The Most Plausible Theme of the Play Hamlet by Shakespeare - Essay Example

Lecturer Essay # Hamlet by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is one of the most influential of English literature. Shakespeare has authored more than thirty plays and one hundred and fifty sonnets. One of his renowned works is the play Hamlet, written around 1600. The play is based on the story of a Danish Prince named Hamlet whose uncle kills his father and takes the throne. This play has been analyzed extensively by different authors. As a result, many themes of the play have been put forward. Different authors have come up with what they believe to the main theme(s) of the play. Although there are many themes of the play, this paper argues that death or mortality is the most plausible theme in the play. The theme of death is responsible for most of the actions that take place in the play. The theme of death resonates in the entire play, and it forms the basis of the whole play. The entire action in the play is triggered by the death of Hamlet’s father. At the start of the play, Bernardo comes to takeover from his fellow watchman Francisco, and they are both joined by Horatio. Bernardo and Francisco show Horatio the ghost of the dead king Hamlet. The appearance of the ghost at the start of the play does not only show the death of King Hamlet but sets the stage for the events that take place throughout the play. Furthermore, the opening scene illustrates how the line between the dead and the living has been blurred. This is something that is illustrated later in the play. The theme of death is well brought out through the main character of the play, Hamlet. Being the central figure of the play, the theme of death not only touches on Hamlet but also on other characters in the play. After the death of his father, Hamlet is greatly affected and he is emotionally disturbed. The death of his father had a great effect on his personal life and changed his view about life. At one point, he even contemplates suicide by stating that “that this too too solid flesh would melt” (I.II. 332). The pain of his father’s death makes him think of revenge, but he never follows these plans. Hamlet realizes that one day he will die. This is best captured in his famous line “To be or not to be…” (III. I. 1750). In this line, Hamlet wonders whether there is a difference if one is alive or dead. He is terrified by the fact that one can be forgotten so fast after they die. Hamlet realizes that everyone, regardless of wealth or status, will one day die. Death plays a role in transforming the nature of Hamlet. After talking to the ghost of his late father, Hamlet’s mind becomes fully preoccupied with the idea of revenge. He actually becomes a murderer and accepts the idea that death is inevitable. Unlike before, he cares less about his actions, and is only concerned with carrying out revenge. Many of the characters in the play end up dying, and this contributes to the ending of the play. In this case, not only does death set the stage for the events that take place in the play but also plays an important role in the ending of the play. Most of the characters in the play, including Hamlet himself, end up dying in one way or the other. For example, Claudius manages to convince Laertes that Hamlet was responsible for the death of his father. He wants to Laertes to revenge by killing Hamlet if he really loved his father. Claudius asks him “Laertes, was your father dear to you? “” (Iv. VII. 3250). In the attempt to kill Hamlet, Laertes is also killed. Hamlet’s mother drinks the poison made by Claudius meant for Hamlet, and before Hamlet dies, he kills Claudius. This clearly shows how the theme of death dominates the entire play. The desire by Claudius to have Hamlet killed triggered so many events that led to his own death and that of many others. The author successfully shows the readers how mortal human beings are. The death of one individual in the play leads to the deaths of many others. Although there are other themes brought out in the play, all these other themes can be seen to stem from the central theme of death. Revenge is one of the themes that have been identified as being central to the play. Some authors and analysts have argued that revenge is the main theme that drives the actions of the entire play. Many have termed the play as a revenge tragedy. The play is based on the efforts of major characters to revenge, especially the desire of Hamlet to revenge the death of his father (Skulsky, 79). In addition, Laertes is obsessed with revenging the death of his family, and hence his desire to kill Hamlet. However, although revenge is a theme evident in the play, it stems from the theme of death. For example, the entire play is based on Hamlet’s desire to take revenge following the death of his father. It is clear that without the death of his father, Hamlet would not have embarked on this revenge mission. Another example is Laertes, who is pressured by Claudius to revenge the death of his father by killing Hamlet. Again, the death of his father triggers his desire to take revenge. Another theme in the play is deception. As noted in the article by Amanda Mabillard (2008), deception forms the basic foundation of the play. For example, it is shown that Claudius lies to everyone regarding the death of Hamlet’s father. In addition, Claudius lies to Guildenstern and Rosencrantz about the going of Hamlet to England. He lies that Hamlet moved to England due to public safety. Other characters in the play that deceive others include Hamlet, Polonius and Horatio. However, it can be seen that the theme of deception stems from the central theme of death. For example, Claudius’ deception stems from murdering Hamlet’s father. In addition, when he lies about Hamlet’s move to England, Claudius in fact fears his own death since he knew Hamlet was going to kill him and hence he sent him to England. Were it not for the fear of death, Claudius would not have sent Hamlet to England, and therefore there would be no need for deception. The theme of deception is closely tied to the theme of revenge in which the characters lie as they seek revenge. As noted above, revenge actually stems from theme of death. Suicide is also another theme of the play. In the play, Hamlet and Ophelia are two characters who bring out this theme. Hamlet deeply thinks about suicide, but later realizes that doing so will be going against the will of God. In addition, he feared the uncertainty that surrounds one’s life after death. Ophelia on the other hand actually commits suicide by drowning. Although suicide can be analyzed as a theme on its own, it falls under the larger theme of death. The ultimate result of suicide is death, and therefore suicide and death are two inseparable themes. In conclusion, it is clear that death is the plausible theme of the play Hamlet. This is because death sets the stage for the events that take place throughout the play, and plays a key role in defining the actions and attitudes of the characters. Other themes such as revenge, suicide and deception all stem from the idea of death. Works Cited Mabillard, Amanda. Deception in Shakespeares Hamlet. Shakespeare Online. 25 Aug. 2008. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/playanalysis/deceptioninhamlet.html" > OpenSourceShakespeare “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” 2003. Web < http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=hamlet&Sc ope=entire&pleasewait=1&msg=pl > Skulsky, Harold. “Revenge, Honor, and Conscience in "Hamlet"”. Publications of the Modern Language Association, 85. 1 (Jan., 1970): pp. 78-87 Read More