Hamlets Change in Philosophy - 1344 Words

Hamlet is an intensely cerebral character marked by a desire to think things through and pick situations apart. As such, for the first three and a half scenes of Hamlet, Hamlet broods over his father’s death instead of taking action against Claudius, his father’s murderer. Hamlet finally acts because he experiences three intense emotional jolts that allow him to view his situation from a new perspective and spur him to action. Together, these emotional experiences alter his personal philosophy about the nature of death and God’s relationship with creation, and compel him to finally take decisive action. Hamlet arguably takes his first bold action when he stabs Polonius through the arras. However, this is not the beginning of†¦show more content†¦6-11) Hamlet’s rash action serves him well, as he avoids imminent death upon arrival in England. This quote represents a complete reversal of Hamlet’s philosophy regarding action and the nature of God. In Act I, scene 2, Hamlet makes his concept of God quite clear: he feels God has let creation to go to seed, and removed Himself from active involvement in the world. NEED QUOTE HERE – weed the garden? This philosophy laid the groundwork for Hamlet’s inaction. If God is not willing or available to help shape circumstances on earth for the better, all human action must be considered and weighed so as to achieve the best outcome. If God is involved in the world, we can leave some of that consideration up to Providence, and be assured that He will shape our â€Å"rough-hewn ends† for the better. This posture obviously encourages swift, ill-considered action. Hamlet comes to this revelation through his intense fear of death. Hamlet’s final revelation comes when he returns to Elsinore. As he and Horatio walk through the woods, they come across a gravedigger preparing a new grave. Hamlet discovers that one of the skulls the gravedigger plucked out of the ground is that of the old court jester, Yorick. As he gazesShow MoreRelatedSpeech on Hamlet869 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, it is the ideas that change over time and place, as new ideas are raised and consided †¢ These new ideas of literature are discovered by the audience’s interpretation of the characters through the influences of the composer’s perspectives and language of the play. †¢ William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an example of how ideas are raised over time, as the literature itself remains the same. †¢ The unraveling plot of Hamlet depicts morality and philosophy as themes that are illustratedRead MoreUpsetting the Social Order during Hamlet Created Disruption Essay1259 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Elizabethan era, the philosophy that established social order was known as the â€Å"Concept of Order†, stating that everything had its own place and contributed to a certain position. Elizabethans believed that establishing order was the only way for a civilization to function and progress. This philosophy that governed the minds of many individuals seems to have been a prevalent thought in Shakespeare’s mind, the evidence being the recurring theme of the disorganization in social orderRead MoreMental Issues In Hamlet900 Words   |  4 PagesAfter that he turns on a path of vengeance against Claudius for murdering his father and wooing his mother. The other characters’ paranoia intertwine with Hamlet’s moral path, leading to murder and mischie f. Although Hamlet becomes more and more mentally unstable throughout the course of the play, it is the ill-mannered people who only fuel Hamlet’s obsession with vengeance.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet wouldn’t have gone on this tragic conquest for revenge if it hadn’t been for the inspiration from his dead father’sRead MoreHamlet by William Shakespeare721 Words   |  3 Pagesfuneral, he is stunned to find his mom Gertrude already re-wed. The Queen has wed Hamlets Uncle Claudius, the deceased kings brother. To Hamlet, the matrimony is vulgar interbreeding. What makes things worse is Claudius crowned himself King even though Hamlet was his fathers successor to the throne. Hamlet questions his father’s death and thinks that he was murdered. When his dads spirit pays a visit to the castle Hamlets uncertainties are corroborated. The spirit whines that he is incapable to restRead MoreThe Relationship of Death and Man’s Irrationality in Hamlet1107 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter Hamlet’s wavering path of revenge. Early in the play, Hamlet encounters his father’s ghost, who tells Hamlet that his brother Claudius murder ed him. Throughout the play, Hamlet is torn between his obligation to avenge his father and his uncertainty about this formidable task. Hamlet also experiences this indecisiveness when he contemplates suicide during several points in the play. Though he expresses disgust over Claudius’s inferiority to his father and his hasty marriage with Hamlet’s motherRead MoreQuestioning the Sanity of Hamlet in Shakespeares Hamlet, Prince of Denmark987 Words   |  4 Pagesstrange or odd soe’er I bear myself, as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on† (1.5.171). He specifically tells Horatio and Marcellus that he will be acting mad, as a front. Hamlet has an exceptional grasp on mental philosophy and the uses and effects of logic, more so than the other characters of the play. Because of this, Hamlet appears insane to others, but in fact remains true to his original statement of simply using an â€Å"antic disposition.† Hamlet is groundedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - The Aristotelian Tragic Hero1529 Words   |  7 Pages Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, centers around Hamlet’s contemplation of killing his uncle in order to avenge his father’s death. Hamlet’s decisions and values come into play in determining his fate. However, Hamlet’s intended action to avenge his father’s death, rather his motivation, falls short due to his moral dilemma. Overall, Hamlet’s actions and values work together to create a connection between Hamlet’s state of mind and the condition of Denmark as well as, epitomize him as an AristotelianRead MoreHamlet Invisible Man1412 Words   |  6 Pagesemotional, and sexually passive.† (Guo 2009) The aforementioned beliefs sprout from the deceptively repetitive statistics that male is the dominant gender. However, the audience of â€Å"Hamlet† encounters the similar idea of inept femininity through Hamletà ¢â‚¬â„¢s struggle to accept his indecisiveness, that causes the delay of his father’s revenge, an action in which he has â€Å"cause, and will, and strength, and means,/ To do’t. Examples gross as earth exhort† (Hoy 1992). In the renowned soliloquy â€Å"to be or notRead MoreHarold Bloom Says The Genius Of Shakespeare Is That â€Å"Characters1325 Words   |  6 Pagesland of Denmark. Hamlet goes through many changes throughout the five acts, but these changes are not entirely due to the events of the play, but rather to Hamlet’s confrontations with himself. He battles with his mind through soliloquys, he overhears himself speaking, and he always questions himself and the world because he is unable to accept any belief. It is not until the last act that he comes to any conclusion: an acceptance of fatalism, a philosophy that states that all events are driven byRead MoreHamlet and Fate1387 Words   |  6 Pagesland of Denmark. Hamlet goes through many c hanges throughout the five acts, but these changes are not entirely due to the events of the play, but rather to Hamlet’s confrontations with himself. He battles with his mind through soliloquys, he overhears himself speaking, and he always questions himself and the world because he is unable to accept any belief. It is not until the last act that he comes to any conclusion: an acceptance of fatalism, a philosophy that states that all events are driven by