Category: Hamlet

Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is a play ruled by Hamlets conscience. It is his values, attitudes and beliefs that drive the plot and contribute to the understanding of the social, cultural and historical context of Shakespeares time. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in response to Elizabethan culture and life to compare the ideas of the era…

Allan G. Johnson, a sociologist, defines Misogyny as ‘misogyny is a cultural attitude of hatred for females because they are female’. (Johnson, 2000). In the play, Hamlet, there are just two individuals from the cast who are female characters. One is Gertrude who is anticipated as a forbidden, cutthroat and a prostitute. The other, Ophelia,…

It is clear that Shakespeare intended these creative names to evoke certain fragments of meaning. For instance, Hamlet’s name recalls the phrase: ‘If you are not getting to eat that ham, let your sister have some,’ while Fortinbras clearly implies ‘Hello, Im An eccentric old woman, Im trying to find tin bras.’ There’s another similarity,…

Both Shakespeares Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet explore the nature of patriarchal values and the responses of female characters to these values. Whilst both male protagonists had similar contexts their personal responses to gender stereotypes were very different. Similarly, both female protagonists also had seemingly similar upbringings  as privileged members of powerful families, yet…

Identity is a fickle thing it could lead you in a straight path through life or lead you to your death. Shakespeare creates doubt in both his play Hamlet and the character Hamlet in regard to identity through a form of self-referentiality. Shakespeare, the author himself, struggles with his identity that ultimately affects the identity…

Description While Polonius and Claudius hide and eavesdrop on Hamlets interaction with Ophelia in which he vituperates against her, he breaks into his third and most famous soliloquy which is dominated by reason and not emotional agitation. It questions the righteousness of life over death in moral terms, while much emphasis is on the idea…

Hamlet by Shakespeare is a classic five-act Shakespearean tragedy. Hamlets sanity and his ability to switch from sane to insane is the sum of his claim to madness. Hamlet is sane based on his actions in the play. Sanity: the ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner; sound mental health, from…

The qualities and motivations of a character are highlighted through the use of foils. In literature, a foil is a character whose actions and words contrast the characteristics of another character. In William Shakespeares Hamlet, various characters are foils to Hamlet, revealing his prominent character traits and the reasoning behind his decisions. Fortinbras haste and…

Introduction Shakespeares The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark can be analyzed through many critical approaches, positions, and lenses. For instance, it is commonly recognized by critics as one of the most diverse works in English literature. Shakespeare illustrates the topics of feminism, insanity, power, romance, and religion. However, one issue discussed in its pages…

One of the most frequent reoccurring themes in the play is the idea of Lies, Deceit, and Corruption. Despite his claim to really hate these things, Hamlet finds himself coming up with quite a few lies and schemes on numerous occasions and being exposed to some deceit himself. The play Hamlet is set in a…