Hamlet - Themes

Hamlet - Themes

1. Action v Inaction

   • dilemma of how/if to take action comes from genre of revenge tragdey where someone must take revenge on those who have wronged him
     • Hamlet reshapes theme by H not being able to take nesassary action and creates the classic indecisive, but v complex character
     • Horatio said H thinks 'too curiously' > too deeply
   • although H doesn't act other people's actions are seen to have undesirable consequences as well
     • Claudius' scheming = end up in everyone dying
     • Gertrude marries Claudius > husband's killer > dies
     • Laetres = deceived by desire to take revenge (action) and dies from it
     • Fortinbras = only one who's actions = lead to victory
   • play dosn't give answer of inaction v action > suggests that they both end in death anyway
   • H = contradictory > obssesses over whether action is right thing but every time he does act it's impulsive and he usually doesn't feel remorse
     • first time H takes action = Act1Sc4 > goes after Ghost
     • killing of Polonious = goes against his prev. morals against killing and doesn't show remorse
       • shows it wasn't killing that we was afraid of?
       • links murder w mother's 'crime' of marrying husband's murderer > testing her?
     • sending R and G to deaths = no remorse
   • inaction in H on taking revenge = what drives the play
     • even though he promises to act in Sc1 Act 5 he's cursing fate immediately
       • curses mum before C
       • 'O cursed spite! That I was ever born to set it right!''
     • inaction = excuses/procrastination
       • play within a play to determine C's guilt
         • 'the play's wherein i'll catch the conscience of the King'
       • play shows C's guilt but prevents H taking revenge
       • after play H shows he has no excuse
     • religious reasons about killing whilst C is praying
   • H's reason for inaction = wants to die > doesn't see point in world so what the point in revenge
     • '...yet to me what is this quintessence of dust?'
     • only thing that stops him = religious beliefs that suicide is sin
       • '...everlasting had not fixed himself against delf-slaughter'
     • resolved in Act5 Sc1 > agrees to fight L bc he doesn't care about dying anymore >ironically now able to take action
   • H's inaction = key comparison point for 'mirror' characters
     • Laertes = straightfoward man who wastes no time in acting > complete opposite to H
       • when he learns of father's death he comes to palace directly to confront king/hamlet
         • ironically he looks like more of a king when he storms in > better king?
         • let come what comes, only I'll be revenged most throughly for my father
         • Claudius' manipulation of him shows him as acting w/o thinking type
           • proves H = right to not act?
           • L even forfiets religious beliefs to get revenge > after C had manipulated him
             • ..cut his throat in a church
             • exactly the thing Hamlet couldn't do to C
       • Claudius = all about action but devious underhand action > can't really be called proper action?
         • e.g. Act 3 Sc1 wastes n otime in sending H to England when he in unsure of motives > suspects him of murder
         • shows inaction at not killing H for Polonious > for ore calculated reasons than H
       • Fortinbras = willing to take action for honour > H sees nobility in his actions but knows they're foolish
         • Frotinbras & H = v similiar > key dif = Fortinbras doesn't need to think before acting
           • both princes who have lost dad in battle and are looking to avenge them
           • both will
     • Ophelia = takes all of H's actions he talks about and actually does them
       • suicide
       • goes mad

2. Appearence vs Reality

   • every character is constantly trying to figure out what other is really thinking
     • tries to do so by use of deception
       • where motifs of spying and plotting come in
   • Hamlet obsessed with discerning appearance from reality
     • 'Seems, nay it is, I know not seems'
     • not just other people's reality but his own
       • reality of life and death
     • obsession w reality = three efects
       • as he become more obsessed he becomes less and less able to act
       • in order to find realty he hides his own reality behind appearance of madness
         • shows line between reality and appearance = indistinct
           • soon cant tell if madness real or feigned
         • as soon as he finds reality in Ghost he starts to hide behind appearance of madness > can't handle reality?
       • more closely Hamlet looks, more and more incoherent and false everything seems
         • suggests world is founded on fundamental inconsistences that people miss that allow them to act
     • H's fatal flaw = that he's right to see uncertainties in everything and everyone doesn't see them
   • from v start theme = prevalent
     • 'Horatio: who's there?'
       • develops concept of uncertain reality
       • Horatio = proven as realistic/honest character through admitting weird speed of marriage
   • Claudius = character most ssosaited w using appearance to hide true thoughts/actions
     • speech in Act1Sc2 = shows him using fancy words and long formal sentences to give appearance of morality and power and make court forget about Old H
       • appearance = shown as fake from quick subject change
         • trying to make people forget about immoral action of marrying dead brother's wife and taking throne
     • Act 1 Sc4 on battlements = shows his imorrality and how even 'great men' by appearance are corrupted
     • manipulates Laetres w lang to sacrifice morals for revenge to alter perception in his favour
       • using deceptive flattery of swordsmanship he gets Laetres to alter appearance of noble art of swordmanship w poison >
       • C's reality revealed by L when dying > death = inescapable reality
     • HOWEVER he willingly admits actions and doesn't lie to himself about not being able to ask for forgiveness
     • always thinking about appearances and how things affect his appearance
       • e.g. when thinking of ways to send H away w/o annoying public who loves H
         • he's loved by the distracted multitude, who like not in their judgement but their eyes .... this sudden sending him away must seem deliberate pause.'
     • was so deep in reality of lie he didn't save G
   • H uses play to show reality > actors make living out of giving appearance > irony
     • even lectures players on how to create bridge between reality and appearance
   • Ghost = example of trouble finding reality > could be demon or not exist at all
   • Gertrude = shows appearance of ignorance at Old H's murder
     • Act 2 Sc2 = shows she didn't know > blames H's behaviour on loss of father and her quick marriage
     • H says she's ignoring 'truths' of her immorallty
       • shows her assossiation w theme when she promises to rid herslef of sins but just goes immediately to C
         • however last scene does show loyalty to H > trying to redeem herself by saving him?
         • also doesn't tell C about how H killed in cold blood instead of madness > actually believes it?
   • H associates misogyny w hiding under appearance
     • make-up =makes beauty dishonest
     • true for him > gets angry at women when 'pretending' to be angry
   • set up meeting of O ad H = show appearance v reality physically and met > literally hiding themsleves
     • makes Ophelia be dishonest > men corrupting her > has to to survive?
       • Ophelia shows herself as (probably) only true character > madness = real
         • in madness shows reality > flowers
   • skull sc Act5 Sc1 = shows H reality of death > comes to everyone no matter what > finds it freeing
     • freedom from worrying about reality of death shown in match against Laetres > doesn't care about dying
   • whole of Act 5 Sc 2 = revealed truths/ truth winning > reality in death
     • L tells H C was plotting to kill him
       • lets H take revenge
       • L and H forgive each other before deaths > dying honestly
     • fortibras wins bc always real

3. Death, Posion and Corruption

   • poison = how Old H was murdered
     • ears = motif in play bc C pouring poisonous words in people's ears
     • people sense poison in Denmark under Claudius
       • e.g. commoners who claudius fears will rise up and soldiers in first scene
   • H often speaks of rot and disease in Denmark
     • unweeded garden
     • constantly references dead bodies
       • seems to prefer dead things
         • says he loved ophelia when she's dead and can't be lying to him
     • however he also talks about life generally with same type of disgusting lang
       • by end of play he realises death = only true reality
     • obsessed w concept of death and afterlife > wants to die but can't bc will go to Hell
       • Act 1 Sc 2 = 'oh this too too solid flesh would melt...'
   • Ghost = symbol of something corrupt in Denmark
     • 'something is rotten in the state of Denmark'
       • said at the start of the play > foreboding
       • people in medieval times people believed health of nation = legitamacy of king
   • Hamlet assosiates corruption w women > they use make up to hide age (death)
     • also shows corruption of women through the dirty and corrupt description of Gertrude's love making to C
       • but to live in the rank of the wea of an enseamed bed, stew'd in corruption... honeying and making love over the nasty sty
   • when Claudius reveals he did murder King Hamlet and isn't sorry for > audience = knows hamlet is righ to take revenge
   • H uses death and disease to threaten C
     • how C might end up in the 'guts of a beggar'
   • Laetres = example of character corrupted by revenge
     • honourable man but cheats and plots w C > uses poison > not honourable weapon
     • revenge and corruption bc of it kills him
   • Act 5 Sc 1 = grave digger scene > allows H to further indulge facination w death
     • when gravedigger gives H skull he realises it's his old court jester > realises death in inescapable and comes for everyone no matter what
   • death scene in Sc 5 Sc 2 = consequences of corruption and poison of state and mind

4. Religion, Revenge and Honour

   • Act 1 Sc 1 = Ghost immediatley connected w revenge > fortinbras
     • every father/son relationship in play leads to revenge
   • Ghost shows H his unease at state of Denmark = reflected spiritually
     • Ghost being stuck in purgatory = sympathy w relgious H and contemporary audience
   • central plot of play = H's inability to take revenge for fear of divine retribution and his general lack of willingness
     • act 1 sc 5 shows his contridiction bc just after he promises to take revenge to father he curses his fate > doesn't want to
       • oh cursed spite! That I was ever born to set it right!
     • also doesn't want to take revenge bc suicudal
       • why take revenge when there's no point to living/dying
     • Act 3 Sc 3 = didn't take revenge bc C appeared to be plarying > religous reasons = overcome desire to take revenge
       • immediatley contridited by killing of POlonius > no remorse
     • Act 4 Sc 4 = H comapres himself to Fortinbras > willing to fight over a worthless piece of land just for honour and evenge
       • Fortinbras ends up bring only who achieves vengance > bc he doesn't pursue it and doesn't plot
     • L = direct contrast to H in terms of taking erevenge and trouble w religoin > nearly starts revolution annd willing to kill in church all for revenge
       • i dare damnation
       • to cut his throat in a church
       • L ends up being corrupted by need for revenge > had prided himself on honour
   • code of conduct society lives and actions by = defined by honour and religion
     • Hamlet discovers honour and religion have contradiciting morals > revenge
       • reasons for revenge = become muddy and justice = confused
   • Wittenburg = centre of Reformation and new religious ideas
     • Claudius and Gertrude telling H not to go back = to stop him developing ideas of his own?
   • play within play = makes H unable to avoid taking revenge
   • Act 5 Sc 1 gravediggers = comment on how religion = biased towards wealthy
     • makes all H's previous agonising over religious implications of dying= pointless