the Humanism in Hamlet.docx

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