Death and Hamlet: Relationship and Attitude - Essay Example

?Hamlet Essay Within the context of literature, make use of the concept of death as an important theme to unlock the doors of human mind. To be specific, the portrayal of death tends the readers to realize that the same is a usual process in the living world. Thesis statement: In the play Hamlet, the protagonist’s initial relationship and attitude (suspiciousness) toward death undergoes transformation and tends him to realize that revenge can solve his problems and death is usual and natural process because his realization of the inevitability of this phenomenon forces him to face alienation within his private (family) and public (society) circles. Death and Hamlet: relationship and attitude Suspiciousness: In the play, the protagonist’s (say, prince Hamlet) initial relationship with his approach towards death is based on his doubt on the ghost’s words. To be specific, he did not suspect that his uncle (say, King Claudius) is his father’s murderer. In the play, the protagonist suspiciously points out to his friend on the ghost’s existence that, “Tis very strange” (I.iii.31). Besides, the protagonist does not suspect his mother because there is no solid evidence to prove her role in the conspiracy. When the ghost instilled the protagonist’s mind with suspicion, he began to consider that death is the antagonist in his life. One can see that the unexpected murder forced the prince to change his attitude. Now, he cannot imagine himself as the next ruler of his nation because his uncle is the king. Besides, he cannot act according to the words uttered by the ghost because no one will believe his words. On the other side, the protagonist realizes that he cannot trust anybody within his public domain. All these facts force the protagonist to consider that death is trying to ruin his life. For instance, he is helpless to prove the authenticity of the apparition forcing him to act against the king. The only thing that he knows is death is trying to trap him within his private circle, and he must try to break this chain. Revenge: Somehow, the protagonist manages to keep himself away from the influence of suspicious attitude because revelation of truth transforms his opinion on death. Now, his aim is to defeat him enemies by taking apt measures. Now, he realizes that death is the real villain because the same created much more trouble in his life. Still, he does not try to attack the murderer because he does not have any solid proof to prove his theory. One can see that the protagonist is calculative because he tries to collect evidences against his uncle. This proves that the protagonist is not afraid of death. Instead, he considers himself as the agent of death. He knows that his duty is to challenge the king and to punish him with death. In the play, the protagonist states that, “There’s ne’er a villain dwelling in all Denmark” (I.v.9). On the other side, the king knows that the protagonist suspects him as the mastermind behind the murder. Still, he knows that the protagonist is helpless and he cannot act against him because he is the ultimate authority within his kingdom. So, the protagonist chooses the best possible way to deal with this problem, hiding his motive behind the fake identity of a lunatic. One can see that the urge to destroy the foes tends the protagonist to choose a strange identity. Now, he cannot go back to his real identity because his aim is to save his nation from the conspirators. To be specific, the protagonist realizes that he cannot support the murderer and lead a normal life. Realization: But planning does not help the protagonist to save his lover from the clutches of death. To be specific, the protagonist was totally immersed in revenge and he tries to avoid his lover (Ophelia). He knows that his relationship cannot help him to attain his aim. But his lover does not suspect that the protagonist is pretending as a lunatic person to fool his enemies. She considers that he lover is mad and others will not allow her to have marital relationship with him. This alters her emotional equilibrium and its end result was madness and drowning. This unexpected event tends the protagonist to realize that one cannot hinder death because the same is a usual process in the living world. The protagonist’s deeds after this incident prove that he is ready to give up his hope on a bright future. In the play, the protagonist states that, “So, uncle, there you are” (I.v.6). From a different angle of view, the protagonist’s decision to deal with his foes proves that he is ready to accept death as usual process. So, the protagonist’s deeds, especially after his lover’s death, prove that he considers death as a friend who can help him to solve his problems. Besides, the protagonist considers that death is the one and only way to solve the problems faced by him within his private and public domains. Change in attitude towards fatality: One can see that the protagonist’s initial attitude towards fatality is based on suspicion. He knows that cannot prove his theory in front of his people. Besides, he does not have any sort of evidence to act against his enemies. When the ghost urges him to suspect his uncle, he decides to change his attitude towards fatality. Now, he considers that death is the antagonist in his life. He decides to conceal his real identity behind lunacy, and this helps him to collect evidence against the conspirators. When unexpected events occur in the protagonist’s life, he is forced to realize that death is not unusual in life. So, one can see that the protagonist’s opinion on fatality undergoes gradual transformation because his initial attitude is suspiciousness and the end result is realization. Summing, the playwright makes use of the protagonist’s deeds to unveil his mind and his change in his opinion on fatality. To be specific, the playwright helps the viewers/readers to realize that death is a usual process in the living world. Initially, the protagonist thinks that he cannot trust any sort of supernatural element. Gradually, he understands that death is his antagonist and he must defeat it. But in the end, the protagonist realizes that he cannot defeat death because it is the rule of nature. So, this transformation from suspicious attitude to self-realization is the core element of the play named as Hamlet. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. US: Aquitaine Media Corp, 2009. Print. Read More