Essay on Hamlets Obsession with Death - 1065 Words

Hamlets Obsession With Death In Hamlet, William Shakespeare presents the main character Hamlet as a man who is fixated on death. Shakespeare uses this obsession to explore both Hamlets desire for revenge and his need for assurance. In the process, Shakespeare directs Hamlet to reflect on basic principles such as justice and truth by offering many examples of Hamlets compulsive behavior; as thoughts of death are never far from his mind. It is apparent that Hamlet is haunted by his fathers death. When Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, their conversation raises all kinds of unthinkable questions, for example murder by a brother, unfaithful mother, that triggers Hamlets obsession. He feels compelled to determine the reliability†¦show more content†¦The ghost already has an idea in his own mind about his revenge when he says, quot;But howsomever thou pursues this act, / taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / against thy mother aughtquot; (1.5.91-93). Hamlet hides his desire for revenge by s aying, quot;Theres never a villain Dwelling in all Denmark but hes an arrant knavequot; (1.5.137-138). When Hamlet finds out that his friends had heard the whole conversation between the ghost and himself, he makes them swear not to say a thing, and intentionally pretends to be crazy. Hamlets madness also allows him to avoid truth in his pursuit of revenge. Although Hamlet overtly wants to know the truth, his behavior is quite contradicting. By avoiding a confrontation with Claudius and accusing him directly of wrongdoing, Hamlet also avoids the possibility of truly knowing what happened. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In general, however, Hamlet is a man who needs to be in control of his actions and assured of the outcomes. Hamlet does not act rashly, but continuously delays his actions while he tries to obtain more accurate knowledge about what he should do. From Act 1 through Act 4, Hamlet carefully thinksShow MoreRelatedHamlets Obsession with Death1120 Words   |  5 PagesHamlets Obsession With Death In Hamlet, William Shakespeare presents the main character Hamlet as a man who is fixated on death. Shakespeare uses this obsession to explore both Hamlets desire for revenge and his need for assurance. In the process, Shakespeare directs Hamlet to reflect on basic principles such as justice and truth by offering many examples of Hamlets compulsive behavior; as thoughts of death are never far from his mind. It is apparent that Hamlet is haunted by his fathers deathRead MoreEssay about Hamlet702 Words   |  3 Pagesdestruction of character due to this tragic flaw, which usually means death. These three characteristics join together to create the framework for a tragic hero. 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