He considers that, even if Duncan’s murder could be completed without any negative consequences, like getting caught, he still would have to live with guilt. He states why he should not kill Duncan; "First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, / Who should against his murderer shut the door, / Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan / Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues / Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against / The deep damnation of his taking off." (1.7.14-21) Macbeth proves very uncertain in his thoughts and did not have any legitimate reasons for killing King Duncan and obtaining the throne except for his own ambition and greed to become king. With the witches’ prophecies mulling over in his mind, and knowing that he was not the successor of the throne, he knew he had to take matters into his own hands.
The theme of action vs inaction was most striking in my personal response. This theme is shaped through the strong values of hatred and revenge, characterising Hamlet and his existential dilemma. Hamlet is a man uncertain of which course to take in the circumstances he has been presented with; should he murder the murderer of his father, seducer of his mother, the man who pushed in front of his claim to the throne and made an attempt on his life? Existentialism, particularly Soren Kiekegaard's works, focus on individual existence, freedom and choice, and the existence of the afterlife. Hamlet's courses of action, shaped by his hatred and revenge, and the consequences each bare lead to his existential dilemma.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is defined by its exploration of both great and provocative ideas. As a character of moral conviction, the revenge tragic hero, Hamlet, is isolated by the corrupt core that characterises the court of Denmark, his role as avenger and the morality of revenge, and the shifting notions of appearance and reality. It is these key themes that establishes the moral quandary and ambiguity that lies at the heart of the play. Moral quandary and the notion of revenge are key elements within Hamlet as Shakespeare draws on the conflicting codes of honour evident within Renaissance England. The dramatic device of the ghost, as a figure of Roman Catholic tradition, epitomises the theological tensions present within Renaissance England, accentuating the social paradigms of Shakespeare’s context.
Hamlet himself says, "That I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft." He thought about everything he was doing, and everything he was going to do. Hamlet did in fact act like he was mad, just so he could follow through on his plan to avenge his father's death. Hamlet acted like he was mad because he did not want to outright kill Claudius, because he would probably go to heaven, and Hamlet wanted to make him suffer like Claudius had made his father suffer. Hamlet also knew that he could not go around telling people that Claudius killed his father just because a ghost told him so.
Hamlet Trials Hamlet is a play about opposites. Shakespeare’s Hamlet explores an existentialist character who challenges and opposes his expected duties in the wake of emerging values and philosophies. Indicative of the time in which the play was constructed, the work suggests the changes within society, and the role of an individual to reconcile such changes. Through the exploration of the language of the play, it is revealed that Shakespeare has crafted a play with universal qualities due to the ambiguity and conflict that is caused by political and social opposition, as well as language that challenges convention, in turn making it a play of opposites. The main form of opposition within Shakespeare’s Hamlet is depicted through the role of main protagonist Hamlet within his wider socio-political context.
Laertes further highlights Hamlet's strengths when he states that he would "cut [Hamlet's] throat i' the church" (IV.vii.126). Hamlet on the other hand, constantly seeks to be honourable, as seen in his soliloquy, in which he questions "[w]hether tis nobler in the mind to suffer " (III.i.37) and when he refuses to kill Claudius while he is praying. Nor does he use poison and treachery to achieve his goals, as Laertes did. Though both are of princely status, in Fortinbras' introduction, he is portrayed as inferior to Hamlet, being "of unimproved metal, hot and full" (I.i.96) and having "[s]harked up a band of lawless resolutes" (I.i.98), contrasting greatly with Hamlet, who is described as "sweet and commendable" (I.ii.87). However, as the play proceeds, Hamlet's
The death of one’s father and a ghostly visitation thereafter are events that would challenge the sanity of anyone. The circumstances of King Hamlet’s death render it especially traumatic. The late King seemed to be an idol to his son; Hamlet looked up to him and aspired to have the same qualities. Hamlet doesn't like King Claudius and sees him as a swindling usurper who has stolen not only the dead King’s throne, but Hamlet’s as well(2.4). Hamlet shows Gertrude that she has lowered her standards by marrying Claudius, When he refers to old Hamlet as, “A combination and a form indeed / Where every god did seem to set his seal” (3.4.55-61).
Prince Hamlet seems keen to avenge his father’s death, but throughout the narrative we see Hamlet hesitate to kill Claudius, he may be finding it hard as Claudius is the King and also a relative. The Ghost says he’s going to suffer in Purgatory until Prince Hamlet avenges his death by killing Claudius, as the way he died he didn’t have a chance to confess his sins, so he would go to heaven. “Doomed for a certain
Such indecision in action is explored extensively through Hamlet's procrastination concerning "vengeance…for a dear father murder'd". Struggling with the divisiveness of slaughtering Claudius, Hamlet's brooding soliloquies best reveal his indecision and apathetic intellectualism. The rhetorical musing 'To be or not to be...whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer…or to take arms against a sea of troubles" exhibits, in its mere length, Hamlet's universal struggle with morality and hesitancy. Positioned to slaughter Claudius in Act 3 Scene 3, Hamlet rationalises his inaction and indecision, "To take him in the purging of his soul, when he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No".
There is one main theme in Shakespeare’s play Othello, and that is revenge. In this play, Shakespeare shows that he believes all revenge is improper, and he displays this through his character Iago. Throughout the play, Iago completes copious events to seek personal revenge. It is very clear to see throughout the plot that Shakespeare implores the reader to acknowledge Iago as a character who completely embodies improper revenge. Iago not only attempts to seek out his own personal revenge, but he manipulates several other characters in order to help him reach his own goal.