By William Shakespeare

Shakespearean tragedy  Noble, heroic central character who is destroyed because a defect in his character either causes him to mix himself in circumstances which overpower him, or makes him incapable of dealing with a destructive situation caused by another character or by circumstances beyond his/her control.

Shakespearean tragedy (cont)  The play ends with the death of the central character and many others. But before death, he achieves insights which make him a more perceptive human being than he was when the play began.

Hamlet as Shakespearean hero  He is noble in birth and person  Prince of extraordinary intelligence  Heroic (by end of play)  Defect- indecision, excessive imagination, irrationality, madness-prevents him from seizing control of the world Claudius has created

 Hamlet’s death closes the play, but only after he experiences and expresses reflections on human life and death  Different from other Shakespearean heroes because he, in no way, is responsible for the state of affairs which brings about his downfall; it already exists when the play begins

First phase of Sh. hero  Introduced to the audience and his character is revealed to us: student, son, suitor, thinker

Second phase  Hamlet tries to cope with the conflict he faces - after the ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius killed his father and orders Hamlet to take revenge, the hero changes so greatly that he becomes almost his own opposite and goes “mad”- wanders around the court with clothes in disarray, acts brutally toward the girl he once loved, sends R. and G. to their deaths

Third phase  Recovery and enlightenment: Hamlet no longer talks wildly or loses himself/ gracious to Laertes (who murdered him)/ new kind of calmness as he is dying

Foil  Character who provides a striking contrast to another character.  Hamlet/ Fortinbras  Hamlet/ Laertes

Marriage of Claudius and Gertrude  Acceptable?  Asked permission from Danish court  Hamlet and ghost consider it “incestuous”  Hamlet’s feelings not considered by either one  So hasty

Ophelia  Exploited by males around her  Never makes mention of her own feelings for Hamlet  Bawdy terms to song  Suicide or accidental drowning?

Longest Shakespearean play  Almost 5 hours to perform if performed in its entirety

Hamlet’s sanity  Yes: contemplates suicide/ resentment towards women  No: expresses love and grief openly at Ophelia’s funeral/ talks about insanity as an act

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern  Close friends to Hamlet yet spy on him  Interchangeable characters  Fail to understand consequences of their actions  Powerless to alter their destiny

Grief  Hamlet for his father: Claudius says it’s too long  Gertrude: hastily marries Claudius  Laertes: grieves too loudly (according to Hamlet)  Ophelia: helps cause her madness

Gertrude  Was she in on her husband’s death or not?

The Tragedy of Hamlet  Hopeful?  Despairing?

Themes  Betrayal  Madness  Revenge