Lydia Dapkus

TA 344
Helman
11/22/2023

Quiz #3: Hamlet

1. Plot - After the death of Hamlet’s father, he discovers who the King’s killer is, and is
driven by grief to avenge him.
2. Story - A grieving child seeks revenge and suffers the consequences.
3. Dramatic Action - Hamlet avenges his late father, the Old King, by killing his Uncle
Claudius, and loses everything amidst the chaos.
4. World of the play:
a. 1300’s-1400’s
b. Denmark; King Hamlet’s Royal Palace
c. Presentational
d. Tragedy
i. Everyone is sad and dying all the time; not fun
ii. Doom, gloom, death
e. Monarchy, Kings mostly
i. Men in power
ii. Patriarchal society
f. Money, power, and status are valued
i. Ensure that people are well off and taken care of
g. Family and loyalty valued by some, but not by others
5. Vision of Reality:
a. Corruption is prevalent within the monarchical structure
i. Greed, desire for power, and hostility
b. Only one outcome possible: death, despair, and loss
c. Revengeful actions have consequences; whether it is just or not
d. Things are rarely what they seem
i. One sided stories are full of assumptions
ii. You know what they say about assuming… don’t do it.
6. One prominent theme shared between Hamlet and Oedipus Rex that has been pointed out
by scholars in the past is lack of free will that the two protagonists had amidst their lives
of tragedy. While this refers to Oedipus’ emphasis on fate, and the impulsive decisions
Hamlet’s family members made without him, I would argue that each of these men had
the utmost free will. Instead, I think that a prominent theme between the two plays lies in
the free will that the protagonists had and chose not to utilize. One must choose to decide
their own fate, it won’t simply happen. Both Hamlet and Oedipus came from wealth, high
rank, and extreme privilege; they had the world at their fingertips. The reason why their
tragedy became their fate was because of Hamlet’s inability to make a damn decision,
and Oedipus’ incomprehensible desire to torture himself.