Conejero, Jasmin R.

2SEDE-A June 14,2021

Prof. Maria Josefa C. Orcega SEM112 Score:

Novel Analysis

Title
Hamlet

Introduction
Hamlet is the first tragedy in Shakespeare's series of great
tragedies which is believed to be published in between 1601 and 1603.
This play is one of his successful, perfect and best plays ever known.
Hamlet centers on the problems arising from love, death, and betrayal,
without offering the audience a decisive and positive resolution to these
complications for Hamlet himself is ambiguous and the answers to these
problems are complex. Shakespearean tragedies, the characters are
presented with abnormal state of mind. But Shakespeare does not allow
this abnormal state to be dominant action. It provokes the suffering to
the protagonist. The supernatural elements in the dramas of
Shakespeare are subservient to the main action. It provokes the
protagonist to do certain actions. Shakespeare links the supernatural
elements with the natural. Hamartia leads the downfall of the characters
in Shakespearean plays. Hamartia is a kind of force that is already
inherited in characters which works as a spiritual force. And it ultimately
leads to destruction. The use of this force makes the Shakespearean
tragedy different from the Greek tragedies. It was a common tradition
during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to borrow ideas and
stories from earlier literary works. Shakespeare could have taken the
story of Hamlet from several possible sources, including a twelfth-
century Latin history of Denmark, a prose work by the French writer and
Thomas Kyd's Ur-Hamlet.

Background of the author

 Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote plays during the late part of the
sixteenth century and in the early part of the seventeenth
century.  Hamlet was written about 1601.  Hamlet was Shakespeare’s
longest play. Elements of the story found in Shakespeare’s Hamlet are
believed to have come from various sources, including an old North
European legend; a story by a French author, and a lost play by another
English playwright. We do not know for certain, however, which
source(s) Shakespeare actually drew upon for his characters and plot,
although the lost play by the English playwright is considered the most
likely. In the twelfth century a Danish historian, Saxo Grammaticus,
collected many stories and legends of Northern Europe and created a
work called
Historia Danica.  In Historia Danica we find a story about a character
called Amleth, whose background, circumstances and quest for revenge
are reminiscent of Shakespeare’s character, Hamlet.
Elements of the literature should be followed
Early in the play, Hamlet’s mood is dark and depressed, but when
he’s given the task of avenging his father’s ghost, his desire to find out
the truth gives him a sense of urgency and purpose. As the play
progresses, and he fails to find a satisfactory way to correct the problem,
he becomes increasingly frustrated, lashing out more impulsively,
ruthlessly, and recklessly, until the final catastrophe. Thus we could say
that the tone of the play, meaning the author’s attitude toward the
events, seems like it’s going to be optimistic in the beginning of the play
(when it seems like justice could be achieved), but bleaker as the play
moves on, and it seems like achieving justice or redemption in a
situation like this is impossible.

Hamlet makes passionate and intelligent attempts to

understand himself and his situation, only to end up confused,
disappointed or disgusted by what he encounters. The world of the play
is both more terrible and more mysterious than its characters are
capable of grasping. Initially Hamlet considers himself above the other
characters, and his nimble wordplay, often at the expense of less
verbally adept characters, gives the early scenes a playful tone, even as
Hamlet is grieving his father. However, once Hamlet erroneously kills
Polonius instead of Claudius, and learns that Claudius has ordered his
execution, Hamlet realizes even he is not exempt from the malevolent
forces of fate. The tone turns dark and brooding as Hamlet comes to
terms with his own dark nature and resigns himself to committing more
murders, in his killing of Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and finally Laertes
and Claudius.

Summary Interpretation /analysis /quoted lines/related theme to

quoted lines.

Hamlet is also a revenge play. The entire plot of Hamlet is

about exacting revenge from Claudius for killing his father. Polonius’
son, Laertes is also motivated to avenge his father’s and sister’s
Ophelia’s death. The arrival of Fortinbras is also part of revenge. It is
revealed that Claudius once attacked his country during his father’s rule.

Hamlet’s delay in taking action makes another thematic strand

of the play. While procrastination gives some benefit to the rest of the
characters in the play, the delay causes unnecessary deaths of
Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, and Laertes. However, it is important to
note that Hamlet delayed justice to his dead father because he was
seeking for the truth. He didn’t want to kill Claudius without proof.
Procrastination also points to Hamlet’s positive traits – intelligence, self-
discipline, and control.

Quoted Lines Characters in the Novel

 “Neither a borrower nor a  Polonius

 lender be,
For loan oft loses both
itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the
edge of husbandry.”

 “…though I am native here  Hamlet

And to the manner born, it
is a custom
More honored in the
breach than the
observance.”

 “To die, to sleep –  Hamlet

To sleep, perchance to
dream – ay, there’s the
rub,
For in this sleep of death
what dreams may come…”

 “My words fly up, my  Claudius

thoughts remain below:
Words without thoughts
never to heaven go.”

 “Now cracks a noble heart.  Horatio

Good-night, sweet prince;
And flights of angels sing
thee to thy rest.”

 “If it be now, ’tis not to  Hamlet

come: if it be not to come,
it will be now: if it be not
now, yet it will come: the
readiness is all.”

 “Doubt thou the stars are  Polonius

fire;
Doubt that the sun doth
move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.”

Treatment analysis
In telling the story of a fatally indecisive character’s inability to
choose the proper course to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet explores
questions of fate versus free will, whether it is better to act decisively or
let nature take its course, and ultimately if anything we do in our time on
earth makes any difference. Once he learns his uncle has killed his
father, Hamlet feels duty-bound to take decisive action, but he has so
many doubts about his situation and even about his own feelings that he
cannot decide what action to take. The conflict that drives the plot
of Hamlet is almost entirely internal: Hamlet wrestles with his own doubt
and uncertainty in search of something he believes strongly enough to
act on. The play’s events are side-effects of this internal struggle.
Hamlet’s attempts to gather more evidence of Claudius’s guilt alert
Claudius to Hamlet’s suspicions, and as Hamlet’s internal struggle
deepens, he begins to act impulsively out of frustration, eventually
murdering Polonius by mistake. The conflict of Hamlet is never resolved:
Hamlet cannot finally decide what to believe or what action to take. This
lack of resolution makes the ending of Hamlet especially horrifying:
nearly all the characters are dead, but nothing has been solved.

Conclusion
Hamlet is emotionally shaken, and consumed by his master
plan to kill Claudius, but at no point is Hamlet mad. Hamlet is determined
to make Claudius suffer his punishment for eternity, so he restrains
himself until the perfect time for the murder. The murder of Polonius is a
sheer accident, Hamlet acts with his reflex and Polonius happens to be
in the way. Hamlet is suffering from the loss of his father, and of his true
love. Therefore, considering suicide is unavoidable, he is reasonably
very tempted. Hamlet knows that it is a shortsighted decision and
chooses not to. Hamlet recognizes that the Ghost is not necessarily
good, just because it has the appealing shape of his father. Hamlet
demands stronger evidence that Claudius is the murderer, before
making a rash decision. This is a logical precaution. The Ghost being a
figment of Hamlet's imagination does not make him crazy, it is an
expression of his vivid memory. Hamlet is always true with Horatio, and
he warns him that he will be acting strange in the future, to trick the
minds of the public. Hamlet’s mask of insanity is merely a component of
his plan. Hamlet is burdened with the task of killing his uncle, and he is
determined to do so. This puts Hamlet under a lot of pressure. Making
logical and well calculated decisions throughout the entire play is a
testament to Hamlet’s sanity. As for his acts of madness, that is simply
an outlet to justify any less-then-reputable mistakes that he makes when
carrying out his plan.
Recommendation
My all-time favorite book is Hamlet. Hamlet was the first
Shakespeare novel I have ever read, and it was filled with revenge and
tragedy. Each time you read this play the story seems to change
dramatically, because of the hidden symbolism and conspectuses
behind each line. It is an adult read so if you get uncomfortable easily, or
you are not mature I would not recommend. If you are ready for murder,
death, love, and betray step in to Denmark's grandest castle, if you dare.
References

https://literarydevices.net/hamlet/

https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/plays/hamlet/

https://sites.google.com/site/jordansguidetohamlet/home/an-antic-
disposition/essential-though-process/a-timely-murder/to-be-or-not-to-
be/guilt-trip/clever-acting/transparent-ghost/majority-rules/a-convincing-
player/conclusion