“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.
It serves as the overall catalyst for the exile of Hamlet, the fencing match between him and Laertes, and the sudden string of deaths. It foreshadows what is to come later on in the play. The themes and allusions expressed in the exchange completely reflect the anger and intensity of Hamlet towards his mother. The critiques by Gregory Harrison support my case. Much to the surprise of his mother, Hamlet began to berate her for her actions involving Claudius following King Hamlet’s death.
Created for the festival of Dionysus in 431 BC, Medea is a controversial study of impassioned love turned into furious hatred. It examines the liability of various characters for the final tragedy of the play, whence Medea butchers her two innocent children. It also disregards the concept of ‘heroes’ common to dramas in Euripides time. The clash of two contrasting characters — one, a barbarian woman with extreme emotional reactions, and her husband, a vain man of civilisation who lacks empathy — allows Euripides to explore whether it is the heart or the head that drives humans to commit inhumane acts. Medea’s extreme emotional attachments can only be expressed through extreme measures.
Intermingled within her thoughts that seem to mean nothing, she expresses her grief as well as dropping subtle hints that Hamlet is the reason why she has gone insane. Ophelia has a difficult time dealing with her father's death, and ultimately ends up going mad because she can't cope with it. Unlike Laertes, Hamlet, and Fortinbras who have the option to revenge their fathers' death, Ophelia, cannot take revenge on Hamlet, because in the time period the play was written, it was improper for women to do so. Ophelia was completely devastated over her father's death, "He is dead, Gone to thy deathbed, He will never come again." When she is introduced as being mad in the play in Act IV, scene 5, she makes many references to her father's death through a song she sings.
Eddie’s tragic downfall is triggered by his inability to understand his ‘improper’ feelings for Catherine, his some what foster daughter, his hubris and his ignorance of the warnings given to him by both Alfieri and his wife, Beatrice. Eddie Carbone’s illicit love for Catherine is ‘ a sin against nature’ , these feeling are what drives him to his Peripeteia, which was calling the Immigration Bureau. Eddie pays for his mistake with his life, his death is an event that must occur to restore order in the community and to perhaps be a warning to the rest of the community as they learn from his mistake. Our understanding of domestic tragedy shows us that tragedy is inevitable; however in A View from the Bridge the tragic death of Eddie Carbone seems evitable. Characters such as Beatrice and Alfieri try to prevent Eddie from making his Peripeteia by giving him warnings and trying to make him understand his feelings for Catherine but Eddie, due to his ignorance and hubris, rejects these.
Hamlet infers, “conscience does make cowards of us all” suggesting that these potential consequences disallows Hamlet from taking action. Because of his tendency to over-think, he develops a lack of urgency in his decision-making, defining himself as truly a procrastinator instead of a “man That is not passion’s slave” (Act III. Scene ii. Lines 73-74). The death of Hamlet’s father and his mother’s hasty remarriage to his uncle commences Hamlet’s depressed state; however, his internal conflict and procrastination further Hamlet’s melancholic disposition.
It becomes clear that Hamlet did truly love Ophelia, yet hid it because he was a coward. The “ White Lie” is not only depicted through Hamlet denying his love but also putting a front up for the selfish betterment of his life style. After his outrageous lecture on self worth that Hamlet gives Ophelia, she grows incredibly mad, which ultimately leads to her death. Although the intentions of his lecture were clearly to hurt Ophelia and gain power over her, once he realizes she is dead he feels the need to express his actual love for her. His change of attitude grows confusing as he professes his dear love after her awful death, “ I loved Ophelia.
Zeffirelli exceeds in this category as well. When Hamlet was speaking with his mother, the disdain is jumping off the screen. Hamlet attacks his mother and is so wrought with passion and vengeance that he kills Polonius mistaking him for Claudius. This depiction of Hamlet is accomplished in displaying the Passion Shakespeare aspired for. Next, in the scene where Hamlet is essentially breaking up with Ophelia his passion for her is portrayed.
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.
Hamlet’s first soliloquy gives the first true insight into Hamlet’s inner turmoil. By beginning the soliloquy with, “O, that this too too flesh solid flesh would melt/Thaw and resolve into a dew”, Hamlet wishes that his physical self might cease to exit, expressing the gravity of his innermost grief. Hamlet’s words, “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable/Seem to me all the uses of this world!” indicate his intense disgust with the world. He refers this world as “an unweeded garden”, in which “rank and gross” things grow in abundance. Hamlet’s grief over his father sudden death is intensified by his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle whom he considers inferior and venomous naturally.