Outline For Hamlet Research Paper

Topic 2. As the son of a murdered noble, Hamlet is obligated to avenge the death of his father. It was the many losses faced by Hamlet in his life filled with extreme tragedies that forced him to avenge his father’s death from Claudius”.“In ‘Hamlet’, a play by William Shakespeare; the protagonist, Hamlet throughout the play is perceived to be mad however Hamlet’s insanity was more than an act. Hamlet's father's ghost sent him on a mission to kill Claudius to avenge his death, he tried to go but he kept hesitating back and forth. It was not that he was unfaithful, and he did not want to do it, but he was not done thinking it out. Every time he was about to do the deed

Hamlet is considered to be Shakespeare's most famous play. The play is about Prince Hamlet and his struggles with the new marriage of his mother, Gertrude, and his uncle and now stepfather, King Claudius about only two months after his father’s death. Hamlet has an encounter with his father, Old King Hamlet, in ghost form. His father accuses Claudius of killing him and tells Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet is infuriated by this news and then begins his thoughts on what to do to get revenge. Hamlet and Claudius are contrasting characters. They do share similarities, however, their profound differences are what divides them.Hamlet was portrayed as troubled, inactive, and impulsive at times. Hamlet is troubled by many things, but the main source of his problems come from the the death of his father. “Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, or that the everlasting had not fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter” (Act 1, Scene 2). In this scene, Hamlet is contemplating suicide, which is caused by the death of his father and the new marriage of Gertrude and King Claudius. This scene shows the extent of how troubled Hamlet is. Even though Hamlet’s father asked him to avenge his death, Hamlet is very slow to act on this throughout the play. “Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying. And now I’ll do ’t. And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Act 3, Scene 3). This scene shows King Claudius praying, while Hamlet is behind him drawing his sword but decides not to kill

What is Hamlet about? Maybe a summary of the plot could answer this question but it wouldn’t do it justice. However it’s impossible to narrow down any of William Shakespeare’s work to one theme. The fact is, that all of Shakespeare’s plays are about many things. There are many ways to look at a Shakespearean play, and none are wrong of course, but it is not entirely true to say that one theme is the most important. Some of the more common and dominate themes that can be found in any of Shakespeare’s works are: conflict, appearance and reality, order and disorder, and change.

Throughout the play, he clearly analyzes every plan to kill Claudius. During this analysis, not once is he concerned with what will happen to him for murdering Claudius. He considers what would happen to Claudius for killing him during prayer. He considers what will happen to Claudius for killing his father, but not once does he worry that he could get punished because his vengeance will make him a murderer too. The only instance Hamlet worries about the afterlife is during

Hamlet went from a mourning Prince of Denmark over the death of his father, to a revenge seeking murderer as the play progresses. This transition in character is evident through Hamlets meaning of life; the desire for justice. After the meeting with the ghost, his worldview completely changed to a craving for revenge. In today’s ever changing world, people who act on revenge are no longer socially acceptable. These people who act on revenge often commit mortal sins and heavy crimes and are set to life in prison. Hamlet is the only person to blame for his death because of his worldview. “A villain kills my father, and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.” (Shakespeare 3.3 76-78) At this point, Hamlet’s worldview is completely based on getting revenge for his father. There is nothing more important in life at the time. Hamlet has just killed Polonius mistaking him as Claudius. Moments later Hamlet is face to face with Claudius, but chooses not to kill him because he wants the worst for him. Hamlet says “ I, his sole son, do this same villain send to

Hamlet’s preoccupation with the afterlife will eventually lead to his own death. Hamlet makes no secret of his grief over his father’s passing and, after speaking with his ghost, his resentment of his uncle, Claudius (1.5.25). Though his focal point shifted, he

”Thus conscience does not make cowards of us all;/ And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought;/ And enterprises of great pith and moment,/ With this regard, their currents turn away,/ And lose the name of action.” Hamlet here combines some themes of this play: death and life, the connection between thought and action. In act five scene five, he goes into Claudius’ room to kill him. Like the last time he went to kill him, he was on his knees praying. Why send him to Heaven when he should go to Hell? His father wasn’t given a chance to repent his sins before he was murdered, so why should King Claudius? Hamlet thinks about this for a minute, and decides to wait for a more reasonable

And so ‘a goes to heaven, and so am I revenged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Shakespeare Scene 3, line 73). In this quote, Hamlet sees King Claudius, the villain, and is thinking about killing him now. A problem arises, when Hamlet sees the villain praying. If he is slain while praying he may go to heaven. To Hamlet, killing King Claudius isn’t the only part of his revenge, Hamlet wants King Claudius to suffer, so he wants him to go to Hell. Hamlet doesn’t just want to avenge his father, but to also make the avengement as sufferable as possible. Hamlet shows that his ferocious has risen tremendously when he purposely wants to send someone to Hell. The quote is a significant part of the story by proving that Hamlet has changed for the worse, which will be seen later on in the story.

He also learns that the reason his father is in this place is because he was murdered before he could repent of his sins. Hamlet feels that he has some duty as the ghost’s son to revenge him in hopes that it will fulfill his father’s journey to heaven or hell, because the current state that he is in seems worse than either of those.

2.2.634-35). This quote means that Hamlet will study Claudius during the performance of the play, and should he change his behavior, he will know that the Ghost’s story was true and he can now take revenge. Even despite the fact .that Hamlet now knows that Claudius killed his father, he still delays his actions. This goes on to show that Hamlet is an intellectual dreamer. Hamlet gets a perfect opportunity to kill Claudius but he neglects to kill him because he is in prayer. Hamlet delays in action of seeking revenge against Claudius when he quotes, “Now might I do it(pat,) now he is a-praying, and now I’ll do it/ And so he goes to heaven/ And so am I(revenged.) That would be scanned: A villan kills my father, and for that/ I, his sole son, do this same villain send to Heaven” (Ham. 3.3.77-83). Hamlet’s rationale for this was that he assumed Claudius was confessing his sins, and his death would send him to heaven. For Hamlet, taking revenge is just not about killing Claudius, but making sure that he suffers, another deeply thought-out belief. Hamlet is too much of a thinker and not enough of an actor. Even when Hamlet is given the opportunity to carry out his intentions, he delays and reasons himself out of it. Hamlet does have an almost excessive desire to reason everything through thoroughly.

heaven” (3.3.81-82). Claudius is now aware that Hamlet know the truth. Hamlet shall seek revenge for his father. All who fail to do good must face the consequence of vengeance no matter who they

Hamlet begins to react upon his feelings and does away with his reason as he says to the ghost that he will do away with all knowledge and memory and keep within his mind the want to revenge his fathers’ murder. “Yea, from the table of my memory I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live”, (1.5.96-103). Hamlet begins to exhibit the argued theme that revenge causes people to act recklessly

Hamlet recognizes that suicide is a sin in the eyes of God, so consequently wishes that he could simply cease to exist. In doubting that life is worth all the hardships one must face, Hamlet briefly relishes in the concept of death, equating it to nothing more than a sleep wherein one can be rid of the “heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks” of physical life (III.i.70). Though immediately thereafter Hamlet acknowledges the startling unknown, and the fact that one does not know what comes after death. Hamlet feels a great deal of uncertainty, which surely enhances his overall frustration. Herein lies Hamlet’s reservations in regards to committing suicide: it is a sin, and the afterlife may prove to be more unpleasant than life itself.

Hamlet’s lack of knowledge of the afterlife, along with his inability to wrap his mind around a solid belief of what it entails, leads his fear of the afterlife to go beyond his doubt in the Ghost and result in him deciding against suicide. In what is possibly his most famous soliloquy beginning “To be, or not to be: that is the question,” (3.1.68) Hamlet’s question is referring to life. He is debating whether or not he should commit suicide. Despite his pain and suffering, Hamlet does not carry out his suicide as a result of not knowing what the afterlife will entail. The ghost had referred to purgatory as a prison, which naturally does not make it appeal to Hamlet. However, he is not even certain of the ghost’s existence, so the ghosts description of purgatory is not necessarily a reliable account. Hamlet is unsure of what will happen in the afterlife and is not comfortable with the fact that he cannot guarantee it will cause him to be happier than he is on earth. He is aware of his lack of knowledge in regards to the after life and since he cannot guarantee what it will entail, his fear of it prevents him from entering it before his time has come. This is shown when he states that the fact that one cannot predict what the afterlife involves “makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?” (3.1.81-81) Since Hamlet is unsure

Throughout the play, Hamlet's soliloquies entrap his motives and at times leave him stuck without a clear path to take. This is evident even from his first soliloquy As Hamlet thinks “That this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into dew; or that the everlasting had not fix’d His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter” (Ham. 1.2.). Hamlet doubts the purpose of life as he infers that he wants to committee suicide but is unsure due to it being a sin against God. Hamlet's indecisiveness can be traced back to his curiosity about after life due to his father’s ghost existing and him thinking that in murdering his uncle, Hamlet's soul would not get an afterlife. However, the time period in which Hamlet is based in, it was a son's duty to avenge his father if he was a murdered noble. “A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his oldest son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Ham.