The Tragedy of Hamlet

An Introduction

Prince of Denmark

• The Tragedy of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Denmark (commonly commonly called called HamletHamlet))

• Tragedy by William Tragedy by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, believed to have believed to have been written in 1601. been written in 1601.

• The play, set in The play, set in Denmark, recounts Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who uncle Claudius, who has murdered has murdered Hamlet's father, the Hamlet's father, the King, and then taken King, and then taken the throne and the throne and married Gertrude, married Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. Hamlet's mother.

• The play vividly The play vividly charts the course of charts the course of real and feigned real and feigned madness—from madness—from overwhelming grief overwhelming grief to seething rage—to seething rage—and explores and explores themes of themes of treachery, treachery, revenge, incest, and revenge, incest, and moral corruptionmoral corruption..

Shakespeare based Shakespeare based HamletHamlet on the legend of on the legend of AmlethAmleth, , preserved by 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in preserved by 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in his his Historia DanicaHistoria Danica and subsequently retold by 16th-century and subsequently retold by 16th-century scholar François de Belleforest, and a supposedly lost scholar François de Belleforest, and a supposedly lost Elizabethan play known today as the Elizabethan play known today as the Ur-HamletUr-Hamlet..

• Given the play's Given the play's dramatic structure and dramatic structure and depth of depth of characterization, characterization, HamletHamlet can be can be analyzed, interpreted analyzed, interpreted and argued about from and argued about from many perspectives. many perspectives.

• For example, scholars For example, scholars have debated for have debated for centuries about centuries about Hamlet's Hamlet's hesitationhesitation in in killing his uncle. killing his uncle.

• Some see it as a plot device to prolong the Some see it as a plot device to prolong the action, and others see it as the result of action, and others see it as the result of pressure exerted by the complex pressure exerted by the complex philosophical and ethical issues that philosophical and ethical issues that surround cold-blooded murder, calculated surround cold-blooded murder, calculated revenge, and thwarted desire. revenge, and thwarted desire.

• More recently, psychoanalytic critics have More recently, psychoanalytic critics have examined Hamlet's unconscious desires, and examined Hamlet's unconscious desires, and feminist critics have re-evaluated and feminist critics have re-evaluated and rehabilitated the often maligned characters rehabilitated the often maligned characters of Ophelia and Gertrudeof Ophelia and Gertrude..

HamletHamlet is is Shakespeare's longest Shakespeare's longest play and among the play and among the most powerful and most powerful and influential tragedies in influential tragedies in the English language. It the English language. It provides a storyline provides a storyline capable of "seemingly capable of "seemingly endless retelling and endless retelling and adaptation by others”adaptation by others”

• During Shakespeare's lifetime, the play was During Shakespeare's lifetime, the play was one of his most popular works, and it still one of his most popular works, and it still ranks high among his most-performed, ranks high among his most-performed, topping, for example, the Royal topping, for example, the Royal Shakespeare Company's list since 1879. Shakespeare Company's list since 1879.

• In the four hundred years since, it has been In the four hundred years since, it has been played by highly acclaimed actors, and played by highly acclaimed actors, and sometimes actresses, of each successive sometimes actresses, of each successive age.age.

Dramatic StructureDramatic Structure

• HamletHamlet departed from contemporary departed from contemporary dramatic convention in several ways. dramatic convention in several ways.

• For example, in Shakespeare's day, For example, in Shakespeare's day, plays were usually expected to follow plays were usually expected to follow the advice of Aristotle in his the advice of Aristotle in his PoeticsPoetics: : that a drama should focus on action, not that a drama should focus on action, not character. character.

• In In HamletHamlet, Shakespeare reverses this so , Shakespeare reverses this so that it is through the that it is through the soliloquiessoliloquies, not the , not the action, that the audience learns Hamlet's action, that the audience learns Hamlet's motives and thoughts. motives and thoughts.

• The play is full of seeming The play is full of seeming discontinuities discontinuities and irregularities and irregularities of action. of action.

• At one point, as in the Gravedigger scene, At one point, as in the Gravedigger scene, Hamlet seems resolved to kill Claudius: in Hamlet seems resolved to kill Claudius: in the next scene, however, when Claudius the next scene, however, when Claudius appears, he is suddenly tame. appears, he is suddenly tame.

• Scholars still debate whether these twists Scholars still debate whether these twists are mistakes or intentional additions to are mistakes or intentional additions to add to the play's theme of confusion and add to the play's theme of confusion and duality. duality.

• Finally, in a period when most plays ran Finally, in a period when most plays ran for two hours or so, the full text of for two hours or so, the full text of HamletHamlet—Shakespeare's longest play, —Shakespeare's longest play, with 4,042 lines, totaling 29,551 wordswith 4,042 lines, totaling 29,551 words—takes over four hours to deliver. —takes over four hours to deliver.

• HamletHamlet also contains a favorite also contains a favorite Shakespearean device, a Shakespearean device, a play within play within the playthe play..

PhilosophyPhilosophy

• Hamlet is often perceived as a Hamlet is often perceived as a philosophical character, philosophical character, expounding ideas that are now expounding ideas that are now described as relativist, described as relativist, existentialist, and skeptical. existentialist, and skeptical.

• For example, he expresses a For example, he expresses a relativistic idea when he says to relativistic idea when he says to Rosencrantz: Rosencrantz: "there is nothing "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." makes it so."

• The idea that nothing is real except in The idea that nothing is real except in the mind of the individual finds its the mind of the individual finds its roots in the Greek Sophists, who roots in the Greek Sophists, who argued:argued:– that since nothing can be perceived that since nothing can be perceived

except through the sensesexcept through the senses• and since all individuals sense, and therefore and since all individuals sense, and therefore

perceive, things differentlyperceive, things differently– there is no absolute truth, only relative there is no absolute truth, only relative

truthtruth. .

• The clearest example of existentialism The clearest example of existentialism is found in the is found in the "to be, or not to be“"to be, or not to be“ speech, where Hamlet uses "being" to speech, where Hamlet uses "being" to allude to both life and action, and "not allude to both life and action, and "not being" to death and inaction. being" to death and inaction.

• Hamlet's contemplation of suicide in Hamlet's contemplation of suicide in this scene, however, is less this scene, however, is less philosophical than religious as he philosophical than religious as he believes that he will continue to exist believes that he will continue to exist after death.after death.

In the first half of the 20th century, In the first half of the 20th century, when psychoanalysis was at the when psychoanalysis was at the height of its influence, its concepts height of its influence, its concepts were applied to were applied to HamletHamlet, notably by , notably by Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud.

• In his In his The Interpretation of DreamsThe Interpretation of Dreams (1900), Freud's analysis (1900), Freud's analysis starts from the premise starts from the premise that "that "the play is built up on the play is built up on Hamlet's hesitations Hamlet's hesitations over fulfilling over fulfilling the task of revenge the task of revenge that is assigned to him; but its text that is assigned to him; but its text offers no reasons or motives for these offers no reasons or motives for these hesitations."hesitations."

• After reviewing various literary After reviewing various literary theories, Freud concludes that Hamlet theories, Freud concludes that Hamlet has an "has an "Oedipal desire for his motherOedipal desire for his mother and the subsequent guilt [is] and the subsequent guilt [is] preventing him from murdering the preventing him from murdering the man [Claudius] who has done what he man [Claudius] who has done what he unconsciously wanted to do." unconsciously wanted to do."

• Confronted with his repressed desires, Confronted with his repressed desires, Hamlet realizes that "he himself is Hamlet realizes that "he himself is literally no better than the sinner whom literally no better than the sinner whom he is to punish."he is to punish."

As the play begins, two night As the play begins, two night watchmen have invited a watchmen have invited a third man, Horatio, to verify third man, Horatio, to verify what they believe they have what they believe they have witnessed the past two witnessed the past two nights. Sure enough, it nights. Sure enough, it appears: a appears: a ghostly ghostly apparition resembling old apparition resembling old King HamletKing Hamlet. The specter is . The specter is dressed for battle, but dressed for battle, but exhibits “a countenance exhibits “a countenance more in sorrow than in more in sorrow than in anger.”anger.”

• Resolved to report the incident to Resolved to report the incident to Prince Hamlet, the men agree that Prince Hamlet, the men agree that ““something is rotten in the state of something is rotten in the state of DenmarkDenmark.”.”