Preview

Damnation In Hamlet

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
139 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Damnation In Hamlet
Hamlet refrains from killing Claudius while he is praying in fear that he, being in a state of repentance, may ascend his soul to heaven. Samuel Johnson comments on this scene writing, "This speech, in which Hamlet, represented as a virtuous character, is not content with taking blood for blood, but contrives damnation for the man that he would punish, is too horrible to be read or to be uttered." However, his father’s ghost explains that he was murdered and sent to eternity without any spiritual preparation. Stating,” Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd. No reckoning made, but sent to my account with all my imperfections on my head.” Not only has Claudius deceived his brother but he has taken away
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Contrast Between Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras
    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Contrast Between Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras

    The appearance of his father's ghost didn't seem very reliable to him as he began to question his own sanity over what he thinks he should do about the situation. Hamlet deeply contemplates about his soul being damned on actions he was willing to pursue in avenging his father's death. He cautiously plots his act of revenge and waits for the ideal moment to avenge his father's murder. He decides to show King Claudius a play, a similar performance of Claudius' own murderous deed, hopefully seeing some kind of reaction from the king. He says "I'll have these…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Examples Of Heroism In A Thousand Splendid Suns
    • 1447 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Examples Of Heroism In A Thousand Splendid Suns

    He knows now that he must kill Claudius in order to free his father. At one point, Hamlet has the chance to kill Claudius while he is praying, but then realizes such an act would send him to heaven not hell. Throughout the play Hamlet acts all crazy and distraught, worrying everyone around him. While Hamlet is talking to his mother Gertrude, he hears someone behind the mirror and shoots. It turns out that the person behind the mirror was not Claudius, but Polonius. This causes Ophelia to turn crazy and ultimately kill herself In the river. With Laertes seeking revenge, him and Claudius come up with a plan to kill Hamlet. Their plan is to challenge Hamlet to a fencing match, and poison the drink in which Hamlet will drink of. Laertes, for back up, puts poison on the tip of a sword so that if he was to land any hit on Hamlet, he would die. However, the plan goes wrong and Gertrude drinks the poison. Then Laertes gets stabbed with the poisoned sword, along with Claudius. Hamlet also makes Claudius drink of the poison then says, “Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee” (1724). Hamlet goes on to drink the poison. In the end Hamlet sacrificed his life in order to save his fathers life from hell and give Claudius what he had coming to…

    • 1447 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of Hamlet's Tragic Flaw
    • 179 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis Of Hamlet's Tragic Flaw

    Consequently, Hamlets’ tragic flaw leads to his downfall. His lack of action causes him not to kill Claudius when he has the chance, giving him the advantage. It can be seen that Claudius has the advantage to kill Hamlet when he states, “By letters conjuring to that effect/The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England” (4.3.65-6). Since Hamlet reveals that he knows that Claudius killed the former king, Claudius is deceiving Hamlet into going to England, where he will be executed. Hamlet reveals his knowledge of the murder when he puts on the play, re-enacting the former King’s murder. Now Claudius knows that he must kill Hamlet in order to avoid getting caught and stay on the throne. Claudius tells Hamlet that he is sending him to England for…

    • 179 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How Does Hamlet Oppose Claudius
    • 208 Words
    • 1 Page

    How Does Hamlet Oppose Claudius

    Additionally, even when Hamlet has legitimate reason to oppose Claudius, Hamlet does not oppose him. When it is time to seek revenge from Claudius for killing his father, Hamlet has to make sure if he really has to go against Claudius. Hamlet has to put on the play Murder of Gonzago to reenact what King Hamlet’s ghost said in order to make sure there was authenticity in what the ghost said to him. Hamlet needed confirmation to go ahead and even think to revenge the murderer of his father. After the play when Hamlet has the chance to kill Claudius, but yet again he has another pity excuse that Claudius was praying and killing Claudius at that moment would send him to heaven rather than hell even though he was not praying. Not only was Claudius…

    • 208 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Reasons Hamlet Delayed Taking Action against Claudius
    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Reasons Hamlet Delayed Taking Action against Claudius

    One reason why Hamlet delays to take action against Claudius is because he does not just want to kill him, but he wants to damn his spirit. He hates Claudius so much that he is willing to take his life and damn his soul. Hamlet has plenty of motive to drive him to want this. Claudius did kill Hamlets father his own brother, and than married his sister. Hamlet gets a chance to kill Claudius, but Claudius is praying in church and hamlet does not want to kill Claudius and not damn his soul. It if he had done it he could have possible damned his own soul.…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Strong Emotions in Hamlet
    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Strong Emotions in Hamlet

    Hamlet’s hatred toward Claudius generates his aversion of filial duties. Upon his return to Denmark Hamlet learns that his father has been poisoned and has died. His father’s ghost comes to him and demands revenge on Claudius, the true murderer. With his father’s death in his mind, he now plans for revenge. Hamlet finds Claudius kneeling on the floor praying for forgiveness and his plan for revenge comes to mind. The only mentality Hamlet has is that “A villain kills my father, and/ I, his sole son, to this same villain send/ To heaven” there is only vile emotions towards Claudius (3.3.81-83). The only plan is for Claudius’s…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Disease And Decay In Hamlet
    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Disease And Decay In Hamlet

    Claudius kills King Hamlet and sends Hamlet into a dark place inside his mind where an obsession with death and possibly avenging his father's suspicious undoing. After his father's death, Hamlet's mother marries Claudius almost immediately. The inappropriately timed union angers Hamlet and his feeling of betrayal causes him to believe that love and compassion are not an important or real part of any human or relationship. His depressive and morbid outlook assures him that death is the only thing that is certain in the world. In his early soliloquies, Hamlet expresses longing for suicide "O that this too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew” (I, II, 130) and often thinks about this…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Gertrude's Guilt In Hamlet
    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Gertrude's Guilt In Hamlet

    At the end of Act III of Hamlet, Claudius has been sent reeling with guilt after seeing his own act of murder carried out on stage. The King begins to pray as his own repentance for his sins all the while he is being spied on by Hamlet who decides that rather than use this opportunity to fulfill his revenge, he should postpone it so that Claudius would not be able to enter heaven.…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Cites
    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hamlet Cites

    I think there is a misplaced speech in Hamlet which has resulted in much unnecessary confusion. You'll remember that in Act I Hamlet meets his father's ghost, who tells his son that he was murdered by Claudius. Hamlet is full of resolve to do the right thing, but he makes no attempt to kill Claudius until Act III, Scene IV. (That attempt is frustrated when he mistakenly believes Claudius is praying.)…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Being Human Analysis
    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hamlet Being Human Analysis

    Throughout the play, Hamlet expresses his internalised battle between his mission to avenge his father’s death and his morality through his long soliloquies. For example, in Act 3, Scene 3, Hamlet has a golden opportunity to kill Claudius in his bedchambers but decides against it when he discovers Claudius is praying. He avers that to kill Claudius then, when he is confessing his sins, would be to send him to heaven. He exclaims that ‘this is hire and salary, not revenge’, saying that the action of killing Claudius mid-prayer would warrant a reward instead of being an act of revenge. These conflicting feelings within Hamlet cause him to be indecisive with his actions. As England was in the midst of transitioning from barbaric medieval times to the more refined Renaissance period during the time of Hamlet, Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s confliction to highlight his progressive thinking in comparison to Claudius’ uncouth ways and to signal to his audiences the dawn of a new…

    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Essay On Free Will In Hamlet
    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Essay On Free Will In Hamlet

    However, Hamlet incapable of doing it and proceed to what according to Ghost told him to (Javed 332). This is an identity crisis for Hamlet, as he does not know whether he is acting upon his free will or upon the Ghost words. Killing Claudius is what the Ghost wanted. However, Hamlet is confused whether he want to Claudius or not, hence the delay in his actions. ”Hamlet is too delicate or too subtle for the purpose. A less self-questioning hero would have been a better instrument” (Javed…

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    When Did Hamlet Kill His Father
    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When Did Hamlet Kill His Father

    With Claudius’s reaction to his play The Mousetrap, Hamlet believes the ghost was telling the truth, and Claudius is the murderer. Later Hamlet notices Claudius kneeling to pray, draws his sword, approaches the king, and does…nothing. Once again, Hamlet has an opportunity to kill Claudius, but chooses to delay his revenge after thinking about what he is about to do. As Hamlet is thinking, he realizes that Claudius would go to heaven if he was killed while praying, whereas Claudius “took [his] father grossly, full of bread, / With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May” (III.iii.81-82). Hamlet’s contemplative nature leads him to realize that he wants to send Claudius to hell as well, allowing for the ultimate revenge. Always the philosopher, Hamlet stops to think about what would happen if he killed Claudius at that moment in time, resulting in another delay and no action. Hamlet is given the perfect opportunity for revenge, but chooses to wait for the right moment, proving his indecision and contemplative…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Providence In Hamlet
    • 2524 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Providence In Hamlet

    He utilizes the play as a test of his uncle's guilt, stating, "Out of my weakness and my melancholy…The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King" (60:613-17). Even after Claudius' abrupt departure and suspicious reaction to the play depicting the king's murder, Hamlet is still unable to kill Claudius when the opportunity presents itself in the church. He states, "Now might I do it pat, now ‘a is a-praying / And now I'll do't. And so ‘a goes to heaven, / And so I am revenged. That would be scanned" (85:73-75). Hamlet reasons that because his uncle is praying, it would be unwise to commit murder since Claudius would be sent to heaven. Hamlet believes the new king should suffer in hell for the rest of his life as a result of all the evil things he has done; rewarding him in heaven would not be fitting, or just. Despite the truth in it, he uses this fact as an excuse not to spare his uncle momentarily because he is indecisive. In reality, Hamlet is unable to act and becomes rather weak when attempting to exact his father's revenge. He would rather allow fortune to decide his uncle's…

    • 2524 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Divinity Analysis
    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Hamlet Divinity Analysis

    Hamlet becomes obsessed with his mother's injustice to his dear father. He finds that he must restrain himself from letting his deep-rooted disturbance with his mother veer him away from the duty that destiny has set before him. Before the bedroom scene, he must say to himself, "I will speak daggers to her, but use none" (III, 2, 387). Hamlet should not be letting these thoughts go this far; his duty is to take revenge on Claudius, not his mother. Hamlet seems more preoccupied about ending the incestuous relationship than actually avenging the murder. Also, the scene in which Hamlet sees the King in action of praying and speaking words of repentance should not be overlooked. Here, he thinks about his duty, and ponders whether or not he should fulfill it at the moment. Not knowing that Claudius' words have no heartfelt meaning, Hamlet decides that it would not satisfy him if his act of revenge would send the seemingly repentant Claudius to Heaven. He reveals that he wants to take revenge on Claudius when his heart is sinful and "Then trip him, that his heels may kick at Heaven/and that his soul may be as damned and black/As Hell, whereto it goes" (III, 3, 93-95). Hamlet should not be taking these matters into consideration. Fate has declared it Hamlet's duty to take revenge on King Claudius, but not to determine where his soul will rest.…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet's Assassination Of King Hamlet
    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hamlet's Assassination Of King Hamlet

    "How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with. To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! (4. 5. 148-150). Looking at Hamlet's reactions, one detail cannot be overlooked, Hamlet does not kill Claudius in church, while he has the best chance of doing so up until that point. This little detail, and it is really a little detail, for if it was more important, Shakespeare would have wrote more on it rather than only a tiny bit, tends to affect the reader's evaluation of Hamlet's delay. After the Ghost appears, he ignores the fears of his friends, is strong enough to break off their restraining hold, and still kills…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics