Understanding Hamlet: Themes, Characters, and Motifs Recurrent in the Play

The Background Women who killed themselves for love (recurrent theme in Renaissance times) An Italian barber who murders an Italian Duke by pouring lotion in his ear (Gonzago) Ur – Hamlet – a play written in 1594 by Thomas Kyd

Hamlet’s Popularity The most oft-performed of Shakespeare’s plays Filmed 25 times Everybody wants to play “Hamlet” Also frequently parodied

Recurring Motifs Women as the weaker sex: Revenge “Frailty, thy name is woman.” “O, most pernicious woman.” “Get thee to a nunnery!” Revenge Hamlet against Claudius Fortinbras against Denmark Laertes against Hamlet

More Motifs: Fate Madness “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough−hew them how we will.” Act V The unlikely series of events at the end of the play Madness Hamlet’s – feigned? Ophelia’s

Literary Technique Irony Plant Imagery Claudius praying – not! Ophelia’s burial in unsanctified ground Hamlet’s claim to love Ophelia more than “40 brothers.” Plant Imagery Denmark as an “unweeded garden” Ophelia and her flowers

Foils Foil – a character who contrasts with another character to highlight certain traits Hamlet vs. Fortinbras – highlights Hamlet’s indecisiveness Hamlet vs. Laertes – highlights Hamlet’s indecisiveness Claudius vs. Old Hamlet– highlights Old Hamlet’s goodness

Major Themes Indecisiveness Sickness Hamlet let’s opportunity pass Tragedy occurs due to Hamlet’s failure to act Sickness “Moral” sickness – “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Ophelia’s illness The dead king’s supposed sickness Gertrude’s “sickness” upon seeing the “worser part of” herself

More Themes Pretense Parenting Claudius pretending things are normal Hamlet pretending to be crazy Ophelia pretending not to love Hamlet Parenting Claudius as a “false” parent Gertrude as an ineffective parent Polonius as a genuine parent