Essay on English Literature: Hamlet's Character

Art and culture is another theme that comes out apparently in the play. Hamlet uses art and culture to show grief in a very realistic way. Hamlet uses various methods to bring out art and culture theme through the theatre. The play within a play clearly brings out an aspect of art and culture in the play. Hamlet hires a group of actors to perform a play about the death of a king in the royal court. Hamlet instructs Horatio to gauge the character of Claudius. Claudius then demands the play to stop midway and leaves the audience really upset. This representation of art brings out clarity in the mind of Hamlet about the involvement of Claudius in the murder of the king, Hamlet's father. Gertrude, Hamlets mother asks Hamlet why he is taking the loss of his father personally by not showing it. Hamlet then responds and argues that wearing an inky cloak, shedding of tears, sighing and so on cannot show how a person feels inside.  Hamlet views the theatre as the most faithful reflection that happens in society worldwide. Fortinbras says that the bodies of the victims in that hullabaloo be placed high on stage while Hamlets story is being told. He does this to show that there is hope for a better future to the monarchy of Denmark. (Foakes, 2004).

In conclusion, Hamlet's character is primarily portrayed as vengeful. His act of wanting to avenge his father's death especially after the appearance of a ghost substantiates the anger and bitterness that Hamlet had, in the desire to avenge his father's death. Besides, concerning the moral issues that are seen in Hamlet's life and family, as discussed in the play, these are issues that are primarily experienced in today's society. For hamlet not to kill both the king for killing his father and Claudius due to his flaws is a typical gesture. Most of his flaws are seen in most people because killing someone is not easy as it seems. It is humane to seek revenge when wronged, but it is also manly not to have the gut to kill someone (Kinney, 2013). The world today compared to the life of Hamlet from the life he lived in his family on not acknowledging the marriage between his mother and uncle is seen in most families today.

References

Clutton-brock, A., &., Robertson, J.M.(2014). Shakespeares Hamlet Bound with The Problem.

Grady, H. (2004). Hamlet as mourning-play. Shakespeare and Impure Aesthetics, 133-192. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511605277.004

Kinney, A. F. (Ed.). (2013). Hamlet: Critical Articles (Vol. 23). Routledge

Kwon, H. C., & Shim, K. H. (2017). An Improved Method of Character Network Analysis for Literary Criticism: A Case Study of< Hamlet>. International Journal of Contents, 13(3)

Shibuya, Y. (2004). Hamlet's "Globe" and the Self as Performer in England and Japan. CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture, 6(1). doi:10.7771/1481-4374.1205

Williamson, C. C. (2013). Readings on the Character of Hamlet: (Vol. 36). Routledge

Foakes, R. A. (2004). Hamlet versus Lear: cultural politics and Shakespeare's art. Cambridge University Press.