Hamlet Complex Decision

Professor Maureen Edison
World Literature 1
Asmaa Abdelaal
Essay 1

Hamlet Complex Decision

Abdelaal 1
Hamlet Complex Decision
“To be, or not to be, that is the question” (Hamlet, 2446). To live or to die? Do I take avenge or not? To leave Denmark polluted or not? Hamlet a young prince of Denmark faces the truth of the former King. Hamlets father death was an actual murder. In addition the Queen Hamlets mother marries Hamlets Uncle, Claudius and former Kings brother. Hamlets throughout the play faced a complex decision either to live as if his father was not murdered or to kill who murdered his father.
Hamlet father is King Hamlet and his mother Queen Gertrude. Hamlet full of hate for his Uncle and disgust of his mothering marrying him.
“Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not seems. Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected’ havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods , shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These indeed “seem,” For they are actions that a man might play. But I have that within which passeth show, These but the trapping and the suits of woe.”(Hamlet, 2417)
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Hamlets black cloths is his weeping and “seem” fake grief. Fake grief is sadness the cloths is just a hint of it. Hamlets father ghost appears and claims to have been murdered by Claudius. Hamlet obsessed with avenging his father death but keeps thinking of reasons why he should wait before killing Claudius. Gertrude knows how Hamlet feels cares more about how she sees herself.
The new King of Denmark Claudius, Hamlet Uncle. Claudius is calculating is power. Claudius doesn’t know until later on that Hamlet has found the truth about his father death. Polonius is father of Laertes and Ophelia. Polonius throughout the play tries to figure what Hamlet up to. Horatio is a close friend to Hamlet which they both studied at the same University of Wittenberg. Hamlet trusts Horatio because he is loyal and helpful. Horatio such a good friend he comes to the funeral/ wedding to stand by Hamlets side. “O God, beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned long!- married with my uncle, My father brother but no more like my father Than I to Hercules. Within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married. 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.” (Hamlet, 2420)
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This is what Hamlet sees happening his mother marrying his father brother in less than of a month of his father death even before tears come down on his mother cheeks had dried she was too quick to move on.
Ophelia is Polonius daughter a beautiful girl who Hamlet in love with. In the play Ophelia obeys her father and her brother Laertes allowing Polonies to use her to spy on Hamlet. Later on her father will die. Laertes is Polonius son and Ophelia brother. Laertes is thoughtful of Hamlet. Polonius thinks a man on fire not Hamlet who heart on fire which gives more light than heat and fire will be out before his promises are done. He thinks Ophelia mistaking love and wants her to spend less time with him. He tells her to remember him young that he knows how to fool around you and to not bileve his nice cloths and order her to do as he says. Ophelia obeys the order.
“Ay, springs to catch woodcocks. I do know, When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, daughter, Giving more light than heat, extinct in both Even in their promise as it is a making, You must not take for fire. From this time Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. Set your entremets at higher rate Than a command to parley. For lord Hamlet, Bileve so much in him that he is young, And with a larger tether may he walk
Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia, Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers Not of that dye which their investments show, But mere imploratory of unholy suits, Breathing like sanctified and opioids bawds, The better to beguile. This is for all I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, Have you so slander any moment leisure, Alto give words or talk with Lord Hamlet, Look to ‘t’ I charge you. Come your ways” ( Polonius, 2422)
Fortinbras is young prince of Norway the King of Fortinbras which was killed by Hamlets father. Now out of revenge Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father honor. Gotland and Cornelius are courtiers who Claudius sends to Norway to stop Fortinbras from attacking Denmark.
Hamlets father who wants his son Hamlet to take avenge to what happened to him. Hamlet at first when hears from Marcellus and Barnardo about a ghost who they suspect might be his father thinks that the ghost is a devil sent to deceive him where the ghost comes from in the play is never said. Marcellus is the first officer see too she the ghost with Hamlets.
“Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch, In the dead waste and middle of the night, Been thus

Abdelaal 5 encountered: a figure like your father, Armed at point exactly, cap_a-pie, Appears before them and with soleman march Goes slow and stale by them. Thrice he walked By the oppressed and fear surprised eyes Within his truncheons length, whilst they, distilled Almost to jelly with the act of fear, Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to miens dreadful secrecy impact they did, And I wait them the third night kept the watch, Where as they had delivered, both in time, Form of the thing, each word made true and good The apparition comes. I knew your father, The hands are not more like.” ( Horatio, 2418) After midnight for two nights the officers think that the figure they keeping seeing is Hamlet father. The guard were scared yet amazed at the same time on the third night it happened again and that when they told Hamlet.
“So have I heard and doing part bileve it. But look the Oren in russets mantle clad. Walked o’er the dew of yon high eastward hill. Break we our watch quip, and by my advice. Let us impact what we have seen tonight. Unto young Hamlet: for upon my
Abdelaal 6 life, this spirit dumb to us, will speak to him. Do you concept we shall acquaint him with it.. As needful of our loves, rotting our duty?”( Horatio, 2419). Horatio, fellow student, and best friend of Hamlets tell him he has seen his father ghost, he would not say word until he speaks to Hamlets. Hamlet accepting to see the ghost was a decision he made. Later it will change his image towards his mother and Claudius. After, Horatio tells Prince Hamlet, the ghost won’t speak only to Hamlet. The ghost tells Hamlet to take avenge.
“I am thy father spout doomed for certain term to walk the night, And for the day confined to fasting fires, Till the foul crimes doe in my days of nature, Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid to tell the secret of my prison house” (Ghost, 2430). The ghost is very angry and wants avenge.” Avenge his foul and takes him he was murder but hissed by his uncle Claudius.” O, my prophetic soul! U my uncle “(Hamlet, 2429).
With that said, he had to make an important decision whether to bileve the ghost or not. This decision means allot to him because he is supposed to be next in the throne not his Uncle. In addition, the Queen the wife of the former King, marries the brother Claudius, who is the King of Denmark.
Abdelaal 7 “Thought yet of Hamlets, our dear brother death. The memory is green, and that it is us befitted. To bear us hearts in grief and our whole kingdom. To be contracted in on brow of woe, Teat so far hath discretion fought with nature. That we with wise sorrow think of him, Together with remembrance ourselves, therefore our sometime, sister now our queen” (King, 2417). The King. “He hath not failed to pester us with the message, importing the surrender of those lands, lost by his father with all bonds of law” (King, 2417).
Hamlet is not happy, but he can’t disobey the Queen nor the King. Claudius gives a negative, ignorant sneaky, impression to rule Denmark. Hamlet can’t adapt to the new life in Denmark, under his Uncle, the Kings throne.
Before Hamlet made any decisions he had to think through what the ghost said to him that night.
“I am thy fathers spirit, Doomed for certain term to walk the night And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid To tell the secrets of my prison

Abdelaal 8 house, I could a tale in fold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make I fin three apt, And duller shrouds thou be than the fat weed That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear. Tis given ot that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me. So the whole ear f of Denmark is by a forged process of my death rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth. The serpent that did sting thy atheist life Now’s wears his crown.” (Ghost, 2429) In order to find out the real truth Hamlet decides to put a play on the hires actors tor reveal the truth. “And cleave the general ear with hurried speech, Make mad the guilty and appall the free, confounded the ignorant, and amaze indeed” (Hamlet. 2430).
The ghost is his father and his father tells him he did not die by a poisonous snake that was lie that everyone in Denmark was fooled by. He tells him the real snake is the person so is wearing the crown. Hamlet would be able to see the real side of his Uncle. The reaction of the King of Denmark will show him if he really killed his father or not. Hamlet quick makes decision of

Abdelaal 9 whether to take avenge or not. Rosencrantz and Horatio helped Hamlets put the play on. “Even those you want to take such delight in the tragedians of the city” (Rosencrantz, 2439.)
Suspiciously, the King of Denmark ends up knowing that Hamlets found out the truth Claudius his Uncle has been hiding, and tried to kill him. “Get from him why he puts on this confusion grating so harshly all his quiet with turbulent and dangerously lunacy?”(King, 2450). The King wants to get back at Hamlets so he tells Polonies about Ophelia and Hamlet.” I do repent, but heaven hath please it so, to punish me with this, and I will answer well, the death I gave him, so again, good, I must be cruel only to be kind”( Hamlet. 2450). Hamlets avoided Ophelia because he loves her and he is seeking for avenge towards his Uncle. Killing his Uncle meant allot to him, because he saw everyone around him mad, and angrily felt that was the right thing to do, because he is paying death with respect.
The king tells Laertes which is Polonies Laertes father, that Hamlet killed his father. “Not that I think you did not love your father. But that I know love is begun by time” (King, 2477). Now Laertes wants to take avenge for his father.” I‘ll not be jangled with to hell allegiance! Vows to the blackest devil conscience and grace to the profoundest pit! I am damation. To this point I stand, that both the worlds I give to

Abdelaal 10 negligence, let come what comes only. I’ll be avenged most thoroughly for my father” (Laertes, 2478). The king brings Hamlets to Laertes so they can fight Hamlets ends up getting wounded, and Laertes end getting wounded and dies. The ling wanted to poison Hamlet; instead the Queen drinks the poison.” No, no the drink-O my dear Hamlet- The dink, the drink I am poisoned” (Queen, 2497).
Hamlet angrily makes the King drink the poison.” Forcing the King to drink, here. Thou, incestuous, murderous, dammed Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother?”(Hamlet, 2498). Hamlet was so mad at his Uncle’s ignorance. Hamlet looks around everyone is dead so he kills himself. “O, I die, Horatio, the potent poison quite o’er cows y spirit, I cannot live to hear the news from England, But I do prophesy th’ election lights, on Fortinbras. He has my dying voice so tell him., with, with the occurrences, more and less, which have solicited the rest is silence” (Hamlet, 24997).
When Hamlet killed his Uncle, it wasn’t more of decision; his manger towards the loved one dying caused him to make his Uncle feel the same way. However his decision impacted Denmark in good way, because it would no longer be controlled by a bad King. Hamlet was looking at bigger picture. He sacrificed his teenage life for Denmark people to be in good hands.
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“Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep No more and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream ay, there the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled of this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There the respect That makes calamity of so long life.” (Hamlet, 2439)
Nasty things that luck throws your way to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all? It sleeps and maybe dreams but worries about life. This is how Hamlet felt before making the decision he made is mind about.
Overall, everyone dies. Should have he done something before this tragedy happened? Hamlet was constantly going back in forth. At the end he made a decision by taking avenge for his father and killing himself so he doesn’t face the new of England and not live the rest of his life miserable and feeling guilty. “Of that I shall have also cause to speak, And from his mouth whose voice will draw on more, But

Abdelaal 12 let this same be presently performed, Even while men’s minds are wild, lest more enhance , on plots and errors happen”( Horatio, 2488).
The actions the King states become pouted. Hamlet had to put his life on the line for Denmark to punish Claudius. As a young boy Hamlet, was a normal person went to school lived his life, and matured up when he put his life on the line for his country, which ended up in an outrageous ending.

Abdelaal 13
Works Citied
Crowther, John, ed. “No Fear Hamlet.” SparkNotes LLC. 2005. http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/ (accessed June 8, 2012).
Shakesphere, Wiiiam. "Hamlet." Hamlet. 8th ed. Vol. 1. United States: Matnard Mark, 1984. 2406-500. Print.