Hamlet: themes of action, appearance and conscience

HAMLET

1. ACTION VS INACTION

2. APPEARANCE VS REALITY

3. HUMAN EMOTIONS

4. CONSEQUENCES

5. LANGUAGE

6. MORAL PURPOSE

   • Human Behaviour
     • Gertrude sacrifies herself for Hamlet even though she knows that it may not entirely save him
       • Proves her love prevails despite Hamlet's hurtful words
         • "These words like daggers enter my ears"
           • Extended metaphor
         • her "dear Hamlet"
           • Gertrude's final words "O my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink! I am poisoned."
             • Addresses only Hamlet before her death
     • Hamlet's delay of action
       • "Conscience doth make cowards of us all"
         • Hamlet understands the consequences
       • "I will speak daggers to her but use none. My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites"
         • Hamlet does not intend to truly hurt Gertrude
           • Metaphor of a dagger exemplifies the damage he wants to cause but justifies it as not being as bad as he is not inflicting physical pain
     • Claudius' conscience
   • Most engaging text
     • Hamlet's
   • Offering us hope