the Humanism in Hamlet.docx
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theHumanisminHamlet
AnalysistheHumanisminHamlet
Introduction
Shakespeare’slifeandwork
WilliamShakespearewasbornonApril23,1564,inStratford-on-Avon.ThesonofJohnShakespeareandMaryArden,hewasprobablyeducatedattheKingEdwardIVGrammarSchoolinStratford,wherehelearnedLatinandalittleGreekandreadtheRomandramatists.LittleisknownaboutShakespeare'sactivitiesbetween1585and1592.RobertGreene'sAGroatsworthofWitalludestohimasanactorandplaywright.HediedonApril23,1616,andwasburiedtwodayslateratStratfordChurch.
WhileShakespearewasregardedastheforemostdramatistofhistime,evidenceindicatesthatbothheandhisworldlookedtopoetry,notplaywriting,forenduringfame.Shakespearewrotemorethan30plays.Theseareusuallydividedintofourcategories:
histories,comedies,tragedies,andromances.Hisworklookedatcommonhumanthemes,suchasbetrayal,murder,lust,power,ambitionandlove.Thesethemesareasmuchapartofhumannaturetodayastheywereallthoseyearsago.Shakespeare’sHamletiswithoutaquestionthemostfamousplayinShakespeare’swork.Hamlet–auniversalrenaissanceman.
DefinitionofHumanism
Humanismistheessenceoftherenaissance.InGreekandRomancivilization,manisthemeasureofallthings.Contrarytothemedievalphilosophy,thehumanistsbelievedthatitwasjustifiedtopraisehumannatureandhumanbeingsaregloriouscreaturescapableofdevelopmentinthedirectionofperfection.Theworldwastheirsnottodislikebuttoquestion,exploreandenjoy.Thus,byemphasizingthevalueofhumanbeingsandtheimportantofthepresentlife,theyemphasizedthatmannotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofthislife,buthavetheabilitytoperfectthemselvesandcreatewonders.
TheHumanisminHamlet
ThecharactersinHamlet
ThecreditforthesuccessofShakespeare'stragediesnotonlygoestotheplot,butalsotohischaracters.ThecharactersinShakespeare'splaysarehuman,andreacttosituationsinthewaypeoplewouldbehaveincertainsituations,eveninreallife.Theprotagonistsinhistragicplayshavesuperiorcharacteristicsthatmakethemgreatandpowerful,buttheyhaveoneflawintheircharacterwhichleadsthemtotheirtragedy.ItisthesameinthecaseofprinceHamlet.HamletisacomplexplayandunderstandingHamletcharactersisnotasimpletask.EachcharacterhasdifferentlayersandisroundedcharactersasseeninmostplaysofShakespeare.Heneverportrayedcharactersasblackandwhitebecausehebelievedthathumanbeingshaveamixtureofgoodvirtuesaswellasbad.
Hamlet
ThecharacterofHamletiscomplexandmanyscholarshavegivendifferentinterpretationsforthisenigmaticcharacterofShakespeare.Hamletisintelligentandaknowledgeableperson.HeisaUniversitystudentandisthoughtfulandphilosophicalbynature.Hethinksdeeplyaboutimportantmattersanddecisionsinlife.However,thiscontemplativenatureisalsohismajorflaw.Hislackoftimelyactionisthecauseofhistragedy.Evenafterheseestheghostofhisfather,hedoesnottotallybelievethatClaudiuskilledhisfather.Onlywhenhegetstheproofthathisuncleisguilty,heisreadytokillhim.Eveafterthathedelayshisaction,althoughhegetsplentyofchancestodoit.However,hehasacontradictorypersonalitytoo.ThisisseenwhenhesuddenlykillsPolonius,thinkingthatitwasClaudius,whowasstandingbehindthetapestry.Thiscomesasashocktotheaudience,becauseHamletdoesnoteventhinkaboutcheckingwhothepersonisbeforekilling.
KingClaudius
KingClaudiusisthevillainoftheplaywhoisportrayedascunningandselfish.HispowerfulambitionleadshimtokillhisownbrotherandmarryhiswidowtousurpthethronefromHamlet,whoistheheirapparent.Heisacalculativemanwhocanfalltoanyleveltoholdhispowertohimself.Hethinksonlyofhimselfandhastheabilitytomanipulatepeoplethewayhewantsto.However,thisevilcharacterofShakespeareshowshishumannaturetoo.Hefeelsguiltyandisshowntobeprayingforforgivenessinvariousactsoftheplay.AlthoughhemayhavemarriedGertrudeforpower,heseemstolovehertruly.However,hisevilvirtuesforegroundhisgoodones,leadingtohistragicend.
Gertrude
Gertrude'scharacterintheplayisalittleconfusingone,asShakespearehasnotexplainedherintentionsandattitudesclearly.HercharacteriscompletelyoppositetothatofHamlet.Sheisapersonwhodoesnotthinkmuchoftheconsequencesofheractions.ItcanbesaidthatherhastymarriagetoClaudiusledtothedestructionoftheentirefamily.Inmanypartsoftheplay,HamletcondemnsGertrudeforhavingweakmoralstandardsashecouldnotacceptthefactofherremarriage.Althoughshemarriedherbrother-in-law,itisnotevenremotelymentionedanywhereintheplaythatshehadarelationshipwithhimbeforeorhadashareinKingHamlet'smurder.HeractionsrevealthatbymarryingClaudiusshemadeachoicethatwouldbebeneficialtoherandwouldnotaffectherpowerandposition.AlthoughGertrudeappearstobeashallowwoman,sheisshownasalovingmotherwhocaredforhersontillherlastbreath.
Ophelia
Opheliaisthemostpitiablecharacterintheplay.HamletlovesthisbeautifulandinnocentdaughterofPoloniusandapparentlysheloveshimtoo.But,herfatherandbrotherdissuadeherfromhavinganyrelationshipwithHamlet,astheythinkthathedoesnotlovehertruly.Beinganobedientdaughter,sheneverprofessesherloveforHamlet.OpheliagetsdisturbedwhensheseesHamletactingasamadmanandundertheordersofthekingandherfather,triestoknowabouthisrealmotive.Hamletaccusesherofbeingaspyandcondemnsherforbetrayinghim.ThisbehaviorofHamletshocksherandwhenhekillsherfather,hergentleheartisshattered.Shegoesmadwithgriefandfinallykillsherself.Thepeopleshelovedi.e.herfather,brotherandloverfailedtounderstandherandwereinsomewayresponsibleforheruntimelydeath.
HamletemphasizesthefactthatShakespearewastrulyagenius.Althoughtheplaywaswritteninthe16thor17thcenturybyobservingthepeopleofthosetimes,itsurelyringstrueeveninthiscentury.Thecomplexityofthecharactersmakes'Hamlet'amasterpiece.
AnalysisofthePlot
HamletisoneofShakespeare’sgreattragediesandpossiblythemostmix-quoted.ItdealswiththepsychologicaltormentofayoungDanishprince,Hamlethimself,whoisrackedwithmurderousintent.Hamlet’sFather,theKingofDenmark,isdeadandtheKing’sbrother(Hamlet’suncle),Claudius,hasmarriedthewidowedQueen,Gertrude.Hamletisdisgustedandcannotbearthathismotherhasbetrayedhisfather’smemoryinwhatheconsiderstobeanincestuousmanner.WhentheghostofthedeadKingappearstoHamletandfillshimwithapowerfuldesireforrevenge,HamletbecomesmoreandmoredesperatetodestroyClaudiusandavengehisfather’smemory.However,despitethisdesiretokillhisstepfather,Hamletstrugglestoachievehispurposeandaseriesofdisastrouseventsensue.HemistreatshisLove,Ophelia,whoissodistraughtbythechangeinHamlet’smannertowardsherthatsheisdriventoinsanity,thebeautifulyettormentedsoliloquiesengagedinbyHamletbecomeincreasinglydesperateasHamlet’srageanddespairstrengthen,andGertrude’sbeliefthatHamletismadwithgriefisapparentwhenGertrudeandHamletSpeaktogetherinActIV.HamletisShakespeare’sgreatesttragicheroand,whiletheendofthePlayisinevitable,theunravelingofthestoryisawonder.Eachsceneisrenderedinwordsofpoeticbeautythatsimultaneouslydelightandhorrify.Theplayisstillasrelevanttodayasitwaswhenitwasfirstwrittenandperformedassocietyisstilltroubledwithpoliticalintrigueanddeception,thehuntforbloodyrevenge,thetorturesofadoomedlove,andthecrueltyofbereavementandloss.ItisbecauseShakespearespeaksforhumanityasawholethatmakesHamlet,likesomanyofhisplays,universal.Hamletisnotboundbyitstimebuttranscendsthisboundarytospeaktopeoplejustaspowerfullyasitdidfourhundredyearsago.
TheSoliloquiesofHamlet
Authorsusevariousliteraryelementstogiveinsightintothemental
compositionoftheircharacters. InShakespeare's“Hamlet,PrinceofDenmark,”
wecantraceHamlet'smentalprocessthroughhissoliloquies.
Hamlet'sfirstsoliloquyrevealshimtobethoroughlydisgustedwith
Gertrude,Claudius,andtheworldingeneral.“Howweary,stale,flatand
unprofitable,seemtomealltheusesofthisworld”(1284),hesaid. Heis
saddenedbythedeathofhisfather,whoheadmiredasakingandhusbandtohis
mother. Hisgriefoverhisfather'sdeathiscompoundedbyhismother'shasty
marriagetoClaudius.Hamletprotests,“abeast,thatwantsdiscourseofreason,
wouldhavemourn'dlonger”(1285). Theworstpartisthathecannottellthem
howhefeels.
Inhissecondsoliloquy,Hamletbecomescuriousandsuspiciousafter
hearingoftheghost. “Myfather'sspiritinarms!
Allisnotwell;Idoubt
somefoulplay”(1287),hesaid. Hamletfeelsthatthepresenceoftheghost
indicatesthathisfatherdiedduetodubiouscircumstance.
Aftertalkingwithhisfather'sghost,inthe3rdSoliloquyHamletis
angeredbythenewsthatClaudiushadmurderedhisfather. Hamletassuresthat
hewillthinkofnothingbutrevenge. “I'llwipeawayalltrivialfond
records...andthycommandmentallaloneshalllivewithinthebookandvolumeof
mybrain”(1296),heproclaims.
InHamlet'sfourthsoliloquy,hismentalstateshowssignsof
declination. Hecastigates