Hamlet Essay Identify a key scene which can be seen to be extremely important for a number of reasons. A very dramatic and intriguing key scene in William Shakespheare’s “Hamlet” is the closet scene, Act III Scene iv where Hamlet sees his father’s ghost again and kills Polonius. The scene reveals to us Hamlets madness, violent rage and desire for revenge. I feel the scene was very dramatic and has many consequences for Hamlet and for Ophelia (who goes mad at the tragedy of her father’s death.) The beginning of the key scene is important because, Hamlet has been summoned by his mother, who is furious with him for events surrounding the play-within-the-play, in which it has been suggested clearly that Hamlet’s father has been murdered by his brother.
“Thou poor ghost.” (I, v, 97) Hamlet pities his father, as he was murdered and was not given the chance to pray. This conjures frightening thoughts in his mind, for if he were to be murdered as well, would he be sent to burn in purgatory? Towards the middle of the play, though Hamlet’s thoughts still point towards suicide, he begins to toy with the possibilities of what death could be like. “To die, to sleep; … perchance to dream.” (III, i, 60-65) He may find some comfort in death if death
The personality traits of insanity and intellectuality also contribute greatly to the death of Hamlet. Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his procrastination. Without a doubt, Hamlet portrays procrastination and indecisiveness multiple times in the play. The ghost of Hamlet’s father visits him in the beginning of the play informing Hamlet that he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius: “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears the crown”(I.v.44,45). Furthermore, Shakespeare exhibits how Hamlet chose to devise a plan of acting mad, rather than avenging his father’s death immediately, progressing to his demise.
This play exhibits tragedy because, though Proctor had many opportunities to change his fate, he chooses his demise because his tragic flaw prohibits him from doing otherwise. John Proctor is the tragic hero of the play, “The Crucible.” He has a high social status in the town, yet, because of his tragic flaw, he cannot bring himself to prevent his own death and tragic downfall. Proctor exhibits these tragic traits, making this play a tragedy of self-respect prevailing over shame and public
Old Hamlet informs his son that he was murdered by his brother. He then asks Hamlet to avenge him, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (I.v.25). Old Hamlet refers to himself as “his”. This is the first time Hamlet hears that his father was murdered. He almost immediately begins planning his course of action towards revenge.
“To be or not to be, that is the question; whether’ tis nobler in the mind to suffer...” (Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 1). This quotation proves Hamlet becomes inferior to others and the environment through his madness, causing him to express himself explicitly towards others. Hamlet’s madness not only causes his loved ones lives but it allows his “end” to come because he accepts every challenge from his opponent. Hamlet’s madness not only affects him but Ophelia, who is mentally torn apart by Hamlet. Ophelia was once flawless, but since her encounter with Hamlet she has fallen into the same madness and wants to kill herself.
Early in the tragedy, Hamlet's father, King Hamlet, dies. Soon after, his mother remarries. Oddly, it was Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. Hamlet hit deep depression. He questioned the worth of his own life, and became suicidal.
God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! This is the first time that the reader sees Hamlet’s inner turmoil as he considers committing suicide over the death of his father but decides he cannot, for the consequence would be hell. It is important to note that purgatory and hell are referenced numerous times throughout the play as a consequence for giving into selfish thoughts or actions. In this particular instance however, this soliloquy also lends to the idea that Hamlet is insane due to the passing of his father.
Which everyone knows will lead to his downfall. To prove this is the reason, while analyzing the play, the points that come to mind are that Hamlet only acts when he does not think about the consequences of his actions, and when he accuses himself of over thinking, catching himself in the act, or even when Hamlet had a clear chance to kill Claudius but stop and thinks of all the things that will happen to him. From all these points it is clear that the reason Hamlet delays to avenge his father’s death is because he is in a deep state where he “over-thinks” or “over-philosophizes” which can suggest that he is in fact “thought-sick”. Wolfgang Von Goethe presents the point that the delay is a natural struggle, of a “lovely, pure and most sensitive nature, without the strength of
The play opens in Denmark recently after the death of its king. Hamlet, the young adult son of the fallen king, remained wretched with grief while his mother Gertrude, seemingly with ease, moved on and married the successive king, Claudius. Claudius, parenthetically, was Gertrude’s departed husband’s brother. Hamlet resentfully referred to them as, “my mother-aunt and my father-uncle”. He was totally disdained by their union and considered it an incestuous one.