Preview

Social Norms Of The Elizabethan And Jacobean Era

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
269 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Social Norms Of The Elizabethan And Jacobean Era
Like most great writers, Shakespeare acquired his inspiration from the world that transpired around him. Cultural politics and social norms of the Elizabethan and Jacobean era are revealing too many readers through Shakespearean literature. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare displayed precise concepts of the time period he was living in. The most evident concept shown in the play is the struggle for power between ruthless monarchs. This is most prominently noticed in the play when Claudius murders King Hamlet “I am still possess’d, Of those effects for which I did the murder My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen” (Hamlet 3.3 57-60). Claudius assassinates his King Brother out of an ambitious greed for the power of Denmark’s kingship. The

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, can be seen as one about duty, in particular Hamlet's struggle with his duty to his father and the possible consequences involved. Hamlet's duty is revealed when he speaks with the ghost of his father who commands Hamlet to "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder." The appearance of the supernatural and the suggestion of a "most unnatural murder" also presents the idea of corruption as it portrays the idea of death against the natural order. Hamlet clearly struggles with this command from his father's ghost, as avenging his father's death would mean that Hamlet himself would have to murder not just another person, but his uncle CLaudius, the new king of Denmark. Therefore, Hamlet struggles to take immediate action but instead he tells the ghost, "with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge." This simile suggests that Hamlet is eager to seek revenge quickly, however his response is paradoxical as "meditation" and "thoughts of love" suggest that he may have to think about the task ahead of him first. This highlights Hamlet's struggle with his duty as while he wants to avenge his father's death, he is also unsure and so cannot…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    American author, John Steinbeck once said “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” The theme of corruption is demonstrated in Hamlet by a series of events that lead to devastating decay. The “beginning of the end” is caused by Claudius, the present king of Denmark, Gertrude’s new spouse, and Hamlet’s uncle. Claudius is an intelligent antagonist whose Machiavellian plan of fratricide and his thirst for power drives Shakespeare’s tragedy. His powerful ability to manipulate brings Hamlet to insanity, but also brings short-term peace to the kingdom of Denmark. Critics argue that this trait would not leads to Claudius’ demise if it were not for Hamlet. However, Claudius’ own fear of his corruption being exposed destroys his facade of a capable king and ultimately leads his downfall.…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Morality In The 1600s

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The world is full of activities, some of which leave a lot to wonder whether individuals value the concept of morality. Morality refers to the ability to do that, which is perceived right and universally acceptable. Morality plays a critical role in a person’s decision-making process. In Mark Twain’s story, “The Mysterious Stranger”, morality remains a common theme emphasized among the characters and forms much of the conversation in the story. The book gives a clear picture of the moral standards during the 1600s in Austria seen through the narration. In a way, the world has different, people falling in diverse groups. Much of what happens in the world draws down to personal moral standards that compel ethical behavior. The book talks about issues surrounding individuals and the factors that influence their moral standards.…

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Elizabethan period there were many horrible means of punishment and torture . Just like in romeo and juliet where if you got caught fighting again you would be put to death.During the Elizabethan Time punishments were harsh. Even for the littlest crime. Punishments back then were treated differently as we would treat them today.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Elizabethan era version of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, many characters ' actions have an effect on the audience viewing the play. In Act I Scene IV King Claudius discovers that Hamlet has killed Polonius, his chief counsellor. This enrages Claudius and he expresses anger, fear and disappointment. These actions shown by Claudius affect the audience of the Elizabethan era because it shows that a King feels AUTHORITY, HUMANITY AND INEFFICACY.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Elizabethan era there were a lot of different life-levels of power, authority, and responsibility assigned to different people. Like the lords, ladies, adolescents/teenagers, nurses, friars, pages, servants. But the lords and ladies were very well-known and was specially chosen to be a lord for the king. Also there were many different types of life-styles, that would be difficult for us now if we lived back in those days because we have technology and more tools to work with also a more upgraded time period. The life as a lord in the Elizabethan era was that, a lord was given a land by the king.…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, documents one character's continual development. From a hesitant youth to a ruthless revenge-seeker, there are three major turning points that propose the start of Hamlet's wicked evolution. In dealing with his father's passing, Hamlet's grief burdens him to be overwrought with emotion and causes him to contemplate the irrational, even murder. The Players' scene, Prayer scene and Closet scene all present possible key turning points for this change. Although Hamlet's sanity remains questionable throughout the play, these three scenes suggest possible points in which Hamlet becomes particularly vicious. Beginning with the vision of his father's ghost relaying the notion of his own murder by Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, Hamlet's mind becomes increasingly flooded with impulsions.…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Juxtaposition In Hamlet

    • 1723 Words
    • 7 Pages

    William Shakespeare, regarded as one of the greatest English playwrights of all time, crafted Hamlet, a masterpiece that unravels a corrupt royal family. As the play opens with the death of the Denmark king, the audience is thrown into a world of power and betrayal. Prince Hamlet’s discovery of his father’s murder sets the stage for a creative and engaging story delving into the intricacies of revenge. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the motif of revenge to convey the complexities of human nature rooted in internal conflicts, demonstrating the dangers of revenge. Hamlet’s journey for revenge leads him down an emotionally and internally difficult path swamped in moral dilemmas as he faces the consequences of revenge and the inevitability…

    • 1723 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    England in 1588 was welcoming a new queen, Queen Elizabeth I. Coming in to reign at a time when the Renaissance was in full swing, Elizabeth's reign is often described as the golden age in England’s history. In this time period, theatre flourished, there was peace between the protestants and catholics, and England was doing very well financially, compared to other European countries. Although this Elizabethan era may be marked by plenty of good things, it was still not perfect. There was a very noticeable problem with the way the law handled crime and punishment. That problem was that the rich aristocracy were treated very differently from the poor in regard to what crimes they committed, why they committed the crimes they did and how they…

    • 1071 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet possesses an indecisive, morose, and wrathful outlook on people and life, causing him to take brash actions. William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet” was written in 1601 and published in 1603. Set in Denmark during the Middle Ages, the play revolves around the tragic hero, Hamlet, whom is forced to cope with his father’s death. During the scene 5 of Act I, it is revealed by the ghost of King Hamlet that he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius. Thus, Hamlet is impelled to satisfy his father’s request and avenge his father’s death by killing Claudius. Moreover, Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, briskly marries King Claudius, thus prompting Hamlet to having a distrust of women. The play centers on making moral choices, corruption, and the nature…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet was brought up as a prince, a noble born, embedded with sweetness. Showered with love and provided with whatever necessary for a prince… He was out studying and not being involved in politics of Denmark or even being involved with the series of war King Hamlet has being fighting. He embodies a full course of human emotion, ranging from grief, love, anger, rage, and passion to fear and insanity. Ultimately, Hamlet has no interest in becoming the king rather his concern is to avenge his father’s death which he could not fulfill because his character does not show someone who is capable of murder, apart from this, there were various factors that contributed to Hamlet’s delay in seeking revenge against Claudius.…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shakespeare develops Hamlet’s character in relation to Claudius. First example is Hamlet puts on a play to see if Claudius would break down and confess that he killed King Hamlet. “That guilty creatures sitting at a play. Have by the very cunning of the scene, been struck so to the soul that presently. They have proclaimed their malefactions.” (Shakespeare, 2:2, lines 567-570). Hamlet invited players to come to the castle and perform a play for the king and queen. The play is going to reenact the night Claudius killed King Hamlet. Second example is Hamlet seeks revenge on Claudius. “Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell.” (Shakespeare, 2:2, line 562). When Hamlet saw the ghost of his dad in act 1, his dad said he needs to seek revenge on Claudius. Final example is Claudius…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet was composed in the early 17th century Elizabethan Era, reflecting this society’s preoccupation with retribution and vengeance. It explores key concerns and concepts of everlasting relevance to audiences of all ages. The tragic hero Hamlet is intensely human and his struggles are familiar to all audiences. He educates the audience via vicarious learning, sharing his experiences as he explores fundamental issues of morality and mortality through his intense interactions with the lead female characters. Key concerns that are the driving forces in Hamlet include: deception and revenge. These overarching concerns help the audience to understand the prevarications and motivations of Hamlet, along with the multifaceted relationships between Hamlet, Ophelia, Gertrude and Claudius.…

    • 726 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hamlet’s complex character is evident throughout the play. He proves to be a child, yet mature, witty yet harsh. A procrastinator yet a reactor. Mad yet sane (1). All of his characteristics can be detected yet his greed must be inferred by his actions and “madness” that disguises his greed throughout the entire play. Act I Scene II revels Hamlets true motivation to kill King Claudius. Hamlet’s greed for the throne is disguised/related to by his “madness” throughout the…

    • 80 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays