polonious | Sympathy with Ophelia. | Sympathy with Ophelia because she also thought that Hamlet was mad, which made her sad. | | | | | | | | | | | | Dramatic Irony Critical Analysis- For my critical analysis of dramatic irony in Hamlet I chose when Hamlet learns that his father was poisoned by Claudius. This situation is dramatic irony because Hamlet and the reader know that...
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...Act V Threads Character | Analysis | Hamlet | Hamlet questions the methods of the gravediggers. He seems confused that they are happy to bury the dead. He then criticizes them for playing with a skull of a dead person like it is a toy. Horatio adds in that this must be what makes them sane if they spend all day with dead bodies. They would otherwise go crazy. The gravedigger doesn’t recognize Hamlet as the prince, and tells him that he has been a gravedigger since King Hamlet beat the Fortinbras, which was when the younger Hamlet was born. Hamlet picks up a skull, and the gravedigger tells him that the skull was Yorick’s, King Hamlet’s jester. Hamlet told Horatio when he was a kid, he knew Yorick and the sight of his skull shocked him. He came to terms with the fact that all men will eventually fade, and he uses examples like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. (V, i, 67-197). A guy named Osric gets Laertes and Hamlet to have a fencing match, which was actually a set up by Claudius. This ended up in him murdering Claudius and him being poisoned by Laertes sword in the match. (V, ii, 361-405) | Gertrude | Gertrude drinks the wine that Claudius had poisoned for Hamlet during the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. She ignores Claudius’s warning to not drink the wine and see suffered the consequences of her own death. (V.ii.235) | Claudius | Claudius and Laertes put there plan to kill Hamlet into effect. Claudius poisons the wine that Hamlet would drink during the...
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