Hamlet_Hsc_Essay

‘Shakespeare’s Hamlet continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment.’ In the light of your critical study, does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of Hamlet' In your response, make detailed reference to the play. Shakespeare’s Hamlet addresses themes of contemplation and inaction, mortality, madness and themes of loyalty and corruption which help engage the audience through the dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment. Although the text is set in the Elizabethan period, it still maintains textual integrity thus meaning audiences are engaged by its meaning. The struggle to act about his father’s murder is a key factor in Hamlet’s disillusionment with the world. The Elizabethan period was a time that demanded revenge and this is even true in our present time to some extent. An eye for an eye approach was considered socially correct which Hamlet initially suggests ‘May sweep to my revenge’. Since Claudius has become the new king, he is considered a false king by Hamlet and this leads to the collapse of the natural hierarchical system. He states ‘tis an unweeded garden’ alluding to the fact that a false king leads to corruption which finally leads to hierarchical collapse. Initially Hamlet has no conflict when it comes to avenging his father’s murder, but he is very quickly drawn into contemplation about the world and mortality. Hamlet as a character is enigmatic and it is these aspects of his personality that allow for his musings about the world. His studies in Wittenberg have caused him to be extremely philosophical and contemplative. In his Act 3 Scene 3 soliloquy, Hamlet finally appears to the audience that he is going to avenge his father’s death. However, his reasoning behind hesitation is that Claudius will go to heaven with a forgiven soul ‘and so ‘a goes to heaven’. This disillusionment of Hamlet’s uncle is unseen by him because at the end of the scene, Claudius states that ‘my words fly up, my thoughts remain below’ which reveals to the audience but not Hamlet, that the prayer is invalid. This struggle for Hamlet to break through the contemplative barrier as well as providing the audience with insights helps engage audiences in the modern era as well as the Elizabethan era. Mortality is another theme in Hamlet that emphasises the idea of struggle and disillusionment. This is seen in the soliloquy with his use of antithesis in ‘to be or not to be’. A direct comparison between life and death shows the disillusioned mind of Hamlet as he is contextually sinning as ‘thou shalt not murder’. He states through the use of a metonymy that dying is merely a long sleep that ends ‘the heartache and the thousand natural shocks’. The audience then becomes confused with Hamlet as he wavers between action and inaction, finally admitting ‘Thus conscience does make cowards of us all and the native hue of resolution is sickled o’er the pale cast of thought’. The confused mind of Hamlet expressed through this soliloquy in an evocative way ultimately engages the audience with his complex and ‘real’ persona. This confusion amongst the audience is further enhanced in the scene where Hamlet behaves rashly and impulsively by killing Polonius who was behind a curtain assuming it was the king. His erratic behaviour as well as upsetting other characters with his wild speech ‘get thee to a nunnery’ and pointed innuendos are contrasted with his contemplative side ‘what a piece of work is man’ showing his struggle to break free from his disillusioned mind. Hamlet’s antic disposition throughout the whole play to achieve his goals engages the audience through the disillusionment of other characters. This contrast between appearance and reality is further emphasised in Hamlet’s madness. His pretence of madness makes him edgy and allows him to express his disillusionment whilst asserting his views. ‘I essentially am not in madness: but mad in craft’ and ‘Seems madam. Nay, it is. I know not seems.’ To the characters he appears to be very swift in action stepping into the role of a madman but through the soliloquy’s, which provide insight into the character of Hamlet, the audience can see that he is actually very contemplative and fairly sane. Loyalty and corruption are two themes addressed throughout the whole play and they both help the audience engage in the play through struggle and disillusionment. The corruption in Denmark is obvious to the audience and provides reasons for Hamlet’s disillusionment. ‘Tis an unweeded garden’. Polonius is possibly the most corrupt character as he “teams up” with Claudius to spy on Hamlet because he is worried about Ophelia. Due to his role as the head of intelligence in Denmark, spying and double-dealing becomes second nature to him. This corruption and disillusionment within the state of Denmark causes the audience to become involved in the play thus being engaged to a further level. The issue of loyalty is also powerful at work throughout the whole play. Hamlet is extremely loyal to his father’s memory and seeks to avenge his father’s murder. ‘With wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge’. This simile further enhances Hamlet’s loyalty to his father for revenge as he states he will seek revenge faster than a person falls in love. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also have their loyalty towards Hamlet bought by Claudius as they are asked to sacrifice their loyalty towards Hamlet to spy on him. Their lifestyle as acting as a comic pair of friends wherever they go is ironically reflected in the way that Claudius is able to manipulate their friendship with Hamlet. However, when Hamlet see’s right through them when Claudius requests that Hamlet is killed, Hamlet disregards all that their friendship had meant. Due to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s disloyalty towards Hamlet, they end up being killed themselves and this disillusionment between who is loyal and disloyal creates corruption which leaves the audience wanting to know more. In conclusion, through the themes of contemplation and action, mortality, appearance and reality as well as corruption and loyalty, Shakespeare’s Hamlet addresses struggle and disillusionment to ultimately evoke the audience into engaging with the play at a deeper level.