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William
Shakespeare - Biography
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
AS YOU LIKE IT
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK
HENRY THE FOURTH, PART ONE
HENRY THE FOURTH, PART TWO
HENRY THE FIFTH
JULIUS CAESAR
KING LEAR
MACBETH
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
OTHELLO
RICHARD II
RICHARD III
ROMEO AND JULIET
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
THE TEMPEST
TWELFTH NIGHT
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
THE WINTER'S TALE
"Sonnets"
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W. Shakespeare "Hamlet"
illustration from Eugene Delacroix
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HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK
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Type of work: Drama
Author: William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Type of plot: Romantic tragedy
Time of plot: с 1200
Locale: Elsinore, Denmark
First presented: 1602
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W. Shakespeare "Hamlet"
illustration from Eugene Delacroix
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One of the most popular and highly respected plays ever written,
Hamlet owes its greatness to the character of the Prince, a man of
thought rather than action, a philosophical, introspective hero who is
swept along by events rather than exercising control of them. Through
the medium of some of the most profound and superb poetry ever composed,
Shakespeare transforms a conventional revenge tragedy into a gripping
exploration of the universal problems of mankind. In Hamlet's struggle
with duty, morality, and ethics are mirrored the hopes, fears, and
despair of all mankind.
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W. Shakespeare "Hamlet"
illustration from Eugene Delacroix
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Principal Characters
Hamlet (ham'tot), prince of Denmark. Generally agreed to be
Shakespeare's most fascinating hero, Hamlet has been buried under
volumes of interpretation, much of it conflicting. No brief sketch can
satisfy his host of admirers nor take into account more than a minute
fraction of the commentary now in print. The character is a mysterious
combination of a series of literary sources and the phenomenal genius of
Shakespeare. Orestes in Greek tragedy is probably his ultimate
progenitor, not Oedipus, as some critics have suggested. The Greek
original has been altered and augmented by medieval saga and Renaissance
romance; perhaps an earlier "Hamlet," written by Thomas Kyd, furnished
important material; however, the existence of such a play has been
disputed. A mixture of tenderness and violence, a scholar, lover,
friend, athlete, philosopher, satirist, and deadly enemy, Hamlet is
larger than life itself. Torn by grief for his dead father and
disappointment in the conduct of his beloved mother, Hamlet desires a
revenge so complete that it will reach the soul as well as the body of
his villainous uncle. His attempt to usurp God's prerogative of judgment
leads to all the deaths in the play. Before his death he reaches a state
of resignation and acceptance of God's will. He gains his revenge but
loses his life.
Claudius (klo'di-us), king of Denmark, husband of his brother's widow,
Hamlet's uncle. A shrewd and capable politician and administrator, he is
courageous and self-confident; but he is tainted by mortal sin. He has
murdered his brother and married his queen very soon thereafter.
Although his conscience torments him with remorse, he is unable to
repent or to give up the throne or the woman that his murderous act
brought him. He has unusual self-knowledge and recognizes his
unrepentant state. He is a worthy and mighty antagonist for Hamlet, and
they destroy each other.
Gertrude, queen of Denmark, Hamlet's mother. Warmhearted but weak, she
shows deep affection for Hamlet and tenderness for Ophelia. There are
strong indications that she and Claudius have been engaged in an
adulterous affair before the death of the older Hamlet. She loves
Claudius, but she respects Hamlet's confidence and does not betray him
to his uncle when he tells her of the murder, of which she has been
obviously innocent and ignorant. Her death occurs after she drinks the
poison prepared by Claudius for Hamlet.
Polonius (рэ-16'ni-us), Lord Chamberlain under Claudius, whom he has
apparently helped to the throne. An affectionate but meddlesome father
to Laertes and Ophelia, he tries to control their lives, He is garrulous
and self-important, always seeking the devious rather than the direct
method in politics or family relationships. Hamlet jestingly baits him
but he apparently has some affection for the officious old man and shows
real regret at killing him. Polonius' deviousness and eavesdropping
bring on his death; Hamlet stabs him through the tapestry in the
mistaken belief that Claudius is concealed there.
Ophelia, Polonius' daughter and Hamlet's love. A sweet, docile girl, she
is easily dominated by her father. She loves Hamlet but never seems to
realize that she is imperiling his life by helping her father spy on
him. Her gentle nature being unable to stand the shock of her father's
death at her lover's hands, she loses her mind and is drowned.
Laertes (la-flr'tez), Polonius' son. He is in many ways a foil to
Hamlet. He also hungers for revenge for a slain father. Loving his dead
father and sister, he succumbs to Claudius' temptation to use fraud in
gaining his revenge. This plotting brings about his own death but also
destroys Hamlet.
Horatio (ho-ra'-shi-б), Hamlet's former schoolmate and loyal friend.
Well balanced, having a quiet sense of humor, he is thoroughly reliable.
Hamlet trusts him implicitly and confides in him freely. At Hamlet's
death, he wishes to play the antique Roman and die by his own hand; but
he yields to Hamlet's entreaty and consents to remain alive to tell
Hamlet's story and to clear his name.
Ghost of King Hamlet. Appearing first to the watch, he later appears to
Horatio and to Hamlet. He leads Hamlet away from the others and tells
him of Claudius' foul crime. His second appearance to Hamlet occurs
during the interview with the queen, to whom he remains invisible,
causing her to think that Hamlet is having hallucinations. In spite of
Gertrude's betrayal of him, the ghost of murdered Hamlet shows great
tenderness for her in both of his appearances.
Fortinbras (for'tin-bras), prince of Norway, son of old Fortinbras, the
former king of Norway, nephew of the present regent. Another foil to
Hamlet, he is resentful of his father's death at old Hamlet's hands and
the consequent loss of territory. He plans an attack on Denmark, which
is averted by his uncle after diplomatic negotiations between him and
Claudius. He is much more the man of action than the man of thought.
Hamlet chooses him as the next king of Denmark and expresses the hope
and belief that he will be chosen. Fortinbras delivers a brief but
emphatic eulogy over Hamlet's body.
W. Shakespeare "Hamlet"
illustration from Eugene Delacroix
Rosencrantz (ro-zen'kranz) and Guildenstern (gil'dan-stern), the
schoolmates of Hamlet summoned to Denmark by Claudius to act as spies on
Hamlet. Though hypocritical and treacherous, they are no match for him,
and in trying to betray him they go to their own deaths.
Old Norway, uncle of Fortinbras. Although he never appears on the stage,
he is important in that he diverts young Fortinbras from his planned
attack on Denmark.
Yorick (yor'ik), King Hamlet's jester. Dead some years before the action
of the play begins, he makes his brief appearance in the final act when
his skull is thrown up by a sexton digging Ophelia's grave. Prince
Hamlet reminisces and moralizes while holding the skull in his hands. At
the time he is ignorant of whose grave the sexton is digging.
Reynaldo (ra-nol'do), Polonius' servant. Polonius sends him to Paris on
business, incidentally to spy on Laertes. He illustrates Polonius'
deviousness and unwillingness to make a direct approach to anything.
First Clown, a gravedigger. Having been sexton for many years, he knows
personally the skulls of those he has buried. He greets with particular
affection the skull of Yorick, which he identifies for Hamlet. He is an
earthy humorist, quick with a witty reply.
Second Clown, a stupid straight man for the wit of the First Clown.
Osric (oz'rik), a mincing courtier. Hamlet baits him in much the same
manner as he does Polonius, but without the concealed affection he has
for the old man. He brings Hamlet word of the fencing match arranged
between him and Laertes and serves as a referee of the match.
Marcellus (mar-seTus) and Bernardo (Ьэг-nar'do), officers of the watch
who first see the Ghost of King Hamlet and report it to Horatio, who
shares a watch with them. After the appearance of the Ghost to them and
Horatio, they all agree to report the matter to Prince Hamlet, who then
shares a watch with the three.
Francisco (fran-sis'ko), a soldier on watch at the play's opening. He
sets the tone of the play by imparting a feeling of suspense and
heartsickness.
First Player, the leader of a troop of actors. He produces "The Murder
of Gonzago" with certain alterations furnished by Hamlet to trap King
Claudius into displaying his guilty conscience.
A Priest, who officiates at Ophelia's abbreviated funeral. He refuses
Laertes' request for more ceremony, since he believes Ophelia has
committed suicide.
Voltimand (vol'M-mand) and Cornelius (kor-neTyus), ambassadors sent to
Norway by Claudius.
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W. Shakespeare "Hamlet"
illustration from Eugene Delacroix
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The Story
Three times the ghost of Denmark's dead king had stalked the battlements
of Elsinore Castle. On the fourth night Horatio, Hamlet's friend,
brought the young prince to see the specter of his father, two months
dead. Since his father's untimely death, Hamlet had been grief-stricken
and in an exceedingly melancholy frame of mind. The mysterious
circumstances surrounding the death of his father had perplexed him;
then too, his mother had married Claudius, the dead king's brother, much
too hurriedly to suit Hamlet's sense of decency.
That night Hamlet saw his father's ghost and listened in horror to what
it had to say. He learned that his father had not died from the sting of
a serpent, as had been supposed, but that he had been murdered by his
own brother. Claudius, the present king. The ghost added that Claudius
was guilty not only of murder but also of incest and adultery. But the
spirit cautioned Hamlet to spare Queen Gertrude, his mother, so that
heaven could punish her.
The ghost's disclosures should have left no doubt in Hamlet's mind that
Claudius must be killed. But the introspective prince was not quite sure
that the ghost was his father's spirit, for he feared it might have been
a devil sent to torment him. Debating with himself the problem of
whether or not to carry out the spirit's commands, Hamlet swore his
friends, including Horatio, to secrecy concerning the appearance of the
ghost, and he told them not to consider him mad if his behavior seemed
strange to them.
Meanwhile Claudius was facing not only the possibility of war with
Norway, but also, and much worse, his own conscience, which had been
much troubled since his hasty marriage to Gertrude. In addition, he did
not like the melancholia of the prince, who, he knew, resented the
king's hasty marriage. Claudius feared that Hamlet would take his throne
away from him. The prince's strange behavior and wild talk made the king
think that perhaps Hamlet was mad, but he was not sure. To learn the
cause of Hamlet's actions—madness or ambition—Claudius commissioned two
of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on the prince.
But Hamlet saw through their clumsy efforts and confused them with his
answers to their questions.
Polonius, the garrulous old chamberlain, believed that Hamlet's behavior
resulted from lovesickness for his daughter, Ophelia. Hamlet, meanwhile,
had become increasingly melancholy. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as
well as Polonius, were constantly spying on him. Even Ophelia, he
thought, had turned against him. The thought of deliberate murder was
revolting to him, and he was constantly plagued by uncertainty as to
whether the ghost were good or bad. When a troupe of actors visited
Elsi-nore, Hamlet saw in them a chance to discover whether Claudius were
guilty. He planned to have the players enact before the king and the
court a scene like that which, according to the ghost, took place the
day the old king died. By watching Claudius during the performance,
Hamlet hoped to discover for himself signs of Claudius' guilt.
W. Shakespeare "Hamlet" illustration from Eugene Delacroix
His plan worked. Claudius became so unnerved during the performance that
he walked out before the end of the scene. Convinced by the king's
actions that the ghost was right, Hamlet had no reason to delay in
carrying out the wishes of his dead father. Even so, Hamlet failed to
take advantage of his first real chance after the play to kill Claudius.
He came upon the king in an attitude of prayer and could have stabbed
him in the back. Hamlet did not strike because he believed that the king
would die in grace at his devotions.
The queen summoned Hamlet to her chamber to reprimand him for his
insolence to Claudius. Hamlet, remembering what the ghost had told him,
spoke to her so violently that she screamed for help. A noise behind a
curtain followed her cries, and Hamlet, suspecting that Claudius was
eavesdropping, plunged his sword through the curtain, killing old
Polonius. Fearing an attack on his own life, the king hastily ordered
Hamlet to England in company with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who
carried a warrant for Hamlet's death. But the prince discovered the
orders and altered them so that the bearers should be killed on their
arrival in England. Hamlet then returned to Denmark.
Much had happened in that unhappy land during Hamlet's absence. Because
Ophelia had been rejected by her former lover, she went mad and later
drowned. Laertes, Polonius' hot-tempered son, returned from France and
collected a band of malcontents to avenge the death of his father. He
thought that Claudius had killed Polonius, but the king told him that
Hamlet was the murderer and even persuaded Laertes to take part in a
plot to murder the prince.
Claudius arranged for a duel between Hamlet and Laertes. To allay
suspicion of foul play, the king placed bets on Hamlet, who was an
expert swordsman. At the same time, he had poison placed on the tip of
Laertes' weapon and put a cup of poison within Hamlet's reach in the
event that the prince became thirsty during the duel. Unfortunately,
Gertrude, who knew nothing of the king's treachery, drank from the
poisoned cup and died. During the contest, Hamlet was mortally wounded
with the poisoned rapier, but the two contestants exchanged foils in a
scuffle, and Laertes himself received a fatal wound. Before he died,
Laertes was filled with remorse and told Hamlet that Claudius was
responsible for the poisoned sword. Hesitating no longer, Hamlet seized
his opportunity to act, and fatally stabbed the king. Then the prince
himself died. But the ghost was avenged.
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W. Shakespeare "Hamlet"
illustration from Eugene Delacroix
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Critical Evaluation
Hamlet has remained the most perplexing, as well as the most popular, of
Shakespeare's major tragedies. Performed frequently, the play has
tantalized critics with what has become known as the Hamlet mystery. The
mystery resides in Hamlet's complex behavior, most notably his
indecision and his reluctance to act.
Freudian critics have located his motivation in the psy-chodynamic triad
of the father-mother-son relationship. According to this view, Hamlet is
disturbed and eventually deranged by his Oedipal jealousy of the uncle
who has done what, we are to believe, all sons long to do themselves.
Other critics have taken the more conventional tack of identifying
Hamlet's tragic flaw as a lack of courage or moral resolution. In this
view, Hamlet's indecision is a sign of moral ambivalence which he
overcomes too late.
The trouble with both of these views is that they presuppose a precise
discovery of Hamlet's motivation. However, Renaissance drama is not
generally a drama of motivation either by psychological set or moral
predetermination. Rather, the tendency is to present characters, with
well delineated moral and ethical dispositions, who are faced with
dilemmas. It is the outcome of these conflicts, the consequences, which
normally hold center stage. What we watch in Hamlet is an agonizing
confrontation between the will of a good and intelligent man and the
uncongenial role which circumstance calls upon him to play.
The disagreeable role is a familiar one in Renaissance drama—the
revenger. The early description of Hamlet, bereft by the death of his
father and the hasty marriage of his mother, makes him a prime candidate
to assume such a role. One need not conclude that his despondency is
Oedipal in order to sympathize with the extremity of his grief. His
father, whom he deeply loved and admired, is recently deceased and he
himself seems to have been finessed out of his birthright. Shakespeare,
in his unfortunate ignorance of Freud, emphasized Hamlet's shock at
Gertrude's disrespect to the memory of his father rather than love of
mother as the prime source of his distress. The very situation breeds
suspicion, which is reinforced by the ghastly visitation by the elder
Hamlet's ghost and the ghost's disquieting revelation. The ingredients
are all there for bloody revenge.
However, if Hamlet were simply to act out the role that has been thrust
upon him, the play would be just another sanguinary potboiler without
the moral and theological complexity which provides its special
fascination. Hamlet has, after all, been a student of theology at
Wittenberg. Hamlet's knowledge complicates the situation. First of all,
he is aware of the fundamental immorality of the liaison between
Gertrude and Claudius. Hamlet's accusation of incest is not an
adolescent excess but an accurate theological description of a marriage
between a widow and her dead husband's brother.
Hamlet's theological accomplishments do more than exacerbate his
feelings. For the ordinary revenger, the commission from the ghost of
the murdered father would be more than enough to start the bloodletting.
But Hamlet is aware of the unreliability of otherworldly apparitions,
and consequently he is reluctant to heed the ghost's injunction to
perform an action which is objectively evil. In addition, the fear that
his father was murdered in a state of sin and is condemned to hell not
only increases Hamlet's sense of injustice but also, paradoxically,
casts further doubt on the reliability of the ghost's exhortation. Is
the ghost, Hamlet wonders, merely an infernal spirit goading him to sin?
Thus, Hamlet's indecision is not an indication of weakness, but the
result of his complex understanding of the moral dilemma with which he
is faced. He is unwilling to act unjustly, yet he is afraid that he is
failing to exact a deserved retribution. He debates the murky issue and
becomes unsure himself whether his behavior is caused by moral scruple
or cowardice. He is in sharp contrast with the cynicism of Claudius and
the verbose moral platitudes of Polonius. The play is in sharp contrast
with the moral simplicity of the ordinary revenge tragedy. Hamlet's
intelligence has transformed a stock situation into a unique internal
conflict.
He believes that he must have greater certitude of Claudius' guilt if he
is to take action. The device of the play within a play provides greater
assurance that Claudius is suffering from a guilty conscience, but it
simultaneously sharpens Hamlet's anguish. Having seen a re-creation of
his father's death and Claudius' response, Hamlet is able to summon the
determination to act. However, he once again hesitates when he sees
Claudius in prayer because he believes that the king is repenting and,
if murdered at that moment, will go directly to heaven. Here Hamlet's
inaction is not the result of cowardice nor even of a perception of
moral ambiguity. Rather, after all of his agonizing, Hamlet once decided
on revenge is so thoroughly committed that his passion cannot be
satiated except by destroying his uncle body and soul. It is ironic that
Claudius has been unable to repent and that Hamlet is thwarted this time
by the combination of his theological insight with the extreme ferocity
of his vengeful intention.
That Hamlet loses his mental stability is clear in his behavior toward
Ophelia and in his subsequent mean-derings. Circumstance had enforced a
role whose enormity has overwhelmed the fine emotional and intellectual
balance of a sensitive, well-educated young man. Gradually he regains
control of himself and is armed with a cold determination to do what he
decides is the just thing. Yet, even then, it is only in the carnage of
the concluding scenes that Hamlet finally carries out his intention.
Having concluded that "the readiness is all," he strikes his uncle only
after he has discovered Claudius' final scheme to kill him and Laertes,
but by then he is mortally wounded.
The arrival of Fortinbras, who has been lurking in the background
throughout the play, superficially seems to indicate that a new, more
direct and courageous order will prevail in the place of the evil of
Claudius and the weakness of Hamlet. But Fortinbras' superiority is only
apparent. He brings stasis and stability back to a disordered kingdom,
but he does not have the self-consciousness and moral sensitivity which
destroy and redeem Hamlet.
Gerald Else has interpreted Aristotle's notion of katharsis to be not a
purging of the emotions but a purging of a role of the moral horror, the
pity and fear, ordinarily associated with it. If that is so, then
Hamlet, by the conflict of his ethical will with his role, has purged
the revenger of his horrific bloodthirstiness and turned the stock
figure into a self-conscious hero in moral conflict.
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