Hamlet: Death and Life Essay

Submitted By jordantkuhn
Words: 1846
Pages: 8
Open Document
Development of Presentation: Hamlet Death is one of the main underlying themes in William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. More specifically, the nothingness and mystery of death is what opened up and inspired Hamlet to act the way that he does throughout the entire play. As the play continues to progress, the audience notices another character, Laertes, start to question the meaning of death as well. Our presentation focused on Act Five, Scene One, where Hamlet and Laertes fight each other over death and what it means. The two characters acknowledge death but for different reasons, and will fight to the death in order to prove their reason. However, before we can look at and understand act five, scene one, we must first look at the beginning of the play when Hamlet is determining what death is and the morals that are involved with it. Once it is all put together, the audience grasps a better understanding of the central theme of death and its nothingness. It isn’t until after the murder of his father that Hamlet starts to obsess over death and the uncertainties involved with death. There are two main concepts that Hamlet really obsesses over and cannot seem to figure out: the spiritual aftermath of death, and the physical remainders of the dead. Hamlet has a hard time deciphering those concepts, because he lived on a basic life premise: we are born, we live, and we die. At this point in time, nobody had ever returned from death to report what happened, therefore everyone had fallen to ignorance of what death actually portends. When Hamlet first encounters the ghost of King Hamlet he doesn’t know what to think. The ghost tells him to seek revenge against Claudius for his deceased father’s sake and to take back the land of Denmark which was rightfully his. He cannot actually determine if the ghost is that of his dad’s or the ghost of a devil. Or, could the ghost just be a mere illusion to the young, over-thinking, and sometimes crazy, Hamlet? Hamlet understands that if he does decide to kill Claudius for his father’s sake, which Hamlet will indeed die as well for his actions. So, Hamlet was left with a choice to make: kill Claudius, therefore resulting in the acknowledgement of his own death, or leave Claudius alive and be tormented by dreams and the ghost of his father while he still lived and continued to live a suffering life. However, there was actually another choice Hamlet could make as well: suicide. Hamlet gave suicide a real serious consideration in an attempt to end his suffering. To this point in time, life was the only thing that Hamlet knew to be certain, and he was fearful of the uncertain (death). Hamlet hopes that death will end all suffering in life, “To die, to sleep—no more—and by a sleep to say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to!” (3.1.60) Hamlet’s intention behind that quote is his hope that death will end thinking, knowing, and remembering, and that all of his suffering and pain will be left behind in the dust of the earth. However, being that death is uncertain, Hamlet also wonders if he will be haunted by bad dreams of his previous life and all the pain and fear that he once possessed in the after-life. Based on the uncertainties, Hamlet chooses to neglect the idea of suicide: for now.
Hamlet concludes that people fear death because they are afraid that their consciences will torment them forever, even in the after-life. Having that said humans choose life and the torments and burdens involved with life in order to avoid death; the great unknown. However, Hamlet realizes that death and life are eerily similar in that they are both inescapable and that all people will experience both. Hamlet has decided to let his conscious stop getting the best of him, and decides to accept the quest to kill Claudius. By doing this, Hamlet has accepted his death, and in some weird way, he has acknowledged his own suicide as well. It is the inescapable way of life: we are born,
Show More

Related Documents: Hamlet: Death and Life Essay

How Does Hamlet Lose His Mind

In William Shakespear Hamlet, Hamlet the main character goes through many obstacles that he begins to lose his mind. One of the deaths in the play is when the King, Hamlet’s father, dies. Not only is that a big tragedy in his life but Hamlet is also lovesick. These changes in Hamlet’s life not only have an effect on him but also on the other characters. Hamlet’s tragedy is so bad that his insanity leads him to his death.Hamlet is a tragedy in so many deaths and how his mind is set up. Hamlet’s…

Words 754 - Pages 4

Essay On Hamlet's Soliloquy

the question (Hamlet, Act III, Scene I)” soliloquy from the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, describes Hamlet’s dark and tempestuous feelings. It depicts Hamlet contemplating life versus death by taking into consideration the uncertainty of the afterlife. Prior to the soliloquy, Hamlet’s emotions have been in distress due to the appearance of his father’s ghost and his mother’s marriage to his uncle. Shakespeare’s use of structure, imagery, and syntax portrays Hamlet’s hatred for life, but the desire…

Words 551 - Pages 3

The Major Themes in Hamlet Essay

The Major Themes in Hamlet Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare and is believed to be one of the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language. The play takes place in Denmark where Prince Hamlet seeks revenge on his uncle Claudius for murdering his father King Hamlet Claudius's brother. The ghost of Hamlet's father appears to him and tells him that Claudius has poisoned him. He kills the eavesdropping Polonius in the court chamberlain. Polonius's son Laertes returns…

Words 1620 - Pages 7

Hamlet: Love and Queen Hamlets Mom Essay example

Hamlets’ Love for Ophelia The play Hamlet features many life lessons, tragedies, and common events that the average person would face at least once throughout their life. The love story between Hamlet and Ophelia is one of these life events throughout the play. Hamlet comes across as a man of many thoughts and a confused mind. Hamlet confesses his love to Ophelia many times, yet the audience is often confused weather he really loves her or not. I believe that Hamlet does indeed love Ophelia and…

Words 769 - Pages 4

Hamlet Fortinbraz Character Analysis

In the revenge-tragedy Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes carefully constructed characters in order to demonstrate the debilitating effects fear can have on an individual. The audience is brought into the life of anxious protagonist-Hamlet as he takes steps towards avenging his father’s death. Although Hamlet is given a clear purpose, the fear of the unknown, more specifically death, distracts him from carrying out the actions required to fulfill his objective. Hamlet is not the only one effected by his…

Words 734 - Pages 3

Essay For Hamlet And SND

literary history. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare gets the audience and readers to ponder the idea of mortality throughout the tragedy.The weight of one's mortality and the complexities of life and death are introduced from the beginning of Hamlet. In the wake of his father's death, Hamlet can't stop pondering and considering the meaning of life, and its eventual ending. In Hamlet’s mind the idea of dying isn’t so bad. It is uncertainty of the afterlife that frightens Hamlet away from suicide, even though he’s obsessed with the notion…

Words 1262 - Pages 6

Marxist View Of Death In Hamlet

2015 Hamlet No matter whom you are in the world or how great you were in your lifetime there is one thing that is inevitable. That is that you day your life will end. Royalty, peasants, saints and sinners, all have the same ending. So it is safe to say that death is something that everyone is equal in. Whether ‘tis noble or not, death is the great equalizer. In the play Hamlet, it doesn’t, matter what social class characters were in, the all are equal in value at death. This view of death as a…

Words 2586 - Pages 11

Essay on Death and Hamlet

of death. When young Hamlet is informed of the ghost’s sighting, he is anxious and curious to find out who this ghost is and what news it has to deliver. After the ghost reveals himself as Hamlet’s deceased father, Hamlet’s curiosity increases. The ghost divulges to Hamlet that his brother, Claudius, poisoned him to take his life as well as his throne, which infuriates young Hamlet. After this shocking revelation, Hamlet becomes obsessed with thoughts of death and avenging his father’s murder, which…

Words 917 - Pages 4

Hamlet faith and doubt essay

“In his disillusionment and doubt, Hamlet believes the world to be a place where it is impossible to have faith in oneself or others” The play ‘Hamlet’ demonstrates the disillusionment and doubt of Hamlet and his new belief that the world is a place where it is impossible to have faith in oneself and others. Hamlet looses faith in those that are closest to him, when he discovers the betrayal and deceitfulness of his family and friends. Through loosing faith in the world around him he becomes disconnected…

Words 1336 - Pages 6

Hamlet: Characters in Hamlet and Ophelia Essay

Oftentimes in life the reasons behind human behaviors are questioned, and rarely is a concrete answer found. The human experience is full of complex interactions with intangible solutions. The causes of human thought and motivation are mostly unclear, as Shakespeare exemplifies through the world of Hamlet. Through his use of contrasting scenarios, Shakespeare creates a picture of the uncertainty of humanity and human interaction. There are few things stronger than the bond between father and son—it…

Words 1212 - Pages 5