The Unavoidable Tragedy The Tragedy of Hamlet is considered one of the most successful Shakespeare's plays and almost every educated person at least has a rough grasp on its plots and the image of Hamlet. However, probably for most readers who have carefully analyzed this tragic character, Hamlet himself is seemingly responsible for the bad ending of the play. Specifically, many people feel that the cast of his mind is so speculative, so questioning, and so contemplative that action, when it finally comes, seems almost like defeat. Nevertheless, I think no matter how Hamlet's characteristics change in this play, the tragedy is unavoidable. This essay will try to justify his seemingly mistaken behaviors and exposit his strength in chronological order, in order to clear Hamlet's stereotyped name of being a procrastinator in action and prove the inevitability of the tragedy. At the beginning of the play, before Hamlet meets the ghost and knows the truth, it is quite reasonable for him being thoughtful and suspicious. Although he suspects Claudius for murdering King Hamlet (as his first reaction to the truth the ghost reveals suggests), he can not take action without convincing reason. That is why he can only convey his dissatisfaction toward the king and his mother, being melancholic without doing anything. However, all the grief and indignation he has foreshadows the following plot that he will know the truth. After meeting the ghost and confirming what he suspects, Hamlet, instead of procrastinating, takes the initiative during the wresting with Claudius in a special way. Firstly, he “put[s] an antic disposition” to justify his bizarre but purposeful words and deeds, from which he tries to averts Claudius’s suspicion and keep the plan going smoothly(1.4. 173). Then he arranges the play "the Mouse-trap" to confirm the ghost’s words and the king’s crime. Nevertheless, some readers may think Hamlet exposes his ambition as the "bait" of the “trap" to explore the king's conscience, which accelerates Claudius's conspiracy imposing on him. In other words, Hamlet acts rashly and causes undesirable agitation. However, since it is obvious that there are great disparities in strength between the king and the prince, Hamlet needs to avoid confrontation with Claudius. In contrast, he needs to wait for a proper opportunity to defeat his rival and confirm the ghost’s words. In addition, Claudius is concerned with Hamlet's grief at first and madness later, which is certainly a sign that he has become aware of Hamlet's acts all the time according to his characterization. That is to say, the longer this situation lasts, the worse it is for Hamlet. As a result, the prince consciously startles the enemy to break the deadlock which is disadvantageous to him, compelling the king to realize the escalation of the situation and take action accordingly. Seemingly the king is the one who takes the first step and the prince belongs to the passive side, but actually it is Hamlet who first declares the war. After the play, the most debatable event in the whole story takes place: when the king is praying for his sins, Hamlet decides not to "do it pat" when he "enter [with sword drawn]"(3.3. 36). Because of this seemingly great mistake, Hamlet is widely accused of his petty mercy, or rather, his procrastination in action. It is easy to imagine that some readers who do not really understand the image of Hamlet will even assert that the loss of this remarkable opportunity leads directly to the ultimate tragedy of the whole play. It is absolutely right if they make this statement based solely on plot. In the play, Hamlet claims that he wants to kill the king when he is with "all his crimes broad blown"(3.3. 83). His excessive consideration about heaven and soul is the main reason why people interpret Hamlet as a procrastinator. However, Hamlet understands that no one will advocate a king-slayer without a motivation of justice. Specifically, he
fate provides a large complication which ultimately contributes to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet’s, which was pre-ordained. It was not the lovers’ flaws that led them to their graves, nor did the tragedy spring from their own weaknesses. Rather, the manifestations of fate helped bring about the unavoidable outcome of the young lovers’ death.Fate The inevitability of fate permeates the play. In the chorus if the play, it tells us that both lovers are “star-crossed”. The mechanism of fate works in all…
the real world. Through this, the reader is able to comprehend and relate much more easily; the theme becomes apparent to the reader very easily by the end of the book. In “The Lovely Bones”, Alice Seabold is able to portray that the reaction of tragedies in what shapes people, showing this through characters growth. Along the plot line it becomes obvious Seabold is showing the human nature ways of mourning, the effects one person has on everyone, and how in the end people grow from tragic events…
that inevitable tragedy awaits all who live, is the key factor that distinguishes the human species. It is because of this realization that tragedy elevates, rather than lowers, the human spirit. In Aristotle’s eyes, tragedy is defined as a bad thing that happens to a good person. It is an event that is both pitied and feared, and is the inescapable result of actions of the victim. While in a melodrama the characters’ fates are uncertain and are controlled solely by plot, in a tragedy “we demand an…
fate provides a large complication which ultimately contributes to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet’s, which was pre-ordained. It was not the lovers’ flaws that led them to their graves, nor did the tragedy spring from their own weaknesses. Rather, the manifestations of fate helped bring about the unavoidable outcome of the young lovers’ death. Lord and Lady Capulet The domineering Lady Capulet believed that the tradition of arranged marriage was right. She informed Juliet of her marriage with County…
Chu English I HP 2/15/15 Fated to Be Ruined Fate is a universal idea expressed in famous literature all throughout history. One of the most well-known literary works of all time is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The full title of the play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet , clearly depicts that there is an unfortunate end to Romeo and Juliet’s story. Beginning with Romeo falling in love at first sight with Juliet and ending with their notorious deaths, the best explanation for the strange coincidences…
December 19, 2014 "Et tu, Brute?:” The Tragic Downfall of Brutus Certain characteristics of a person can make a drastic change in their life. People are flawed and if they don't make an effort to change, it may lead to their tragic, unavoidable death. In the tragedy Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, it's visible that Brutus makes rash decisions that end up making him kill himself. In typical Shakespearean plays the tragic hero along with his flaws usually lead to the downfall of the play. Brutus’ flaws are what make him a…
In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, the themes of sight and blindness are developed in a way to communicate to the reader that it is not eyesight itself, but insight that holds the key to truth and, without it, no amount of knowledge can help uncover that truth. Some may define insight as the ability to intuitively know what is going to happen, or simply as the capacity to understand the true nature of a situation. Both definitions hold a significant role in the play, not only for more obvious…
the famous Poetics and reflecting upon his definition of tragedy, Sophocles’ play, “Oedipus the King”, is seen to be a benchmark for a “model tragedy” in modern day culture. It revolves around a complex plot structure with various conflicts converging and weaving together to leave an audience with a catharsis, or emotional release that leaves viewers with a helpless sense of guilt. From the time Oedipus was born, he was faced with unavoidable doom of becoming his father's murderer and husband to his…
The Comparison between Jane Eyre and Tess Jane Eyre and Tess, two famous literary characters in the Victorian Period, there are many similarities and diversities between them. It is very helpful to do the paper work through studying theirs similarities and diversities. 4.1 The Comparison of theirs Background In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, the heroine’s family was very poor, and she lost both of her parents when she is very young, then she became an orphan girl and had to living rely…
First paper for Detective Fiction: Oedipus, the King Oedipus, from the detective fiction, King, the Oedipus, plays the main leading role in the story who is blindfolded all the way till the end of the book. As a role who is destined with tragic fate, it is a question whether he is one to blame or not for the consequences. I believe that although it was Oedipus himself who commit all the crime, he’s not culpable for killing his father and sleeping with his own mother. Since fate is something that…