the Humanism in Hamlet.docx

1、the Humanism in HamletAnalysis the Humanism in HamletIntroductionShakespeares life and work William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon. The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he was probably educated at the King Edward IV Grammar School in Stratford, where he learned L

2、atin and a little Greek and read the Roman dramatists. Little is known about Shakespeares activities between 1585 and 1592. Robert Greenes A Groatsworth of Wit alludes to him as an actor and playwright. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried two days later at Stratford Church. While Shakespeare w

3、as regarded as the foremost dramatist of his time, evidence indicates that both he and his world looked to poetry, not playwriting, for enduring fame. Shakespeare wrote more than 30 plays. These are usually divided into four categories: histories, comedies, tragedies, and romances. His work looked a

4、t common human themes, such as betrayal, murder, lust, power, ambition and love. These themes are as much a part of human nature today as they were all those years ago. Shakespeares Hamlet is without a question the most famous play in Shakespeares work. Hamlet a universal renaissance man.Definition

5、of Humanism Humanism is the essence of the renaissance. In Greek and Roman civilization, man is the measure of all things. Contrary to the medieval philosophy, the humanists believed that it was justified to praise human nature and human beings are glorious creatures capable of development in the di

6、rection of perfection. The world was theirs not to dislike but to question, explore and enjoy. Thus, by emphasizing the value of human beings and the important of the present life, they emphasized that man not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of this life, but have the ability to perfect them

7、selves and create wonders.The Humanism in HamletThe characters in HamletThe credit for the success of Shakespeares tragedies not only goes to the plot, but also to his characters. The characters in Shakespeares plays are human, and react to situations in the way people would behave in certain situat

8、ions, even in real life. The protagonists in his tragic plays have superior characteristics that make them great and powerful, but they have one flaw in their character which leads them to their tragedy. It is the same in the case of prince Hamlet. Hamlet is a complex play and understanding Hamlet c

9、haracters is not a simple task. Each character has different layers and is rounded characters as seen in most plays of Shakespeare. He never portrayed characters as black and white because he believed that human beings have a mixture of good virtues as well as bad.Hamlet The character of Hamlet is c

10、omplex and many scholars have given different interpretations for this enigmatic character of Shakespeare. Hamlet is intelligent and a knowledgeable person. He is a University student and is thoughtful and philosophical by nature. He thinks deeply about important matters and decisions in life. Howev

11、er, this contemplative nature is also his major flaw. His lack of timely action is the cause of his tragedy. Even after he sees the ghost of his father, he does not totally believe that Claudius killed his father. Only when he gets the proof that his uncle is guilty, he is ready to kill him. Eve aft

12、er that he delays his action, although he gets plenty of chances to do it. However, he has a contradictory personality too. This is seen when he suddenly kills Polonius, thinking that it was Claudius, who was standing behind the tapestry. This comes as a shock to the audience, because Hamlet does no

13、t even think about checking who the person is before killing.King Claudius King Claudius is the villain of the play who is portrayed as cunning and selfish. His powerful ambition leads him to kill his own brother and marry his widow to usurp the throne from Hamlet, who is the heir apparent. He is a

14、calculative man who can fall to any level to hold his power to himself. He thinks only of himself and has the ability to manipulate people the way he wants to. However, this evil character of Shakespeare shows his human nature too. He feels guilty and is shown to be praying for forgiveness in variou

15、s acts of the play. Although he may have married Gertrude for power, he seems to love her truly. However, his evil virtues foreground his good ones, leading to his tragic end.Gertrude Gertrudes character in the play is a little confusing one, as Shakespeare has not explained her intentions and attit

16、udes clearly. Her character is completely opposite to that of Hamlet. She is a person who does not think much of the consequences of her actions. It can be said that her hasty marriage to Claudius led to the destruction of the entire family. In many parts of the play, Hamlet condemns Gertrude for ha

17、ving weak moral standards as he could not accept the fact of her remarriage. Although she married her brother-in-law, it is not even remotely mentioned anywhere in the play that she had a relationship with him before or had a share in King Hamlets murder. Her actions reveal that by marrying Claudius

18、 she made a choice that would be beneficial to her and would not affect her power and position. Although Gertrude appears to be a shallow woman, she is shown as a loving mother who cared for her son till her last breath.Ophelia Ophelia is the most pitiable character in the play. Hamlet loves this be

19、autiful and innocent daughter of Polonius and apparently she loves him too. But, her father and brother dissuade her from having any relationship with Hamlet, as they think that he does not love her truly. Being an obedient daughter, she never professes her love for Hamlet. Ophelia gets disturbed wh

20、en she sees Hamlet acting as a mad man and under the orders of the king and her father, tries to know about his real motive. Hamlet accuses her of being a spy and condemns her for betraying him. This behavior of Hamlet shocks her and when he kills her father, her gentle heart is shattered. She goes

21、mad with grief and finally kills herself. The people she loved i.e. her father, brother and lover failed to understand her and were in some way responsible for her untimely death. Hamlet emphasizes the fact that Shakespeare was truly a genius. Although the play was written in the 16th or 17th centur

22、y by observing the people of those times, it surely rings true even in this century. The complexity of the characters makes Hamlet a masterpiece.Analysis of the Plot Hamlet is one of Shakespeares great tragedies and possibly the most mix-quoted. It deals with the psychological torment of a young Dan

23、ish prince, Hamlet himself, who is racked with murderous intent. Hamlets Father, the King of Denmark, is dead and the Kings brother (Hamlets uncle), Claudius, has married the widowed Queen, Gertrude. Hamlet is disgusted and cannot bear that his mother has betrayed his fathers memory in what he consi

24、ders to be an incestuous manner. When the ghost of the dead King appears to Hamlet and fills him with a powerful desire for revenge, Hamlet becomes more and more desperate to destroy Claudius and avenge his fathers memory. However, despite this desire to kill his stepfather, Hamlet struggles to achi

25、eve his purpose and a series of disastrous events ensue. He mistreats his Love, Ophelia, who is so distraught by the change in Hamlets manner towards her that she is driven to insanity, the beautiful yet tormented soliloquies engaged in by Hamlet become increasingly desperate as Hamlets rage and des

26、pair strengthen, and Gertrudes belief that Hamlet is mad with grief is apparent when Gertrude and Hamlet Speak together in Act IV. Hamlet is Shakespeares greatest tragic hero and, while the end of the Play is inevitable, the unraveling of the story is a wonder. Each scene is rendered in words of poe

27、tic beauty that simultaneously delight and horrify. The play is still as relevant today as it was when it was first written and performed as society is still troubled with political intrigue and deception, the hunt for bloody revenge, the tortures of a doomed love, and the cruelty of bereavement and

28、 loss. It is because Shakespeare speaks for humanity as a whole that makes Hamlet, like so many of his plays, universal. Hamlet is not bound by its time but transcends this boundary to speak to people just as powerfully as it did four hundred years ago.The Soliloquies of HamletAuthors use various li

29、terary elements to give insight into the mental composition of their characters. In Shakespeares “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” we can trace Hamlets mental process through his soliloquies.Hamlets first soliloquy reveals him to be thoroughly disgusted with Gertrude, Claudius, and the world in general.

30、“How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world” (1284), he said. He is saddened by the death of his father, who he admired as a king and husband to his mother. His grief over his fathers death is compounded by his mothers hasty marriage to Claudius. Hamlet protests,

31、“a beast, that wants discourse of reason, would have mournd longer” (1285). The worst part is that he cannot tell them how he feels. In his second soliloquy, Hamlet becomes curious and suspicious after hearing of the ghost. “My fathers spirit in arms! All is not well; I doubt some foul play” (1287),

32、 he said. Hamlet feels that the presence of the ghost indicates that his father died due to dubious circumstance. After talking with his fathers ghost, in the 3rd Soliloquy Hamlet is angered by the news that Claudius had murdered his father. Hamlet assures that he will think of nothing but revenge. “Ill wipe away all trivial fond records.and thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain” (1296), he proclaims. In Hamlets fourth soliloquy, his mental state shows signs of declination. He castigates