The Tragedy of Hamlet Essay - 941 Words

The Tragedy of Hamlet In life the border between sanity and madness is thin and undefined. At best it is a gray area, fuzzy and unclear. Yet it is this area that Shakespeare so deftly depicts in The Tragedy of Hamlet. The gray environment he weaves eventually renders it almost impossible to tell the sane from the insane, the ability to reason ultimately becomes the audiences sole determiner of a characters mental condition. Thus, Shakespeare is able to successfully tie his thoughts on reason and emotion to a characters sanity. In the play Hamlet, by Shakespeare, the main character fits the description for being a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character who has experienced life more fully, whether by heroic action or†¦show more content†¦Hamlet is rational enough to realize that the undiscovered country from whose born/ No traveler returns (3.1.79-80) may hold far worse realities for him than his present earthly uncertainties. The princes composure and cool reason prevent him from taking his own life, or as he puts it, the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought (3.1.84-85). This view, that Shakespeare believed that suicide was only a legitimate option to the insane, is supported by evidence that he did not intend Hamlet to be insane. The most compelling evidence is found in the way Hamlet switches between being rational and acting mad, according to who he was talking to. For example in scene two Hamlet acts quite mad for Polonius. The old advisor even remarks upon Hamlet possessing a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and/ sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of (2.2.211-213). Then, only moments later, Hamlet switches gears to deliver his What a piece of work is man! (2.2.297-314) speech, to Rosencra ntz and Guildenstern. Likewise, his To be or not to be... (3.1.56-90) soliloquy, a rational and coherent speech on death, is directly followed by the famous Nunnery Scene (3.1.153). Also, theShow MoreRelatedHamlet and The Spanish Tragedy654 Words   |  3 Pagesbetween Hamlet and The Spanish Tragedy demonstrate the influence Kyds play had on Shakespeare. The similarities can be seen throughout the plot lines and context of both plays. While using the plays as different tools, both are used for expediting revenge. Shakespeare, through the impact of Kyds play, established and perfected an ideal plot for a play expressing revengeful tragedy. The actions and thoughts that Hamlet shows greatly displays many characteristics from The Spanish Tragedy. Hamlet modelsRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Prince Hamlet1611 Words   |  7 PagesTani Mercado 3/16/15 ERWC Mr. Howes The Tragedy of Prince Hamlet King Hamlet’s death left a mark on everyone in the castle, after a while that all began to change when Claudius married Hamlet’s mother. 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