Major themes
Hamlet
Presented by: Montanna and
Larissa.
Major themes of the play
- innocence
- madness
- insanity
-revenge
Major themes in each act: Act 1
Act 1
(deceitfulness, uncertainty, revenge)
Deceitfulness – “to mislead by a false appearance or statement”
Claudius kills king Hamlet and Gertrude re-marries Claudius, (they are
the only ones who know the truth behind the death of King Hamlet and
keep it from everyone including their son)
- after hamlet talks to Polonius and Polonius talks to Ophelia and tells
her his intentions aren't true
Uncertainty- “the state of being uncertain; doubt; hesitancy”
This happens when Horatio goes to tell hamlet that him and Marcellus
saw the ghost of King Hamlet, but Hamlet was hesitant at first because
it was strange of them to be able to see a ghost.
Cont’d of Act 1
Hamlet act 1 scene 2 line 169- 177
deceitfulness,
“Hamlet: I would not hear your enemy say so,
Nor shall you do mine ear that violence,
To make it truster of your own report
Against yourself: I know you are not truant
But what is your affair in Elsinore?
We’ll teach you to drink deep ere you depart.
Horatio: My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.
Hamlet: I pray to thee, do not mock me, fellow student;
I think it was to see my mother’s wedding”.
Act 1 Scene 2 line 179-194
Uncertainty,
“ Hamlet: … Ere I had seen that day, Horatio!
My father!-methinks, I see my father.
Horatio: O, where, my lord?
Hamlet: In my mind’s eye, Horatio.
Horatio: I saw him once; he was a goodly king.
Hamlet: he was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.
Horatio: My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
Hamlet: Saw ! Who?
Horatio: My lord, the king your father.
Hamlet: The king my father!
Horatio: Season your admiration for a while
With an attent ear, till I mat deliver,
Upon the witnesses of these gentlemen,
This marvel to you”.
Act 1 scene 5
Revenge- “to take vengeance for; inflict punishment for; avenge”
The ghost of king hamlet tells hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius. He
described exactly how he was poisoned. The ghost told Hamlet to take
revenge for these wrongs and kill Claudius for him.
Also Subjectivity- “intentness on internal thoughts”.
Hamlet would analyze every aspect of something before he takes action. Just
how the ghost told hamlet to kill Claudius but he wasn’t sure if the ghost
was sent by a devil so he set up that play to re-act the murder.
Line 24-31,
“Hamlet: O God!
Ghost: Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.
Hamlet: Murder?
Ghost: Murder most foul, as in the best it is,
But this most foul, strange, and unnatural.
Hamlet: Haste me to know’t; that I, with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge”.
Act 2 & 3
Act 2 Scene 1
deceitfulness - – “to mislead by a false appearance or statement” In act 2
Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to Paris to deliver money to Laertes and
at that same time he tells him to spy on Laertes of his behavior.
Scene 1 line 1-5
“Polonius: Give him this money, and these notes, Reynaldo.
Reynaldo: I will, my lord.
Polonius: You shall do marvelous wisely, good Reynaldo,
Before you visit him, to make inquiry
Of his behavior”.
Act 2 Scene 2
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern , two old friends of hamlets, have been sent by
Claudius and Gertrude to go spy on hamlet.
Cont’d of Act 2 & 3
MADNESS- “ the state of being mad; insanity”.
Polonius tells the royal family about hamlets apparent mental and physical
state Ophelia rejects his love . And they don’t believe him so they arrange an
accidental meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia so Claudius can spy.
Hamlet asks the players to act out the murder of his father for the king and
queen. Hamlet is also being deceitful.
Lines 431-462 (Reads)
Hamlet is relating the Trogan War to his life of how his uncle murdered his father
and how they should change the play to relate to Hamlets life.
Act 3
In act 3, the main theme is deceitfulness because when Polonius tries to
tell Claudius and Gertrude the apparent reason for Hamlets ‘Madness’;
they do not believe him forcing Polonius to arrange a meeting between
Hamlet and Ophelia to prove his insanity.
Act 3, scene 4
Incest- “sexual intercourse between closely related persons.”
Hamlets mother marries his uncle Claudius and talks to her about how
she offended his father (king Hamlet) by marrying his own brother, and from
that Gertrude has destroyed Hamlet’s faith in women, which is perhaps why his
feelings towards Ophelia become ambivalent. Hamlet blamed his mother
(Gertrude) for the incest because men overpowered women back then and the
combination of women’s passive role in society.
Act 4
Act 4, scene 3
Death- “the state of being dead:”
Hamlet’s most potent consideration of death in this scene. His almost
morbid obsession with the idea is revealed when asked by Claudius where
he has hidden Polonius’ body.
Act 5
Revenge- “to take vengeance for; inflict punishment for; avenge”
it is Hamlet’s inability to avenge the murder of his father that drives the
plot forwards and the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia, Gertrude,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern all result from Hamlet’s delay.
Work Cited
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WWW.DICTIONARY.COM
"deceitfulness." dictionary.reference. N.p., 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 8 Nov.
2011. <www.dictionary.com>.
“ madness.” dictionary.reference. N.p., 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 8 Nov.
2011. <www.dictionary.com>.
“revenge.” dictionary.reference. N.p., 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 8 Nov.
2011. <www.dictionary.com>.
“uncertainty” dictionary.reference. N.p., 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 8 Nov.
2011. <www.dictionary.com>.
“incest” dictionary.reference. N.p., 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 8 Nov. 2011.
<www.dictionary.com>.