Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare
Themes:
Revenge and Forgiveness:
Hamlet searches continuously for the answer to the question of whether or not he
should avenge his father's death. His concern with right and wrong in religious,
moral, and political terms causes him much inner turmoil. Consider as well The
Ghost, Laertes and Fortinbras with respect to this theme.
Illusion vs. Reality:
The play contains many situations in which the surface appearance of things does
not always match reality. Hamlet struggles to determine who his true friends are;
Hamlet himself claims to be not what he seems; the players in the acting troupe
assume new identities; Claudius appears to be a true and just king and Gertrude his
virtuous queen…and maybe they are just that.
Madness:
In many ways, this conflict is intertwined with the theme of appearance vs. reality.
Hamlet's sanity or insanity has baffled critics for years. Even the characters in the
play discuss inconsistencies in Hamlet's behavior, sometimes assuming he is really
insane, at other times amazed by his clarity of thought. Consider here as well
Ophelia and her ‘true’ insanity.
Women:
Throughout the play, the character of Hamlet is shown being cruel toward and
unforgiving of women. Hamlet continually denies his own femininity in his dialogue
and is seen accusing himself of being a drab and a whore. He in fact hates femininity
in himself hates femininity in women. Does he, in actuality, hate that he is
‘womanly’ and wishes to be otherwise but knows that he can’t be? Is he trying to
live up to a position that he isn’t, by society’s terms ‘cut out for’? Is Gertrude
‘corrupt’ and ‘frail’ or is she very much in control of her own destiny? Ophelia,
indeed, is victimized, lost and unsure of herself. How do her actions and words
when ‘mad’ either support or discount this previous statement?
Decay and Corruption:
Among the most powerful images of the play are those which reveal disintegrating
situations, both in personal terms for Prince Hamlet, and in political terms for
Denmark.
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Death:
Hamlet is fascinated by death throughout the play. Hamlet’s most potent consideration of
death is revealed when asked by Claudius where he has hidden Polonius’ body. Hamlet
describes the life-cycle of human existence. In other words: we eat in life; we are eaten
in death. This concept of death - returning the body to the earth to become of the earth recurs throughout the play. The frailty of human existence haunts Hamlet throughout the
play. The idea of suicide also emerges from Hamlet’s preoccupation with death.
Respond to the following Questions Re: Themes:
1. To what extent is Hamlet's quest for revenge justifiable in terms of the
situation presented? Why or why not?
2. Find evidence of Hamlet's religious beliefs. How do these beliefs influence
his actions and decisions?
3. Examine the characters and events in terms of illusion and reality. Cite
examples of things that are not what they seem.
4. Find examples of imagery that reveal decay or corruption. What effect do
these images have on the reader? How would you explain Shakespeare's
inclusion of these images in the play?
5. Is Ophelia's distinct purpose in the play, as some critics have argued, to
show at once Hamlet's warped view of women as callous sexual predators,
and the innocence and virtue of women?
6. Explain what you think is revealed about human nature in Hamlet. Use
characters and situations to illustrate your points.
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