Melancholy Hamlet Essay - 1977 Words

Melancholy Hamlet In Shakespeare’s tragic drama, Hamlet, the multi-faceted character of the hero is so complex that this essay will enlighten the reader on only one aspect of his personality – his melancholy dimension. Our understanding of the true extent of the protagonist’s melancholic mental state needs to be informed. A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy presents convincing evidence regarding the true depth of the hero’s melancholy sentiment: Hamlet and Horatio are supposed to be fellow-students at Wittenberg, and to have left it for Elsinore less than two months ago. Yet Hamlet hardly recognizes Horatio at first, and speaks as if he himself lived at Elsinore (I refer to his bitter jest, ‘We’ll teach†¦show more content†¦The prince is dejected by the â€Å"o’erhasty marriage† of his mother to his uncle less than two months after the funeral of Hamlet’s father. There is a social gathering of the court, where Hamlet is present, dressed in black, the color of mourning, for his deceased father. His first words say that Claudius is A little more than kin and less than kind, indicating a disapproval of the new king’s values. Hamlet’s first soliloquy is quite depressing; it emphasizes the frailty of women – an obvious reference to his mother’s hasty and incestuous marriage to her husband’s brother: Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on: and yet, within a month-- Let me not think ont--Frailty, thy name is woman! [. . .] . (1.2) Soon Horatio and Marcellus make contact with Hamlet and escort him to the ramparts of Elsinore. Philip Edwards’ â€Å"The Ghost: Messenger from a Higher Court of Values?† explains what the protagonist wants from the ethereal messenger: â€Å"The Ghost may have some secret, some unimaginable truth to bring relief from those ‘thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls’, an explanation why things are as they are and a directive for meaningful action† (66-67). At one a.m. the ghost reveals to the protagonist that King Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, who had a relationship with Gertrude prior to the murder; the ghost requests revenge by Hamlet: â€Å"RevengeShow MoreRelated Melancholy in Hamlet Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pages Melancholy in Hamletnbsp;nbsp; Melancholy has caused many to look down on the world and themselves, driving themselves to suicide or treating their life like it has no meaning. Hamlet is a lonely and melancholic soul who doesnt think highly of women or his own life. Melancholy forms the basis of Hamlets character starting with the moment he arrives in Denmark and hitting a low note when Ophelia dies. Thoughts of suicide loomed throughout the play commencing with the news of old HamletsRead More Hamlet, the Melancholy One Essay3212 Words   |  13 PagesHamlet, the Melancholy One      Ã‚   Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet features the most famous protagonist in English literature – Hamlet. Inseparable from his character is the melancholy which permanently afflicted him. This essay concerns itself with this aspect of Hamlet.    Harry Levin explains the choices open to the melancholy hero in the General Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare:    The explanation of Hamlet, â€Å"What a piece of work is a man!† (II.ii.303), carries an ironicRead MoreThe Discourse Of Shakespeare s Hamlet ( Rough Draft )1564 Words   |  7 PagesThe Discourse of Dance in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Rough Draft) Alan Brissenden, a noted dance critic and Shakespearean scholar, asserts that â€Å"when Shakespeare uses dance it always contributes to plot, character, or imagery, and sometimes to all of these at one time (â€Å"Jacobean† 249). In the comedies, dance is used in the first few acts of the play to create an atmosphere of dramatic irony: dance, in its fundamental purpose in the Elizabethan and Jacobean theater was to create a sense of harmony andRead MoreTragedy: Shakespeares Hamlet and Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby1007 Words   |  5 PagesIn the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare and the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the objective is to divulge the quintessence of humanity. Although the protagonists in both works of literature have drastically different journeys that lead to climactic endings, the use of plot is to demonstrate that the essence of mankind is ultimately a tragedy if great care is not taken. Both Hamlet and Jay Gatsby are unable to focus on t he reality of the situation, and rather waste valuable timeRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1474 Words   |  6 PagesBibliography There are no sources in the current document. Hamed Alanazi English 230 Dec 4, 2015 Hamlet Hamlet, a play written by William Shakespeare is very close to the dramatic conventions of the revenge in Elizabeth era. All the revenge conventions are used in Hamlet which made it a typical revenge play. Hamlet is one of those Elizabethan heroes considered themselves seriously mistreated by an influential figure with having a desire to avenge the crime against their family. Shakespeare learnedRead MoreUnderstanding the Mind of Hamlet with His Soliloquies Essay678 Words   |  3 PagesUnderstanding the Mind of Hamlet with His Soliloquies The term soliloquy is a literary or dramatic form of discourse, within which a character talks to himself and reveals his inner thoughts without addressing a listener. Hamlet uses soliloquies to express his feelings towards his dead father and self loathing to the reader of the play but to none of the characters within it. Hamlet has a complex character and it is important for the audience to be able to understandRead MoreThe Human Condition and Ideologies in Hamlet by Willliam Shakespeare1522 Words   |  7 Pages Hamlet Texts reflect their context and paradigms but transcendental texts that explore aspects of humanity can resonate through time and remain relevant and accessible to audiences. William Shakespeare’s introspective play, Hamlet, explores the complexity of the human condition by reflecting ideologies such as justice, loyalty and morality. Although these deeply human ideas ensure the plays resonance, they are somewhat secondary to the depths of Hamlet’s human struggle. These thematic concernsRead MoreOphelia in William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay1488 Words   |  6 PagesOphelia in William Shakespeares Hamlet Shakespeares Hamlet is a tale of mortal revenge, lost souls, love and infidelity, and murder in the royal family. Hamlet, his father having recently died, is mourning the marriage of his mother to his uncle. When his fathers ghost appears to him and tells him he must avenge the former kings spirit so that it may pass on to Heaven, he decides to put on an antic disposition so that no one will know what he is thinking. As time goes by, he cannot moveRead MoreHamlets Madness: Feigned or Real Essay556 Words   |  3 PagesOne of the most analyzed plays in existence is Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, with its recurring question: â€Å"Is Hamlet’s madness feigned or real?† This question can only be answered through the portrayal of his character when he is associated with the other characters in the play. In Shakespeare’s play Prince Hamlet pretends to insane or mad, in order to thwart and baffle those who prevent him in his quest for revenge. Hamlet poses a via ble threat to Claudius throne whether sane or insane, and HamletsRead More Soliloquy and Revenge in Hamlet Essay662 Words   |  3 PagesSoliloquy and Revenge in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   The soliloquy is a literary device that is employed to unconsciously reveal an actors thoughts to the audience. In William Shakespeares, Hamlet, Hamlets soliloquy in Act II, ii, (576-634) depicts his arrival at a state of vengeful behaviour through an internal process. Hamlet moves through states of depression and procrastination as he is caught up in the aftermath of the murder of his father and the marriage of his mother to his uncle. The soliloquy