Analysis of Hamlet by William Shakespeare - Essay Example

The resemblance between the trio heaven, earth and hell can be compared to the trio of Hamlet, his dead father and his mother. The ghost on receivingrepose reaches heaven while Hamlet becomes a mad person who resembles hell and his mother who continues to have her feet on earth in spite committing the horrifying deed.  O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else?  And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart; (Act 1 scene 5- 97-99) “Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat   In this distracted globe” (Act 1 scene 5, 102, 103) Hamlet sympathizes with the ghost who is presently only a memory. Hamlet is challenging the present King Claudius and portrays that the commandments of Claudius are vain when compared to those of his father- “And thy commandment all alone shall live” (Act 1 scene 5, 108) Pause a moment and analyze the shift in tone, from sympathizing and lamenting with the ghost to now proclaiming and reproducing vent and anger about the villains. “O most pernicious woman!” (Act 1, scene 5,111) What a bold manner and outburst towards his mother. The saying that ‘behind every successful man there is a woman’, would not be apt in this situation. Instead one can state that behind the late King was his Queen of death. “O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!”(Act 1 scene 5, 112) Chaotic combined with madness wail from the heart and soul of Hamlet who bewails for revenge. ‘Smiling damned villain’ what a comparison and combination of innocence with evil wherein smile signifying innocence and villain evil. This further enhances the fact that Claudius exhibits double personality. This state can be traced to the state of innocence of Adam and Eve who commit sin when they encounter the serpent. “My tables,--meet it is I set it down” (Act 1, scene 5, 113) Reference to the Bible can be traced when God will come down and settle scores with the sinners. “That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;   At least Im sure it may be so in Denmark” (Act 1, scene 5, 115) Sarcasm and threat wherein this devilish and evil smile will soon be wiped off Claudius face, or at least Claudius can smile only in Denmark. I feel Hamlet was trying to comprehend the mother’s attitude and unfaithfulness in marriage. What is Hamlet trying to do in his confrontation with his mother? Possibilities are Hamlet wanted to confirm her knowledge of Claudius crime. Or Hamlet wanted to investigate his mother’s role in the crime. Of all the confrontations and madness the most significant would have been with his mother-the other half of Hamlet. For Hamlet signified the procreation of two halves his father the late King and his mother. “See, what a grace was seated on this brow;  Hyperions curls; the front of Jove himself;  An eye like Mars, to threaten and command;  A station like the herald Mercury  New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill;  A combination and a form indeed….” (Act 3, scene 4, 56-61) The images of the two brothers can be traced to represent Hamlet and his mother? How? The image of the late King which stands for innocence as found in the first Hamlet i.e. before Hamlet’s madness and Claudius picture whose smile hides evil can be traced to Queen Gertrude. The late King is described as a Greek God whose eyes could command like the God of war. Hamlets father was a combination of kingly qualities “Where every god did seem to set his seal” (Act 3, scene 4.62). “Here is your husband; like a mildewd ear,   Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes?   Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,   And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes?” (Act 3, scene 4, 66-68)   In contrast to the late King Gertrude should look at her present husband who is like “Here is your husband; like a mildewd ear.” (Act 3, scene 4, 65) ‘Have you eyes?’ Eyes signify all that it sees and perceives is not reality for the hidden lost innocence is yet to be restored. Hamlet is wrong in stating that “You cannot call it love; for at your age” (Act 3 scene 4, 69) for when it comes to matter of the heart no individual can control emotions. For Hamlet this love paralyzed Gertrude who knew not the difference between her two men. The word ‘judgment’, enfolds the idea that every individual would have his judgment day as foretold in the Bible. “What devil wast   That thus hath cozend you at hoodman-blind?” (Act 3 scenes 4, 77-78) Even one impaired sense would not permit such a ghastly mistake. “Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight, Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all…(Act 3 scene 4, 79-80) Horror and degenerating of human life to nothingness. Hamlet cries out in shame of being born from Gertrude- mother that is filled with evil. How can Hamlets speech on becoming aware of his father death and his confrontation with his mother mirror the chaotic events? Revelation of the truth by the ghost provides direction for Hamlet. Hamlet is a collaboration of his late father: “And thy commandment all alone shall live” (Act 1 scene 5, 108) and his mother “O most pernicious woman!” (Act 1 scene 5, 111) How does the comparison of Hamlets two speeches mirror the interrelation of events? I feel the real emotional outrage seen in Hamlet; as he was unable to confront the fact that his mother was part of the horrendous deed. The psychological aspect that father, mother and son form a triangle and every individual is an element in that triangle. For Hamlet this triangle was broken and the only particle that remained was him self. Hamlets madness is the personification of every individual’s cry for contentment. The confrontation with Gertrude portrayed Hamlet anger. But maybe in reality he was unprepared to confront his mother and maybe by killing Claudius he would make his mother cry tears of blood thus Gertrude undergoing the pain Hamlet’s father underwent of being murdered. Hamlet’s rage is only external but inwardly he was psychologically dead-why? For once his father was dead perhaps he had the notion that his death was evitable. Manly characteristics do not permit the tears of fright and escaping from reality. Hamlet’s promise to the ghost is mirrored in every ghastly act and incident including his meeting with his mother. This confrontation is also viewed as trying to enable his mother to see reason and to alter from sin. Therefore this battle between evil and good is ever present in Hamlet which ultimately leads to his death. Suppose if the reverse sought Hamlet’s father as a kingly character which was rude and meted ill treatment to the Queen Gertrude and kingdom. This murder by Claudius and the queen would have perhaps, been welcome to Hamlet-for the reign of terror ended. But then the crisis would have been who would have been king then-Claudius or Hamlet? The paradigm of revenge and madness are still established in this scenario. Hamlet is an epitome of every person who battles between emotions, evil and reason of life very existence. References Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Philip Bealey. Toronto: Academic Press Canada, 1963. Read More