Essay The Thought Process of Shakespeares Hamlet

The Thought Process of Shakespeares Hamlet If Hamlet from himself be taen away, And when hes not himself does wrong Laertes, Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it then? His madness. Ift be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wrongd; His madness is poor Hamlets enemy. (V.ii.230-235) Hamlets self-description in his apology to Laertes, delivered in the appropriately distanced and divided third-person, explicitly fingers the greatest antagonist of the play†¹consciousness. The obligatory cultural baggage that comes along with Hamlet heeds little attention to the incestuous Claudius while focusing entirely on the gloomy Danes legendary melancholia and his resulting revenge delays. As Laurence†¦show more content†¦The chief definition of thought revolves around the basic concept of the mental process: The action or process of thinking; mental action or activity in general, esp. that of the intellect; exercise of the mental faculty; formation and arrangement of ideas in the mind (OED, 1a). A further subset of definitions can be catalogued into a Manichean vision of positives and negatives and which equally apply to Hamlets central consideration of consciousness as a blessing or a curse. There is a stress on thoughts potentiality which fits with Hamle ts obsession with the infinitude of man: Conception, imagination, fancy (OED, 4c). But following this comes the negative view of thought as quasi-action, a direct link to Hamlets stall tactics: The entertaining of some project in the mind; the idea or notion of doing something, as contemplated or entertained in the mind; hence, intention, purpose, design; esp. an imperfect or half-formed intention; with negative expressed or implied = not the least intention or notion of doing something (OED, 4d). Similarly, the past neutral sense of Remembrance, Å’mind (OED, 5e) is countered by the negative anticipatory connotation of: Anxiety or distress of mind; solicitude; grief, sorrow, trouble, care, vexation (OED, 5a). This current of duality is important to keep in mind as we explore itsShow MoreRelatedLove Thy Mother Most Peculiar Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract: Does Hamlet, a character in Shakespeare’s historical play, have the Oedipus complex? Do we truly understand the semantics of the Oedipus complex? Many critics have had different opinions. According to Webster’s online dictionary, the Oedipus complex is a â€Å"complex of males; desire to possess the mother sexually and to exclude the father; said to be a source of personality disorders if unresolved† (Websters Online Dictionary, 2011). Another source defines the Oedipus complex as â€Å"theRead MoreLiterary Features In Shakespeares Hamlet916 Words   |  4 PagesRevenge, a Dish Best Served Quickly: Literary Features in Shakespeare’s Hamlet William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is about one man’s internal struggle over his job to avenge his father’s wrongful death. Prince Hamlet is tasked with this mission after receiving a message from a ghost of his father stating that Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, wrongfully killed the old King in order to steal his throne and his wife. In this soliloquy, Hamlet is debating with himself on whether or not he should kill hisRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare Essay1453 Words   |  6 PagesHamlet by William Shakespeare explores many aspects of mankind--death, betrayal, love, and mourning. Out of these, the most prominent theme in this play is death in the form of suicide. The main character, Hamlet, finds himself questioning the quality of life and the uncertainty of the afterlife once he discovers news of his father s death and the corruption in the kingdom that follows. Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover, is found dead later in the plot and is presumed to have committed suicide. In Hamlet’sRead MoreTheme Of Death In Hamlet969 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares’ â€Å"Hamlet† tells the story of a great tragedy in which death is the permeating idea and connective thread. Through the experiences of Hamlet, Shakespeare is able to explore the complexities of life and death. Following the murder of his father, Hamlet seeks to avenge his death in the process of defining the meaning of his own life within himself. In the process of reaching complete madness, Hamlet both contemplates his own death, experiences the death of those closest to himRead MoreHamlets Grief940 Words   |  4 Pagescloak, good mother, / nor customary suits of solemn black / [ . . . ] but I have that within which passeth show; / these but the trappings and the suits of woe† (Shakespeare 1.2.76-73, 85-86) says Hamlet when confronted about his way of grieving over his father’s recent death. Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is a re markable tale that is centered on the idea of death and grief. While death is a universal occurrence, meaning every person will deal with it, how we grieve after a loss is completely individualRead MoreSpeech on Hamlet869 Words   |  4 PagesCraftsmanship and ideas both equally share the process of taking an established work in a place and having it continue over time as the same piece of literature. †¢ However, it is the ideas that change over time and place, as new ideas are raised and consided †¢ These new ideas of literature are discovered by the audience’s interpretation of the characters through the influences of the composer’s perspectives and language of the play. †¢ William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an example of how ideas are raisedRead MoreRevenge in Hamlet1070 Words   |  5 PagesAmongst the most tragic story lines of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet is definitely one of them. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Fortinbras, Hamlet and Laertes each demonstrate the ways revenge leads to tragedy when they are unable to cope with the loss of a loved one. Young Fortinbras has intentions of honoring his father’s loss by gaining the territory that was rightfully theirs. The lengths he is willing to go compare to Hamlet’s determination to seek revenge upon his uncle, and father’s murdererRead MoreExamples Of Revenge Tragedy In Hamlet1033 Words   |  5 PagesA lot of Shakespeare’s plays allude to revenge and revenge tragedy. Revenge tragedy is seeking revenge for wrongdoings done against someone in a literary work. Usually, the person seeking this revenge is the protagonist and the plot is usual ly developed throughout their journey to get their rightful revenge. Revenge tragedy is also the central conflict within a literary work. In the play, Hamlet,Young Fortinbras, and Laertes are all examples of revenge tragedy. Hamlet ironically isn’t a person thatRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet Essay902 Words   |  4 Pagesthe drama, â€Å"Hamlet†, which is one of the most famous tragedy in the literature written by William Shakespeare between from 1599 to1602. The drama was written at the age of Renaissance that reflects the reality of the British society in sixteenth century to early seventeenth century. During that period, Britain was in the era of reverse confusion, and Hamlet is just about the epitome of this era. The tragic play happened in Kingdom of Denmark dramatizes the revenge that Prince Hamlet intended toRead MoreMind and Hamlet1132 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"An admirable text does not define or exhaust its possibilities†. What possibilitie s do you see in Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Discuss your ideas with close reference to at least two scenes from Hamlet. Shakespeare’s texts have been re-visited, re-interpreted and re-invented to suit the context and preferences of an evolving audience, and it through this constant recreation it is evident that Hamlet â€Å"does not define or exhaust its possibilities†. Through the creation of a character who emulates a variety