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Understanding Hamlet:
Themes, Characters, and Motifs Recurrent in the Play
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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
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Hamlet’s Popularity The most oft-performed of Shakespeare’s plays
Filmed 25 times Everybody wants to play “Hamlet” Also frequently parodied
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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