The Function of Hamlet Essay

In the calamity of William Shakespeare entitled “The Tragedy of Hamlet.

Prince of Denmark. ” the chief map of the rubric character may ab initio look to be either concealment or exposure. The end of Hamlet to hide was obvious ; he feigned lunacy to conceal his program against King Claudius. His purpose to expose was apparent every bit good ; he wanted the reveal the guilt of King Claudius for slaying his male parent.

However. privacy or exposure was non the chief map of Hamlet. In Shakespeare’s drama. the chief map of Hamlet was retaliation.The chief map of Hamlet in the drama was to revenge his father’s slaying. His activities done for the intent of privacy and exposure were merely portion of his program for retaliation. Hamlet’s chief map in the drama is derived from his function as a boy. Among all the functions the rubric character played in the calamity.

it was his function as a boy which had driven the secret plan. As a boy. he looked up to his male parent who was well-respected in Denmark. Hamlet described his male parent as “so excellent a king” ( 1. 2. 143 ) . He was besides cognizant that his beloved male parent had truly loved his female parent.

Queen Gertrude.Hamlet described the male monarch as “so loving to my female parent That he might non beteem the air currents of heaven Visit her face to roughly” ( 1. 2. 144-146 ) . Due to the loving relationship between his parents. Hamlet was secure in the stableness of his household ( Rosenberg.

1992 ) . When the drama started. the stableness of Hamlet’s household had been diminished. Hamlet found himself without a male parent.

since the male monarch late passed off ( Shakespeare. 1992 ) . Shortly after the king’s death. Queen Gertrude married the king’s brother Claudius.

Hamlet was profoundly betrayed by their immediate brotherhood.Hamlet felt that the queen. whom the male monarch loved so much. wasted no clip in get marrieding his dead husband’s family. He remarked. “O.

most wicked velocity. to post With such sleight to incestuous sheets! ” ( 1. 2. 161-162 ) . As a boy. Hamlet was profoundly disturbed by the events and felt isolated from the household unit. It was Hamlet’s brush with the spirit of his male parent which revealed the rubric character’s chief map in the drama. From the start.

Hamlet had despised King Claudius. He was visibly enraged when his uncle discouraged him from mourning his biological father’s decease ( Shakespeare. 1992 ) .When the Ghost visited Hamlet. the prince learned his male parent was murdered and King Claudius was the slayer.

Prior to the meeting. Hamlet was incognizant that his male parent was poisoned. The Ghost gave Hamlet a mission: “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” ( 1. 5. 31 ) . Because Hamlet adored his male parent.

it would look natural for him to travel after his father’s liquidator and kill him. This mission indicated the chief map of Hamlet throughout the drama. His map was chiefly to revenge his father’s decease.It was the retaliation of Hamlet which shaped the class of events and influenced the lives of other characters in the procedure.

While privacy or exposure was non the chief map of the rubric character. both were surely instrumental in Hamlet’s retaliation. Hamlet would non hold succeeded in his secret plan against King Claudius if he did non both conceal and unmasking. For case. Hamlet knew that the lone manner he would be able to transport out his program against his uncle was through privacy. He hid his purpose of killing his uncle from other characters by shaming lunacy.It must be noted that the character of Hamlet was non truly insane. When the drama began.

Hamlet was suffering due to his father’s decease but he was absolutely normal. It was merely after his brush with the Ghost that he began moving mad ( Hawkes. 2005 ) . The lunacy was simply an act to deviate the attending of other characters through his eccentric behavior. Hamlet said. “I am but huffy north-north-west. When the air current is southward. I know a hawk from a handsaw” ( 2.

2. 402-403 ) . This statement is cogent evidence of the true nature of Hamlet’s mental status.There are times when he appeared mad. merely because he was moving like a lunatic.

There are besides times when he revealed his rational ego. As a lunatic. he could verbally assail King Claudius without concern ; he would non contend back because he thought his words were nonmeaningful and were merely the consequence of his insanity ( Hawkes. 2005 ) . His apparently irrelevant statements would be attributed to his unstable mental province and would non be considered as true. Indeed.

the act of lunacy was his agencies to hide his program for retaliation. Hamlet besides used exposure to revenge his father’s decease.Before he could penalize King Claudius. Hamlet had to turn out that his uncle was so guilty of the offense. He sought to expose the guilt of Claudius through a public presentation of The Murder of Gonzago. Hamlet said.

“The play’s the thing Wherein I’ll catch the scruples of the King” ( 2. 2. 633-634 ) .

Hamlet planned to hold a public presentation of a drama which resembled the existent slaying of his male parent. and allow King Claudius watch the public presentation. He knew that the monarch’s guilt will be exposed if he reacts negatively towards the drama. True plenty. King Claudius stood up before the public presentation was finished and asked for the visible radiations.Hence. Hamlet could continue with his program of retaliation because he had already exposed King Claudius’ guilt.

He would non hold been able to go on with his secret plan of retaliation if he did non successfully expose the murderer’s guilt. In Shakespeare’s most noteworthy calamity. the chief map of Hamlet was to revenge his father’s slaying.

In fact. the patterned advance of the drama revolved around his program for retaliation. Hamlet’s map was revealed through the visual aspect of the Ghost and he carried out this map as a loving boy to his late male parent. Hamlet’s chief map in the drama was non to hide or expose.These were non maps of the character in themselves. but both were portion of Hamlet’s chief map.

Concealment and exposure were tools used by Hamlet to transport out his retaliation. Hence. Hamlet’s map in the drama was chiefly to revenge his father’s decease.

Mentions Hawkes. T. ( 2005 ) .

Shakespeare and the Reason: A Study of the Tragedies and the Problem Plays. New York: Routledge. Rosenberg. M. ( 1992 ) .

The Masks of Hamlet. Delaware: University of Delaware Press. Shakespeare. W. ( 1992 ) .

The Calamity of Hamlet. Prince of Denmark. New York: Washington Square Press.