Hamlet Literature Reviews Samples For Students

This essays delves into the question whether or not Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is insane or merely feigning this state. Through the utilization of several quotes and deeper analysis of the protagonist’s actions and words, this essay endeavors to provide enough information to buttress the fact that Hamlet is not actually marred by insanity, but rather that his sanity was so well presented that everyone believed in it, while he cleared his path towards a bloody revenge.

For centuries, Shakespeare’s melancholy prince Hamlet has been the centre of debate among critics, urging to prove or disprove his ...

What Hamlet Has Changed and What We Learn From Hamlet and Hamlet the Play by William Shakespeare

Information Hamlet Learns Concerning Events in Denmark
Hamlet learns about various events in Denmark and finds out more information concerning his family, friends, reality, and appearances, balancing thoughts, loyalty, polities, and love. The new information that Hamlet learns becomes essential in his life and influences his perception and conception about various aspects in life. Hamlet realizes that Denmark is filled with corruption and is on the verge of destruction. He finds out that ruthless scheming by many people starting with the palace, and royal treason troubles Denmark.

Family

Hamlet learns significant information concerning his family. First, he finds out ...

Horatio: "Before my God, I might not this believe without the sensible and true avouch of mine own eyes.

For they are the actions that a man might play,
But I have that within which passes show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe. (I.ii)
This passage gives information that makes Hamlet more complex and not simply seem crazy. No one believes that he has seen the ghost of his dead father, and considering that his father’s ghost asks him to get revenge for him by killing the King, he reacts with emotional distress. His emotional outbursts and strange comments have everyone around him believing he has gone crazy and that the ghost ...

The story of Cinderella is, perhaps, one of the most well-known stories in the world. Many cultures have traditional folk stories involving the rags-to-riches story arc; becoming massively successful in the face of adversity seems to be one of humanity's driving personality features. Because the story of Cinderella is so ubiquitous, it is not surprising that great storytellers borrow tropes, character arcs, and thematic ideas from the folktale. Tales like the Cinderella story are generally not created merely as a form of entertainment, but also as a way to educate people-- particularly children-- about cultural mores and societal expectations. These tales ...

Hamlet, written by the legendary William Shakespeare, is a play which tells of the tragedy of the Prince of Denmark. In the play, the Prince attempts to exact revenge on Claudius, his uncle, for murdering his father, King Hamlet. Set in the Danish Kingdom, the play explores the themes of incest, moral corruption and revenge. As odd as it may appear, it is quite ironical that Claudius decides to kill his own brother, King Hamlet, and take his wife, Queen Gertrude. When the Prince realizes the real cause of his father’s death, he is overcome with seething rage, and ...

Death is the expression of life. It has a double sense and a double meaning in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. The funeral ceremony, mourning, revenging, talking with ghosts or committing suicidal acts represent passages in the circularity of life, based on various cultural or religious beliefs.
The Christian tradition implies a funeral ceremony for the dead people. Hamlet’s father did not benefit of such a ceremony after he was murdered by his brother, Claudius, who later took his throne and his wife. Nevertheless, prince Hamlet is permanently mourning him through his acts, through his perceived madness, illusory estate, and mixed thoughts: revenging ...

One of the reasons why William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet remains such a popular work of literature, both for dramatic representation in its original form as well as for adaptation into more modern contexts, is that the themes and events in the play reflect truths about humanity than remain accurate in modern times. There are still taboo relationships that should not take place, at least according to the majority opinion among humanity; there are still times when it is difficult to know just when to take drastic action; and try as we may, it is still impossible to separate ...

1. This line occurs in Act four, scene four of Hamlet. It is spoken by Hamlet shortly after discussing with the Captain the war over a tiny piece of land. This line furthers the play by motivating Hamlet to continue with his plot of revenge. The phrase, “spur my dull revenge” suggests that Hamlet was losing momentum but is now regaining it. It develops the theme by revisiting the idea of Hamlet’s desire for revenge, which is the primary story line of the play. In this line, Hamlet is basically saying that everything he sees is only encouraging him ...

If we truly are masters of our own fates, then the actions that we take guide the course of our lives; in contrast, if we fail to take action, then our lives do not move forward. In order for a human being’s life to be harmonious, there must always be a delicate balance of thought and action that allows that person to make decisions wisely while at the same time keeping the urge to act on impulse too often at bay. However, if the scales tip to far in one way or another, then the results can be disastrous for ...

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet tells the story of the prince of Denmark, who is much troubled by an encounter with his dead father, former king of Denmark, claiming he (the father) was murdered by his brother, the current king of Denmark. Because of the revelation, Hamlet became bothered. The event with his father’s “heavenly body” allowed Hamlet to think about and make a stand about certain dilemmas of life.
The story as previously mentioned is filled different topics and ideas that usually plague an individual or a nation at their time and age. Ideas of the fear of the ...

Gertrude is, more so than any other character in the play, the antithesis of her son, Hamlet. Hamlet is a scholar and a philosopher, searching for life's most elusive answers. He cares nothing for this "mortal coil" and the vices to which man has become slave. Gertrude is shallow, and thinks only about her body and external pleasures. Like a child she longs to be delighted. We do not see much of her in daily activity, but if we could we would see a woman enraptured by trinkets and fine clothes, soft pillows and warm baths. Gertrude is also a very sexual being, and ...

Hamlet written by William Shakespeare has one of the greatest and widely recognized lines in literature, “to be or not to be”. Many have pondered over what this one line actually meant, but because it’s open to interpretation there are many perspectives. Many at times, it is assumed that this phrase contemplates suicide. The point where the protagonist uttered this line was a truly tragic moment, and he felt his life to be full of burdens and sorrows. Therefore, it is understandable if he wanted to commit suicide. Many also claim that Hamlet was pretending to be mad, so ...

Hamlet’s Antic Disposition: Real or Unreal

The young prince Hamlet decided to put on an “antic disposition” to find out if the supposed ghost of his father had been telling the truth about its death. But as the play progresses, there are moments when Hamlet’s insanity seems to become less and less of a pretense and seems to become more and more genuine. Most of his actions and thoughts are consistent of that of an insane person; however, some of his actions and thoughts also indicate that he is aware of this and that it is all part of his act.

Insanity is a very broad ...

William Shakespeare's Hamlet features one of the most complex, interesting and tragic cast of characters ever depicted on the stage and in Western literature. However, of particular interest are the women of the play - depicted solely by Hamlet's mother Gertrude and love interest Ophelia. Far from the stereotypical damsels in distress, these characters are strong, complex and multifaceted. In this paper, we will examine these two characters in detail to show just how interesting these characters are, and their pivotal roles in the play itself.

Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, is a model of repressed guilt and shallow ignorance. As opposed to ...

Introduction: Hamlet is a famous drama written by William Shakespeare, between the year 1599- 1600. Hamlet, the lead character in the play is the prince of Denmark. There are various themes in the play. For example, the difference between appearance and reality. Prince Hamlet was torn between appearance and realities that happened in his life. The following text of Act III, scene iii of the play is analyzed: “A brother’s murder, he says, is the oldest sin and “hath the primal eldest curse upon” (Semper 79; De Grazia 83). Hamlet is the most complex character ever written by ...

The quote, “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form, in moving, how express and admirable! In action how like an Angel! In apprehension, how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet to me what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights neither me nor woman either" personifies the Renaissance spirit because of the newfound interest in the world that it professes (Shakespeare). This period begins in the 13th century, where a combination of political, social, economic, religious, and cultural factors all affected changes occurring in ...

1. James Weldon Johnson “The Creation”
Johnson’s poem “The Creation” describes the creation of the world and humanity. However, it differs slightly from the ‘classical’ description of the story.
Judeo-Christian concept of God regards God as an omnipotent and infallible superhuman. Creation of the world was deliberate and the meaning of each item created is described, “And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.’”; “Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their ...

Classic English Literature

Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” was first published in a poetry magazine in 1915. Later Eliot published other poems in the 20th century for which he was awarded The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. This poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a contemporary poem because it was written when Britain was considered among the modern countries of the world. This was before the beginning of World War I. It is narrated in a dramatic monologue where we find the speaker very unhappy and in mental agony. The poem became a master piece because its ...

Analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet Twenty-nine

Often time writers writing express their inner turmoil. Although there is no record saying that sonnet twenty-nine is a result of tumult facing Shakespeare at the time the sonnet was produced, it is safe to say that he did draw some inspiration from the state of his mental and financial well-being during that particular time of his life.
Some of the best writings are the writing one has lived. Fifteen ninety-two, the year sonnet twenty-nine was written, was not a good year for Shakespeare. The theatres closed due to the outbreak of a plague, bringing a halt to his livelihood; and literary ...

Classic English Literature

Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” was first published in a poetry magazine in 1915. Later Eliot published other poems in the 20th century for which he was awarded The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. This poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a contemporary poem because it was written when Britain was considered among the modern countries of the world. This was before the beginning of World War I. It is narrated in a dramatic monologue where we find the speaker very unhappy and in mental agony. The poem became a master piece because its ...

Shakespeare’s Protests against Institutional Racism in Elizabethan England

Othello is not the only play in the Shakespearean canon that features racism, and it certainly is not the only play that challenges social mores. Whether it’s the feisty Beatrice, in Much Ado About Nothing, turning social convention on its head, in the sense that women were supposed to be prim and proper in Elizabethan England, when she wows Benedick with her powerful desire to save Hero, or whether it’s the Jew Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, endowed with many of the physical characteristics associated with the worst stereotypes associated with members of his religion but ...