A Common Theme Of Shakespeare s Hamlet - 1573 Words

A common theme of Shakespearean plays is the balance between thoughts and actions. Many of the characters are able to shift the plot and affect the story according to their actions, while other characters are able to have thoughts and speeches that provide lore to the story and provoke the audience to theorize the reasoning behind theses speeches. It could be argued that Shakespeare holds one theme over the other and that his emphasis on which theme varies from play to play. In Hamlet specifically, Shakespeare establishes a much larger emphasis on thoughts rather than actions. Shakespeare places a great amount of thought into the protagonist, Hamlet. Throughout this tragedy, the reader sees Hamlet as a more†¦show more content†¦And so he goes to heaven; and so I am revenged. That would be scanned†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3,3 79 - 80) and chooses to wait for a better time and send Claudius to Purgatory, effectively drawing out the story and the murderer’s life. These thoughts su pport that Shakespeare prefers thoughts to actions as he has Hamlet stop and think about where Claudius would go then refusing, effectively drawing out the story rather than ending the conflict right there. Hamlet often reveals his thoughts in the form of soliloquies, often about death, his uncle, or both, sometimes having more than one soliloquy per act. During these soliloquies Hamlet discusses his current surroundings and situation, often thinking about what action he should take next or how he’s feeling. A number of his soliloquies revolve around death and his most famous soliloquy stems from this topic, such as in his 4th soliloquy Hamlet ponders â€Å"...Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3.1. 64 - 65) or if it’s better to â€Å"take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (3.1. 66 - 67). Hamlet’s asking whether it’s better to take suffering as it comes in this worthless life or the try to end these many problems. This relates back to Shakespeare preferring thoughts rather than actions because he has his main character think about whether he should stop his problems, delaying them further rather than just having him get on with his revenge. It is not until Hamlet sShow MoreRelatedHamlet Is A Theater Performance Of The Shakespeare Play1715 Words   |  7 PagesEssay 2 The play Hamlet is written by William Shakespeare whereby he uses a combination of poetry and prose. The film, Hamlet is a theater performance of the Shakespeare play. The play is written in blank verse offering an insight into the state of mind of the character as well as a reaction to the ongoing actions in the stage. The style is reserved for the nobles and informal situations like courts. Figurative language is used to express the actions and feelings of the characters have been evidencedRead MoreEssay on Vengeance in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Theme of Revenge1162 Words   |  5 PagesThe Theme of Revenge in Hamlet    In Shakespeares tragedy,  Hamlet, the thoughts of revenge are introduced early in the play. At the end of the first act, Hamlet meets the ghost of his deceased father. He is brought to see him by Horatio and Marcellus, who saw the ghost yesternight (Shakespeare 1.2.190). During this exchange of words between the Ghost and Hamlet, the Ghost tells Hamlet, [s]o art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear. (Shakespeare 1.5.5). He is telling Hamlet to listen closelyRead MoreKing Hamlet By William Shakespeare1641 Words   |  7 Pagesplay, readers are always looking for different themes in the literature, sometimes even unknowingly. By the end of the reading, there is typically one standout theme greatly representing the plot and the characters. Readers must understand the deeper meaning of the writing and discover which theme in their opinion impacted the play the most. Furthermore, it is very important that the author often leaves much of the story open to interpretation. Shakespeare wa s particularly fond of allowing his audienceRead MoreShakespeare Is The Greatest Masterpiece Ever Written? Essay1710 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"To read or not to read,† that is the question. With each passing year, the philosophical question must be asked, â€Å"Is Shakespeare relevant in the 21st century.† Shakespeare lived over 400 years ago and the English style in which he wrote has changed, making it difficult for new students to read and understand his writings without the use of translation. Shakespeare’s eloquent execution of rhyme and flowing images commands a locution that slips from the tongue like silken cream, and this giftedRead MoreDeception And Deception In Hamlet1681 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough deceit. Two plays that strongly showcase Shakespeare’s lies and manipulation are Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet. In both, one can see how the characters create plans to spy and lie to one another to either â€Å"promote happiness† or â€Å"harm† the other (Shmoop Editorial Team). Within both these conclusions, one can see that there are essentially three major forms within the theme of deception: â€Å"the fear of being deceived, the act of deception, and the ultimate result of the deceptive act† (ShmoopRead MoreCompare And Contrast Hamlet And Twelfth Night1162 Words   |  5 PagesHilarity to Tragedy in Shakespeare: How Hamlet and Twelfth Night Compare By Zawadi Bunzigiye William Shakespeare wrote plays covering the breadth of human experience. They seem to have transcended the restraints of age because of the universal themes that they contain. His body of his work is comprised of genres of plays varying from tragedies to comedies. Of them, Hamlet and Twelfth Night are perfect examples of both. A comparison between them would be of interest because their common points demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Flood Of Gilgamesh, The Canterbury Tales, And Hamlet1311 Words   |  6 Pages A theme is the underlying message or overall meaning of a story. Authors use this literary device in stories to convey a critical belief about life. A theme of a book is usually seen as a universal in nature because when a theme is universal, it touches on human experience. Sometimes there are multiple themes to a story and they may or may not be stated directly. Religion is a theme found throughout the stories of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and Hamlet. The theme of religion isRead MoreWhen Reading Any Article, Novel Or Play, Readers Are Always1510 Words   |  7 Pagesare always looking for the different themes in the literature, sometimes even unknowingly. By the end of the reading, there is typically one standout theme which has the greatest influence on the plot and the characters. Readers must understand the deeper meaning of the writing and discover which theme in their opinion impacted the play the most. Furthermore, it is very important that the author often leaves much of the story open to interpretation. Shakespeare was particularly fond of allowing hisRead MoreSymbolism And Theme Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1341 Words   |  6 PagesHamlet s Symbolism and Theme The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare absolutely contains plenty of symbolism and themes. The play Hamlet properly utilizes symbolism and themes of tragedy and betrayal throughout the play to set the main theme known as death. The connection of the elements of themes and symbolism truly help capture the essence of the play. Hamlet is truly enriched with important characters that somehow also include symbolism and importance in their role in the play. The play integratedRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare Essay1453 Words   |  6 PagesHamlet by William Shakespeare explores many aspects of mankind--death, betrayal, love, and mourning. Out of these, the most prominent theme in this play is death in the form of suicide. The main character, Hamlet, finds himself questioning the quality of life and the uncertainty of the afterlife once he discovers news of his father s death and the corruption in the kingdom that follows. Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover, is found dead later in the plot and is presumed to have committed suicide. In Hamlet’s