Hamlet Essay Free Essays

World Literature Essay 4 05-02-12 Heroism A hero is someone who lives their life not to please others, but lives in such a fashion that they can die knowing that everything they said or did was based on what their heart desired. There are three characters in this sections reading that apply to this definition of a hero. From â€Å"A Thousand Splendid Suns† Mariam and Laila are both heroes and from â€Å"Hamlet,† and Hamlet is the third hero according to this definition of a hero. We will write a custom essay sample on Hamlet Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the book â€Å"A Thousand Splendid Suns,† there are two characters that fit the role as hero in my eyes. The first character from this story is Mariam. Mariam is an extremely hard workingwoman who as assumed her role in society. The role in this society that her and many others deal with day in and day out is shown in the text through the quote that follows; â€Å"Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. † No matter what Mariam does she is never going to be right. Yes Mariam follows these laws but she also stands up for what she believes in. Meaning, when it comes down to something Mariam loves she will fight for it. In part 3 of this story Mariam encounters a situation where she either had to kill someone who was in the wrong or let someone she loved be murdered. After choosing to protect the one she loves and murders Rasheed she does the heroic thing and accepts the fact that she murdered someone and assumes the responsibility for her actions. When her best friend trys to persuade her to come with her, running away, Mariam responds with â€Å"For me it ends here. There’s nothing more I want. Everything I’d ever wished for as a little girl you’ve already given me. You and your children have made me so very happy. It’s all right, Laila jo. This is all right. Don’t be sad. † These words define the hero she is, she did what she believed in and she protected the ones she loved. The second character in this plot that shows personality traits of being a hero, as defined earlier is, Laila. Laila was just as much of a hero in this story as, her role model, Mariam was. Laila stood up for what she believed in this novel like no other. Laila shows traits that I would also like to point out, she fights for what she believes in, she respects the ones she loves, but she does lie to protect herself, which is important to defining a hero. Hero’s can be precieved as this perfect human being with no flaws but no one can actually make it through an entire life without making mistakes. Being a hero means if you do mess up and do something out of the so-called †heroic† parameters you fix the issue the way an honorable person would. This idea is shown through Laila in a portion of this novel vividly. Laila has disrespected Mariam by marrying Rasheed to hide her pregnancy with Tariq, but one night when Laila refuses to have sex with Rasheed, events occur that show that Laila will risk her life to protect the one she cares about. This event is shown in the story through the following quote, â€Å" Rasheed raised the belt again and came at Mariam. Then an astonishing thing happened: The girl lunged at him. She grabbed his arm with both hands and tried to drag him down†¦ † Another portion of this novel that Laila shows her heroistic traits is when Rasheed starts to beat Mariam. The way that Laila reacts shows that someone she loves comes come before the limitations her society puts on her. When Rasheed starts to beat Mariam, Laila punches Rasheed so hard that he stumbles back a couple steps, but she hit him knowing that once she did, the attention would be brought from Mariam to Laila. This shows that Laila would rather take physical harm to protect someone she loves. The third and final character that represents someone who shows â€Å"Heroism† comes from the play â€Å"Hamlet. † Hamlet is an extremely dynamic character and shows many heroistic traits. In this play, Hamlet is faced with extremely hard situations to cope with. The play basically opens with him losing his father and his uncle marrying his mom. For a young boy to have to cope with this turn of events shows a great deal in its self. After Hamlet speaks with the ghost of his father, he is faced with the request of his father to avenge his death. After all that he is faced with Hamlet has to juggle the fact that his uncle murdered his father and his mother married him shortly there-after and his friends not being able to know about the real way his father died can take an extreme toll on his sanity. After all this being said and took in consideration, Hamlet makes a mistake and kills Polonius thinking he was Claudius. At the duel between Hamlet and Laertes Hamlet says something that shows the meaning of a hero, â€Å"Hamlet agrees to fight, saying that â€Å"all’s ill here about my heart,† but that one must be ready for death, since it will come no matter what one does. † This quote shows that no matter what happens in the proceeding moments Hamlet is doing something that his heart desires, and something he feels right. It doesn’t always have to be the right thing being done, but something makes you a hero to yourself. Hamlet also displays traits showing the thought of a hero; when before the duel between him and Laertes he says, â€Å"Give me your pardon, sir: I’ve done wrong; But pardon’t as you are a gentleman. This presence knows, And you must needs have heard, how I am punished with sore distraction. What I have done, that might your nature, honor and exception roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness. † Hamlet showing his apologies and accepting what he did was wrong, and openly admitting to it in front of a crowd is representing his honor and gratitude. In the novel â€Å"A Thousand Splendid Suns† and the play â€Å"Hamlet† the word â€Å"Hero† is defined in unbelievable fashion. These two pieces have made a clear understanding of this definition. No matter the issues or problems one may be going through if they are able to please themselves and do what they feel is the right thing to do, you can be your own hero. Hero is such a small word with a huge meaning behind it, and if someone can live by that definition they will partake in a wonderful life that no one will be able to fault. How to cite Hamlet Essay, Essays Hamlet Essay Free Essays In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, through his protagonist, he explores ideas relating to conflict. Using detailed textual evidence, how has your personal response to Hamlet been shaped through the composers use of dramatic techniques? ‘ [Hamlet] is a success, for he gets his man, but a failure, for he leaves eight bodies, including his own, where there was only meant to be one’- B. Nightingale Shakespeare composed Hamlet as a representation of the conflict inherent in issues surrounding life and death and the many reinterpretations of the text attest to Catherine Belsey’s theory of the ‘myth of an unchanging human nature’. We will write a custom essay sample on Hamlet Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Modern interpretations of Hamlet such as Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 film use the medium of film and existential issues to create new meaning from Shakespeare’s original text. In using the conventions of the revenge tragedy genre, expectations are created for an audience who understand the conflict that looms under Claudius’s leadership unless Hamlet revenges his father’s ‘most foul and unnatural murder’. Yet Hamlet is conflicted over the moral dilemma that confronts him, expressing this through his Judeo Christian perspective of ‘O cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right’. His powerful use of soliloquy throughout the play explores the paradigm shift between Renaissance and Judeo-Christian ideas on life and life after death. ‘To be or not to be†¦ ’ asks Hamlet, reflecting the philosophical existential concerns of this context and supporting the plays longevity for these paramount concerns remain relevant to every context. Here Shakespeare has successfully mirrored the ferment and change in his society, whilst modern directors mirror theirs in ways that reflect their values and beliefs. It is for this reason that Shakespeare’s work is described as ‘not of an age, but for all time’ (Ben Johnson). Shakespeare’s exploration of the conflict caused by the ferment of the times underpins Hamlet with Shakespeare’s use of verisimilitude consistently used to explore events. We see Claudius mourning his brother’s death, and reminding the court of his late ‘most valiant brother’. However, the dramatic appearance of the apparition informs our understanding that Claudius is the ‘Serpent that did sting [Hamlet’s] father’s life’ by committing regicide, exposing Denmark by disturbing The Great Chain of Being and Divine Right of Kings. Society begins to disintegrate, symbolically represented as ‘something rotten in the state of Denmark’ with metaphorical references to Denmark as ‘an unweeded garden’ where ‘things rank and gross in nature’ supporting the audiences understanding of the disorder within the natural world by the act of regicide. However, the use of revenge tragedy conventions continually reminds the audience that Hamlet will avenge the treacherous act in keeping with audience expectations. However, modern audiences will not always translate this inherent meaning as modern interpretations intensify the meaning inherent in new contexts. Shakespeare’s effective use of characterisation sees the affect of Claudius’s action on him as well as he suffers the guilt of his ‘offense’ which holds the ‘primal eldest curse’ and allusion well understood by its audience. Claudius’s other allusions to disease and corruption ‘vile and loathsome crust’ echoes his conflicted nature, and appropriately represents the state of Denmark in keeping with Elizabethan ‘truth’. The use of the play within a play as a ploy by Hamlet emphasizes and reflects his inability to find the absolute truth of Claudius’ treachery before he acts. Similar to Hamlet’s inner conflict, Claudius is in a philosophical debate in his soliloquy where he prays to heaven asking forgiveness for his sin and to ‘wash it white as snow’, an admission of guilt but an inability to give up ‘My crown, mine own ambition and my queen’. The conflict between Hamlet and Claudius is heightened as the audience become privy to Claudius’ understanding that ‘his words without thought will never go to heaven’, leading to the expectation that both must die. Whilst this is almost always the outcome of many modern reinterpretations of Hamlet the reason tends to centre on jealousy and envy and disloyalty rather than an understanding of the Great Chain of Being and the Divine Right of Kings. Hamlet’s distinctive nature has not constrained its ability to be reinterpreted being received and valued in many different contexts, resulting in a diverse range of interpretations, in particular Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 filmic version. Branagh’s four hour film is a holistic representation of the play and has encompassed Branagh’s inclusive understanding of its unity. We know from Shakespeare’s original that Hamlet struggles with his destiny and Branagh expands on this struggle shown particularly in Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 3. Claudius is praying, and Hamlet is ready with sword, Branagh uses an extreme close up of Hamlet’s eyes symbolically a window to his soul and through the power of the medium of film he add his reading as flashbacks on Hamlet’s desire. Claudius delivers his soliloquy in a confessional, with clothing exaggerating the irony of this act. The camera slowly zooms into Claudius during the soliloquy, so his true feelings are potently revealed. It is not just through words and dramatic techniques as with Shakespeare that meaning is made but through camera angles and close up shots demonstrating the power of different contexts to add and take meaning from the reinterpretation of a text. Shakespeare has presented a play that reflects the meaning inherent in his context. Understanding Elizabethan England’s milieu has allowed me to understand why Hamlet acts as he does and the conflict that arises within him. However, it is Branagh’s production with the use of visual and cinematic techniques that has intensified the power of reinterpretations to explore new ideas about the text and Hamlet’s actions and to realise the power of post modern ideas in creating new meaning for new audiences. How to cite Hamlet Essay, Essays Hamlet Essay Free Essays Hamlet essay draft. William Shakespeare’s prominent role in English literature is accountable to his ability to reflect and challenge matters substantial to humanity; provoking the reverberation of similar feelings in the human psyche. The revenge-tragedy Hamlet, being the most examined and decoded text of Shakespeare’s, implements several elements that contribute to strengthening the revenge plots by the characters of Hamlet and Laertes. We will write a custom essay sample on Hamlet Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now The thematic concepts of mortality and verisimilitude are key principles in shaping Hamlet as a character motivated to take advantage of his toilsome relationships and problematic fellow characters, in order to carry out his revenge. Mortality is a pivotal theme throughout Hamlet. Its role in revenge is immediately addressed in the presence of the ghost of Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet. The appearance of the ghost displayed inconsistency with the beliefs of the audiences of Elizabethan times as the concept of purgatory was against Protestantism, the commonly accepted religion in Elizabethan England. The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wear his crown† is a biblical allusion to the snake from Adam and Eve to blatantly expose the blasphemous deeds of Claudius. The ghost urges Hamlet to avenge his death in order to â€Å"Let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damned incest†, referring to Gertrude’s lustful motives in her quick resilience to marry Claudius thereafter King Hamlet’s death. Patriarchal discourse hints at Shakespeare’s misogynous perspectives, and is implemented to insinuate that the mortality of King Hamlet has augmented the effect of his ability to influence Hamlet to seek vengeance. Mortality not only sparks Hamlet’s revengeful ambition, but his contemplation upon mortality thwarts his attempts to kill Claudius. Recurring suicidal thoughts are evident in his first soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 2, wishing that God â€Å"had not fix’d his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! † The mortal sin of suicide is proposed to the audience, which would have diverged from Christian mores. The employment of exclamatory language and exaggerated characterisation of Hamlet’s over-stimulated intellect presents the audience with a hamartia. S. T. Coleridge addresses this fatal flaw of Hamlet, believing that he â€Å"vacillates from sensibility, and procrastinates from thought, and loses the power of action in the energy of resolve†. The famous â€Å"to be, or not to be† soliloquy also exhibits Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts and their role in stunting his retribution. Enlightenment values are present in the metaphor where he attempts to reason with himself â€Å"Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer†¦ or to take arms against a sea of troubles†. Hamlet’s questioning of the righteousness of life over death exposes his insecurity with mortality and provokes the audience to reflect upon their own morality in terms of suicide. Shakespeare’s use of verisimilitude is evident in Hamlet’s first revenge tactic â€Å"To put an antic disposition on† in Act 1 Scene 5. The feigning of madness thereby increases anticipation for avenging his father’s murder, and also creates dramatic irony in confusing Claudius and Polonius to think that these fits are due to â€Å"the very ecstasy of love†. Hamlet’s Machiavellian tactics are again utilized in his second scheme of verisimilitude where the technique of mise-en-abyme forestalls the climax of the play. Hamlet’s â€Å"mouse-trap† play â€Å"Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king† re-enacts the ghost’s description of Claudius’ murderous ways and his incestuous marriage to Gertrude soon after, provoking a wild reaction from Claudius that confirmed his liability for King Hamlet’s death. Dramatic irony is emphasised through alliteration when Hamlet tauntingly asks â€Å"What, frightened with false fire? † as Claudius rises to leave. The imperative â€Å"Give me some light. Away! † incorporates exclamatory language to express Claudius’ fear of exposure as a murderer to the kingdom, thus threatening his place in Denmark’s aristocracy. It is thus insinuated that Hamlet’s revenge operation is working as Claudius is now in a vulnerable position, and is consequently threatened by Hamlet. Verisimilitude has benefited Hamlet in being the tool for him to carry out his revenge plots, as well as counteracting his process of vengeance; undertaken his procrastination of action or by having it being used against him. Claudius’ murder is adjourned by Hamlet as he is found inside of the king’s private chapel attempting to reconcile his sins with god. â€Å"Oh my offence is rank, it smells to heaven† uses sensory imagery to evoke Claudius’ strong suffering from guilt, revealing Machiavellian elements in his self-serving nature. The falsely assumed state of prayer thus provokes Hamlet’s introspection â€Å"I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven†; an epiphany that exposes his murderous scheme as an unworthy form of revenge and thus once again defers his vengeance. Claudius’ unintentional verisimilitude augments Hamlet’s hubris in wanting a prodigious vengeance for his father, in which Hamlet’s mind is described by T. S. Eliot as â€Å"naturally of the creative order, but which through some weakness in creative power exercises itself in criticism instead†. Verisimilitude then becomes an intended use of manipulation by Claudius to carry out his own sub-plot for Hamlet’s death, but stating to Laertes that the motive is to â€Å"Requite him for your father†. Laertes feels condoned to commit the mortal sin of cutting Hamlet’s â€Å"throat i’th’church† as Claudius uses Machiavellian politics to take advantage of Laertes’ vulnerability quickly thereafter the death of his father, Polonius. An element of subterfuge is then implemented in Laertes’ purpose to â€Å"anoint my sword†, using a poisoned sword as a sub-plot of verisimilitude to carry out his own vengeance for his father in the duel against Hamlet. Mortality and verisimilitude are distributed evenly throughout the play Hamlet in order to engage audiences with Hamlet’s systematic pursuit of revenge. The characterisation of Hamlet being so immersed in his own realm of thoughts stunts his mission for vengeance. This is in stark contrast to the characterisation of Claudius being a Machiavellian sociopath that takes whatever action he needs to in order to succeed. Thus, it is justified that Hamlet was not only the cause of his own demise, but also the cause of further disruption in the Chain of Being. Therefore, this revenge-tragedy would lack textual integrity without the thematic concepts of mortality and verisimilitude. How to cite Hamlet Essay, Essays