The Primary Theme of Hamlet - Essay Example

Model Paper # 279718 William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, takes place in Denmark. Hamlet is a prince so the setting takes place primarily in or around the castle at Elsinore. The play’s opening scene is a guard platform of the castle. The first time we see Hamlet, it is in the castle. Many of the play’s most powerful scenes take place in the castle, including the scene with Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy. The popular scene with Hamlet and Laertes at the end of the play takes place in the castle. The memorable scene with Hamlet and Gertrude takes place in her bedroom. The significance of the castle helps us to remember that we are dealing with characters of royalty. Other significant settings include a theater in Elsinore where Hamlet exposes Claudius for murder and the scene in the graveyard where Hamlet discovers that Ophelia is dead. The primary theme of Hamlet is revenge followed by indecision and uncertainty as close second and third. These themes work together to create superior tension in the play. Death is also a theme in the play in that the play begins and ends with it. Everyone in the play is touched by death in some way or another and it fuels human emotion from one end of the gamut to another. Revenge is what drives the action of the play in that Hamlet is prodded by the ghost of his father to avenge his death. The ghost is persistent and while Hamlet knows what it is he should do, he encounters difficulty doing it. The theme of indecision emerges as Hamlet tried to find reason to believe the ghost is that of his father, which brings us to the theme of uncertainty. At first, Hamlet believes the ghost to be evil and calls it a “goblin damned” (Shakespeare I.iv.44); however, not long after saying this he calls the ghost, “King, father, Royal Dane” (I.iv.50). Death becomes a theme in the play and it is something that hamlet cannot escape. He meets in at the beginning of the play and is deeply affected by it. His melanholy mood causes him to wish his “sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew” (I.ii.33-4). Here he is so distraught, he thinks it might be better to be dead. His attitude is also impacted by his father’s death. He states, “How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of the world! (I.ii.137-8). Here we can see how Hamlet’s attitude is reflected in his worldview. Hamlet is the protagonist in this play and his objective is to avenge his father’s death. The ghost makes this known early in the play. He tells Hamlet to revenge his father’s “foul and most unnatural murder” (I.v.1). The conflict in the play is Hamlet’s inability to kill Claudius, which reinforces Hamlet’s objective. Hamlet’s objective is finally reached at the end of the play, signifying resolution. The ghost’s reappearance only reinforces Hamlet’s duty, especially after Hamlet misses an opportunity to kill Claudius. This is illustrated after Hamlet inadvertently kills Polonius and the ghost tells him that he is there to “whet thy almost blunted purpose” (III.iv.127) Claudius is the antagonist in the play. He kills King Hamlet and marries the queen just months after the funeral. He has had his eye upon the throne and does whatever it takes to keep the crown. When he recognizes Hamlet as a threat, he quickly attempts to get rid of him so his kingdom will not be threatened. He is the perfect action-oriented antagonist to foil Hamlet’s inaction as protagonist. One of the most powerful scenes in the play occurs when Hamlet is contemplating his own death. This is still rather early in the play and it reveals just how emotionally weary Hamlet has become over past events. The soliloquy is important because Hamlet knows that it wrong to commit suicide but he still entertains the thought. Another powerful scene that stands out in the play is Hamlet’s conversation and eventual confrontation with Gertrude in her bedroom. Here, we see the extent of Hamlet’s mental distress when he unleashes his angst upon her. He confronts her about marrying Claudius and tells her that she “cannot call it love, for at your age / the heyday in the blood is tame” (III.iv.78-9). Another scene that stands out is Hamlet’s encounter with Ophelia, when he seems to turn on her for no reason. He tells her that he loved her “once” (III.i.125) but not any more. He instructs her to go to a “nunnery” (III.i.131) because all men are “arrant knaves” (III.i.139). He literally breaks her heart in this scene. Another powerful scene is the fight scene at the end of the play, when everything is revealed. Claudius is finally exposed for murdering King Hamlet and Gertrude becomes aware of this as well as the fact that Claudius is after her son as well. This scene is powerful because things go wrong. The poisoned sword does not kill Hamlet but Laertes and the poisoned drink does not kill Hamlet but his mother. Hamlet does finally avenge his father by killing Claudius, which finally allows the play to have some sort of resolution. Marketing the play would be very easy in today’s world. One of the reasons the play is so popular is because it reveals real emotions and real people. Hamlet is complicated. One way to market the play is by focusing on the aspect of Hamlet’s madness. Is he mad or is he faking it? Scenes depicting Hamlet clearly lucid and clearly delusional would be great advertisements. It could be marketed as “The play that reaches out to anyone that has ever been accused of being crazy or ever wanted to be considered crazy for any reason. Learn from the master.” This includes almost everyone at one point or another. Another way it could be marketed is through the aspect of the family. The hook could be, “Ever wanted to strangle your mother? You are not alone…” and the scene could be Hamlet in Gertrude’s room with other scenes showing her with the king and then with his brother. Another good marketing idea is making the play a ghost story. This is a wonderful strategy for all of the people that enjoy the paranormal. The hook could be, “Shakespeare believed…” and then show some of the scenes with the ghost haunting hamlet. Another excellent marketing idea for the play comes from the law of attraction theory. Hamlet attracted all of the negative things that happened to him because he could not let go of the things that were out of his control. Instead of moving on with life, avenging his father’s death, marrying Ophelia and living happily ever after, he attracted death and darkness over every aspect of his life. The hook could be, “that Law of Attraction: Hamlet’s Lesson.” This would go over well with the general interest in the law of attraction that has been revived with The Secret. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Washington Square Press. 1992. Read More