Play Analysis: Hamlet

Play Analysis 2: Hamlet

1. In Hamlet the King has recently passed away and his brother Claudius has taken the throne and married the widowed Queen Gertrude. One night in Elsinore Castle in Denmark the King's ghost appears before the watchmen and then Horatio. Horatio and the watchmen bring Hamlet, the prince, son of the deceased king and Gertrude, the ghost reveals it is the spirit of the dead king. He tells his son that he was murdered by Claudius and bids him to take revenge upon his uncle. Hamlet plans to avenge his father and becomes depressed and irritated, appearing mad. Gertrude and Claudius look to discover the reason behind Hamlet's apparent madness and hire Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of
Hamlet was created in Elizabethean England during a time when tragedies were extremely popular and many plays involved revenge. It includes many themes prevalent in that time. It was also created during the Renaissance, and Shakespeare included many of the Renaissance's ideas into the making of Hamlet. Humanism during the Renaissance was a focus on the human experience and individual thought and ideas and this was largely incorporated into Hamlet. Shakespeare even directly referenced humanist texts. Much of Hamlet focussed on Hamlet's internal conflict and indecision. He was also very intellectual and thought very deeply on matters such as life and death and humanity. Hamlet was also written in a time of great concern over future leadership in England. Queen Elizabeth I had no children and was nearing the end of her reign. James of Scotland was the son of the Queen of Scotland and the only person with a claim to the throne but his transition to the throne was opposed. This probably inspired Shakespeare's writings about transition of
The beginning of the play starts with the death of Hamlet's father. He then learns the betrayal his Uncle has committed and while he is in mourning his mother has married the man who murdered his father. The play has dark sorrowful themes throughout, and many of it's characters die. Hamlet's friends betray him, he begins to go mad and contemplate suicide, he kills Polonius believing it to be Claudius and because of that his love, Ophelia goes mad and drowns. The play ends with justice being found, yet Hamlet, the hero is also killed. Nearly all of the main characters die including King Hamlet, Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, and