Hamlet

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It's a hit!

Though many will disagree, in my opinion this is the quintessential Shakespeare. Some call the plot "lugubrious" and claim it's bogged down by sup... (show more)

Though many will disagree, in my opinion this is the quintessential Shakespeare. Some call the plot "lugubrious" and claim it's bogged down by superfluity and "ambiguity." However, Shakespeare's inclusion of seemingly superfluous characters to some, such as Fortinbras, Rozencrantz, and Guildenstern, is simply a showcase, par excellence, of his dramatic brilliance.

Loaded with some of Shakespeare's most brilliant aphorisms/ maxims: "to thine own self be true...", "neither a borrower nor a lender be...", there is a method to his madness, "To be or not to be..." or the dozen others, "Hamlet" is epic in its literary worth.

Whether the juxtaposition between Hamlet's inability to take action and the the hyper-motivated nature of Fortinbras, or the martyric loyalty of Horatio versus the fickleness of Rozencrantz and Guildenstern, "Hamlet" teaches us (on several levels) what it means to be human. He tells us that when we find true friends to, "grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel"

One of the beautiful things about "Hamlet" is that we are left with so many questions about morality and revenge and being faithful... Depending on one's stage of intellectual development, the answers will, most likely, change with each reading. (show less)

 

 

by Shane Mueller-Bluesky

No, it's a flop!

Hamlet is Shakespeare's best written play. Combining human nature with the supernatural realm, Shakespeare was successful in protraying the victim ... (show more)

Hamlet is Shakespeare's best written play. Combining human nature with the supernatural realm, Shakespeare was successful in protraying the victim (Hamlet) as the victor. Though many may say Hamlet walked on the very brink of insanity, he had achieved what he set out to- avenging his father's death, though in the end losing his own life.
Hamlet's inability to act on impulse, proves to me that his regard for the present did not outweigh that of the future, and it's consequences were sure no matter how long it may seem to the average man.
I think Hamlet should be a must read for anyone who believes that impulsive behaviour reaps more benefits than planning and effectively executing.
yep may get some rolled eyes- Hamlet perfectly executed his own death you may say, but he did not fail the matter at hand - avenging his Father's death!! (show less)

 

 

by Raquel Jahdonia Cato

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  Although Midsummer Night's Dream is still my favorite play of his, reading Hamlet made me realize how much I truly love Shakespeare. Hamlet is an awesomely sympathetic character, and he offers a lot of interesting ideas on the purpose of life, the nature of death, and the hypocrisies of mankind. These themes are neatly tied in to an intriguing murder plot that is bound to keep those not familiar with Hamlet on the edge of their seats to the very end. The only real nit-picks about the plot wou... (show more)

  Although Midsummer Night's Dream is still my favorite play of his, reading Hamlet made me realize how much I truly love Shakespeare. Hamlet is an awesomely sympathetic character, and he offers a lot of interesting ideas on the purpose of life, the nature of death, and the hypocrisies of mankind. These themes are neatly tied in to an intriguing murder plot that is bound to keep those not familiar with Hamlet on the edge of their seats to the very end. The only real nit-picks about the plot would be Hamlet escaping death on a pirate ship, which seems rather unlikely, but that's certainly not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the play. Along with Hamlet is a well-rounded cast of supporting characters (Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Horatio being favorites); there really isn't a single character in the play that wasn't believable or real to me. Overall, this play is not only fun to watch, but also fun to read, and I would recommend it to any fan of Shakespeare's stuff. (show less)

   

   

  by Sarah Chilton on Nov 18, 2009 at 12:35AM

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  in my opinion, the central theme of the tragedy is mourning and from the psychoanalysis point of view I personally agree with Jacques Lacan's theory that Hamlet is increasingly distanced from reality "by mourning, fantasy, narcissism and psychosis", a tragedy of a man unable to make up his mind. me too, I can't label Hamlet either mad or not; a hero or not - I find him inconsistent, confused and confusing.

  but, according to what Hamlet says to Rosencrantz "there is nothing ... (show more)

  in my opinion, the central theme of the tragedy is mourning and from the psychoanalysis point of view I personally agree with Jacques Lacan's theory that Hamlet is increasingly distanced from reality "by mourning, fantasy, narcissism and psychosis", a tragedy of a man unable to make up his mind. me too, I can't label Hamlet either mad or not; a hero or not - I find him inconsistent, confused and confusing.

  but, according to what Hamlet says to Rosencrantz "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so" (which I personally believe in very strongly too): the idea that reality is perceived through senses, and since all people sense and perceive things differently, there is no absolute, only relative truth - nothing is real except in the mind of the individual...

  Hamlet is unable to choose not only between the life of action - to fight the troubles (TO BE) and the life of silent acceptance - to suffer one's fortune (NOT TO BE) but also to whether to consider death (suicide) as a third option, to avoid having to choose between "to be, or not to be" altogether.

  the play is further complicated by Hamlet's difficult relationships with the other characters (not talking about his obvious antagonist Claudius), particularly the ones whom he loves:

  - Horatio, Hamlet's most trusted friend: Hamlet swears his affection to Horatio in a way he does for nobody else.

  - Gertrude, her mother: is very hurt how quickly she remarried after her husband's death.

  - and Ophelia, the woman whom he loves: I believe Hamlet's disapproval of his mother's action is what primarily affects his relationship
  with Ophelia; powerfully demonstrated in the scene where he suggests Ophelia to go to a nunnery, apparently having the cruel double meaning of a brothel.

  personally I don't agree with the Freud's famous notion of Hamlet's Oedipus complex, however, to me he seems to love Horatio, his (only) true friend, a lot stronger than Ophelia...

  but how to condemn Hamlet for his indecisiveness... his dilemma is so hard because of moral, religious, emotional and other considerations that contradict with each other. I pity him - aren't we all facing numerous dilemmas in all aspects of our lives...? (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-gebruiker on Sep 26, 2009 at 07:37AM

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