A great number of lessons can be learned from Hamlet by Shakespeare. A very important lesson is that not everyone wants a leader, but every kingdom needs one. What is meant by this is that in a kingdom there will always be people who are not in favor of the person in charge. However, in a functioning kingdom a strong leader is of essence. The arrival of Fortinbras in Act 5 Scene 2 of Hamlet is clear evidence that Shakespeare was in hopes of a noble leader replacing Elizabeth. Shakespeare believed that corruption was swarming in the state of England, and a noble leader was needed to replace her.…
Gender inequality in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, is a key discourse which is explored throughout the character of Ophelia. In Elizabethan England, the period of William Shakespeare, women were brought up in a patriarchal society where they were dominated by the authority of men. Women were socially degraded and taught they were inferior to men. Ophelia, is portrayed as weak, submissive and is manipulated continuously by the male figures in her life. Throughout the play, Ophelia is continuously taken advantage of and used as an object by her father Polonius and her love interest Hamlet. In modern day society, women have become more independent and generally have more freedom in regards to social expectations.…
Throughout Hamlet, many characters develop showing their change of mind and emotions. Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mother, is an exception. Throughout the entire play she thinks only of herself. Even when she tries to think of or help others, her final decision revolves around her life and how the situation will affect her. Gertrude's selfishness is displayed in her marriage to Claudius, her forcing Hamlet to accept Claudius as his father, and her betrayal of Hamlet to Claudius after Hamlet sees his father's ghost.…
Hamlet is one of the most complex characters and stories in western literature. Shakespeare has loaded this play to the brim with philosophy and ideas far beyond his years. Hamlet himself can be dissected and interpreted in thousands of different ways; but most notably he is dramatic. Dramatic in every sense of the word, he enjoys acting and plays and he is extremely animated in all of his interactions. The same drama that impassions him, tortures him; so much so that he often contemplates suicide. Possibly the most significant drama in the play and in Hamlet surrounds the sanctity of the, and specifically, Hamlet’s mind. Hamlet doesn’t allow anyone to intrude his mind for many reason none more important then the other. The reasons that seem the most profound all surround the validity of his own sexuality and the judgments of the gender relationships he is apart of. Hamlet seemingly blames his mother for parts of his fathers death. He knows she didn’t actually kill him but he blames her for her lack of grief and also her marriage to the swine that is Claudius. He even goes as far as to say to her “aye madam, it is common” right after Gertrude told him about how all life ends he basically calls her a hooker. (I, ii, 13) It is peculiar that he has such a reaction to a mother trying to comfort her grieving son. Throughout the play Hamlet comes up against many trials but none greater then the challenge of accepting who he is versus what he is trying to be. All of Hamlet’s greatness and all of his flaws come from the same source his extreme aversion to the gender relationships posed in his world. In order for us to truly understand hamlet we have to penetrate what he so actively tries to protect; which in Hamlet’s case is his mind and his understanding of love, and his own sexuality.…
The presence of only two female characters and their ultimate deaths show the little importance Shakespeare places on their role in his plays. In Hamlet, the roles of women are minor yet essential to the plot of the play. Gertrude and Ophelia are both seen as being submissive, naive and frail. Their actions are greatly influenced by men’s decisions, giving them a weak image as women who are dependent on men during Shakespeare’s time. Gender inequality is a predominant issue in many of Shakespeare’s plays, including Hamlet. To some readers Ophelia and Gertrude's downfalls can be blamed on the narrow minded and sexist men or their own inevitably obvious…
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is characterized by its tragic conclusion and its memorable cast. As a reflection of the time period in which Hamlet was written, the predominately male cast views the female characters as inferior. What the men do not realize is that the women have more control than what is initially predicted. Throughout the play, Gertrude uses her influence over Claudius to gain political ground while Ophelia uses her sexuality to have control over her relationship with Hamlet. This sense of female power also has a lasting effect on the theme of sexuality and corruption in the play.…
At Ophelia’s funeral, Gertrude, speaking to the departed Ophelia, tells her “I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife” (Act V, Scene I) being completely dismissive of Ophelia’s suicide. Gertrude’s lack of tact is further illustrated in the way she is, instead of mourning Ophelia’s death, dreaming of what kind of bride she could have been for Hamlet. This also illustrates Gertrude’s selfish nature, for instead of mourning for Ophelia she is considering the “trophy wife” she would have made for Hamlet, therefore improving the royal…
In Hamlet, the women act the small roles portraying their historical status at the time. Although Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark and Ophelia is the prince 's lovers, they have no standing in the society and their voices are never heard. Their actions and fates are greatly influenced by the men 's decisions. All their lives Ophelia and Gertrude are led by the men 's power; they together make a weak image of dependent women at Shakespeare 's time.…
Hamlet notoriously asserts, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (I.II.150) after being disgruntled and disappointed by his mother’s short mourning period for his father. To a modern audience, this phrase is immensely appalling, but for the Elizabethan era, this is perfectly acceptable. Elizabethan social order was built upon a temple where its foundations was the patriarchal domination and it was decorated with misogynistic ornaments. Hamlet’s tumultuous relationship with Ophelia is due to his distrust and dissatisfaction with his own mother, Gertrude. Shakespeare’s Elsinore is pulsing with testosterone throughout its palace walls. King Claudius, King of Denmark, is the chief of state and Gertrude remains loyal and dependent on him. On a lower level, Polonius, is the chief advisor, who is the head of his family and Ophelia remains dependent on him. Hamlet views that both Ophelia and Gertrude are dependent on the men in their lives because they are incapable of fending, thinking and supporting themselves, which prompts to Hamlet’s misogynistic feelings.…
Throughout the play, Hamlet’s destiny lies in his own two hands due to the fact that he chooses to take revenge for his father’s death. Hamlet shows that he is in control of his own destiny by taking initiative, showing clever characteristics by orchestrating his plans before taking action and finally, being manipulative towards the other characters. As the play progresses, certain actions by Hamlet demonstrates how Hamlet is indeed in control of his destiny.…
In Shakespeare's Hamlet the women in the play are driving factors for the actions of many other characters. Though they may seem ignorant of all the corruption around them, women are still responsible for the corruption throughout the play. Both Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and Ophelia, Hamlet's love, affected many of the decisions and actions done by Hamlet and play a passive role in the play’s action, but they are extremely important in exposing the play’s themes – in particular Hamlet’s misogyny. Gertrude and Ophelia are both manipulative characters that entice men around them and ultimately become the motivation for all of the tragic events throughout the play.…
Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The story recounts the acts how Prince Hamlet takes revenge on his Uncle Claudius, who has murdered King Hamlet, then taken the throne, and married to his mother, Queen Gertrude. Shakespeare was successful making a puzzle surround Hamlet which reveals so many important ambiguities that even the audience of all times cannot resolve with certainty. One of those ambiguities is whether Hamlet seems to be more determined or more metaphysical freedom. In my perspective, I believe Hamlet is more on the determined side. He is "a product of many factors that have made him what he is, and which continue to shape all of his behavior." (Washburn, p55)…
Reread Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy below; it is found in the play in Act 4, Scene 4. Then answer the questions on this page and provide director’s notes that indicate how you would instruct an actor to speak and behave while delivering this soliloquy.…
A dystopian fiction is a futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society.In Elysium written by Neill Blomkampand and The Handmaids Tale written by Margaret Atwood, these two dystopian fiction focus on how society in the future has altered drastically because how society has became. In both fiction the authors focus on how both society failed and collapsed. Elysium and the handmaids tale show very similar characteristics of dystopian fiction, in both Elysium and The Handmaids Tale you can see that in there society that there is dehumanization, and also propaganda.…
“Most people who drink alcohol do not become alcoholics.”(Gale pg.2 Para 2) An alcoholic addiction stems from other personal problems of the past or a current problem. Many people may think that an alcohol addiction is a disease or they may not. Alcohol has become a self-medication so that people can dismiss their problems for the time being. If someone feels they have an alcohol addiction, or others do, there are different treatments to help the matter but someone who is addicted to alcohol is usually in denial and treatment will only help a person if they are willing to except it themselves.…