HamletA Man In Morning Essay Research Paper

Hamlet:A Man In Morning Essay, Research Paper

Hamlet: A Man in Mourning

Hamlet is one of the most popular plays of William Shakespeare. It has been enjoyed by audiences throughout its existence, and also criticized by critics. Since the time it was written, critics have been trying to explain Hamlet s odd behavior, and the apparent lack of explanation for the absurdities of the play have caused some critics to denounce the play as a failure. This is far from the truth. The basic explanation of the play, which solves many problems associated with the play, is that Hamlet is depressed. T.S. Elliot says the play is a failure because Shakespeare s fails to impart to the audience how one would feel in Hamlet s situation. The fault is not Shakespeare s, but the audience s. The audience often fails to understand that Hamlet at the opening of the play, is not in his normal state, but is Hamlet depressed because of the death of his father. We see Hamlet change throughout the play, as he is starts out depressed, and grows in a natural progression. As he exits depression, he realizes the need for revenge, and he feigns madness to help him achieve this. Hamlet s depressed state in the beginning helps to explain many of the actions, and perceived failures of the play.

As the play opens, we see Hamlet as he learns of his father s murder. Hamlet is lethargic, melancholy, and slow to action. As the play continues Hamlet changes, and seems to be completely different than what he previously was. Critics say that Hamlet not remaining constant throughout the play was a reason the play was a failure. This is wrong. There are three explanations why Hamlet was lethargic, melancholy, and slow to action. The first explanation is that Hamlet is depressed. His father was just murdered, his mother married his Uncle, and the title that he had been training for his whole entire life had just vanished before his eyes. This would be a great deal of disappointment for any man, and it leads to Hamlet falling in a depression. Many critics denounce the character Hamlet for being too slow to action.

Nearly all readers, commentators, and critics are agreed in thinking that it was Hamlet s duty to kill, that he ought indeed to have killed much sooner than he did. His delay, they say, was a weakness, and disaster (Goddard, Hamlet:His Own Falstaff, pg.12)

There is an explanation for the lack of action of Hamlet in the opening scenes. The reason is Hamlet s intellect. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar say, He has been at the University of Wittenberg, where he has engaged in the subtleties of intellectual speculation (Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts, p.64). Hamlet is a man of reason. One who has been trained to carefully think and analyze every situation completely before he should act. It is for this reason that Hamlet was slow to action. He was carefully analyzing the situation of his father s death, and all the possibilities, and it wasn t until he was completely sure of himself that he was actually moved to action. A third factor, which cannot be ignored when trying to understand Hamlet s lack of action, is his Christian beliefs. Paul A. Cantor believes

The complexity of Hamlet s stated view of the world-and above all the way it brings together classical and Christian elements in an uneasy fusion-may well be responsible for the fact that he cannot respond to the ghost s challenge in a simple and direct way. (Hamlet s Christian Beliefs Stifle His Heroic Impulse, pg. 122)

Many times, while contemplating suicide, Hamlet gives God as a reason why he can t do it. Hamlet s Christian beliefs play an important role in his lack of action.

The character of Hamlet was not constant throughout the play. Hamlet, like all human beings, changes. There is nothing wrong with this. Much of his change is the result of external forces. By looking at Hamlet s five soliloquies, we are able to gain insight into the true feelings of Hamlet. Hamlet gave his first soliloquy directly after the time of his father s death, and after his mother remarried to his uncle, Claudius. He is greatly depressed. We learn that he is a religious man, when he contemplates suicide but decides against it because God doesn t want him to.

Or that the Everlasting had not fix d

His canon gainst self-slaughter! O God! God (I, ii, 131-132)

Hamlet is greatly distressed that his mother had immediately married his uncle instead of mourning. Last we see that he is hurt because he can not say anything, and must keep silent. During his second soliloquy, Hamlet s attitude has changed, from confused, to angry. At this point he is set on avenging his father s death, and swears to it. This soliloquy mainly serves to show Hamlet s progression. When Hamlet says his third soliloquy, we see some important insight of Hamlet. First we see an important part that shows another dimension of Hamlets depression. His whole life, Hamlet had been raised to become king. He was nobility. After Claudius becomes king, he sees that that it is no longer possible for him to become king, and this greatly upsets him. Oh! What a rogue and peasant slave am I: (II,ii, 553). As demonstrated in the quote, he feels like he has been demoted as a citizen, and is no longer royalty. In this soliloquy, we also see some of the genius reasoning skills of Hamlet is educated. His plan to trap Claudius s conscie