Shakespeares Hamlet is a complex story of revenge, the lack of love, andthe madness of Hamlet. Hamlet is a victim of his own humanity. The decisionshe must make, make him human, and his indecisiveness makes him a man. Hisfathers ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death, and Hamlets procrastination to doWhat we have in Hamlet is the exploration and implicit criticism of aparticular state of mind or consciousness.
In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses a series ofencounters to reveal the complex state of the human mind, made up of reason,emotion, and attitude towards the self, to allow the reader to make a judgment orform an opinion about fundamental aspects of human life (L. C. Knight, 192). Hamlet had many opportunities to kill Claudius but he decided not to and restedthe justification on his morals. Hamlet tries to logically think of a way to rid theworld of the treacherous King, and his logic, and intelligence were his downfall.
Like any tragic hero these were his tragic flaws. Hamlets primary dilemma is that of every human being. . . (Cahn 69).
Hamlet is presented by Shakespeare as the ideal man. He is described by Opheliain Act 3 Scene 1 lines 163-167 O, what a noble mind is here oerthrown! Thecourtiers, soldiers, scholars, eye, tongue, sword, (Th expectancy) and rose of thefair state, The glass of fashion and the mold of form. . .
. Hamlet is what every manshould be and as such an extreme , he is also presented with an extreme situation. He is a superman among men (G. W.
Knight 38). Hamlet is a very smart individual, and he uses his intelligence to try tosolve the mystery of how to expose his uncle, and prove what the ghost said. Intrying to prove Claudiuss guilt, Hamlet aroused suspicion. His uncle tried to getrid of Hamlet by sending him to England on a diplomatic visit, which was reallya plea by Claudius for the King of England to execute Hamlet.
Hamlet figured thisout, and came back to Denmark, only after sending his escorts to their death, Forin the war of logic it will be found that he (Hamlet) has all the guns (G. W. KnightHamlet is the only character that is true to himself, his beliefs, and hisprinciples. This is why he procrastinates, it not his nature to kill, and he feels thatif he does murder Claudius he will be no better than Claudius. The playdramatizes the perpetual struggle to which all civilization that is genuine isdoomed (Alexander 184).
His principles make him human, and as such he mustsuffer what all humanity suffers from, a conscience. This led to his ultimate, yetHamlet was a respected and loved man. Fortinbras said For he waslikely. . . To have proved most royal.
Hamlets humanity brought Hamlet to his tragic death. Hamlets humanity is also what helped make Hamlet a masterpiece,T. S. Elliot I believe said it best when he proclaimed Hamlet to be the Mona LisaBibliography:Works CitedAlexander, Peter Hamlet, Father and Son. The Clarendon Press, Oxford.
1955. pp. 183-185Cahn, Victor L. Shakespeare The Playwright: A Companion to the CompleteTragedies, Histories and Romances.
Greenwood Press, New York 1991Knight, G. W. The Embassy of Death in The Wheel of Fire Methuen r Co. , Ltd.
London 1954. Knight, L. C. Some Shakespeare Themes & An Approach to Hamlet. StanfordUniversity Press, San Fransisco 1966Elliot, T.
S. The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism. 1922Shakespeare, William Hamlet Washington Square Press, New York 1922 .
