Hamlet: Analyzing Various Scenes Coursework

1. By the time the play was written, Denmark seems to have been prosperous and enjoying a state of security. This is seen when Laertes tells Ophelia that Hamlet could be likened to “the safety and health of this whole state.” (Shakespeare 12) During this period, Denmark also seems to have had strong military powers such that countries like England thought of “the Danish sword, and thy free awe paid homage.” (Shakespeare 65) Additionally, Denmark seems to have been coexisting peacefully with its neighbors. This is seen when Prince Fortinbras shows up requesting King Claudius to honor his “promised march over his kingdom” (Shakespeare 69) on their way to attack Poland. This shows that Denmark was a kingdom that lived peacefully with its neighbors.
2. Hamlet decides to convince the actors to perform a play with the same scene as that of the murder of his father. Deep down in his heart, Hamlet knows that his uncle is guilty and he intends to watch the king’s reaction and “if he but blench, I know my course.” (Shakespeare 12) On top of this, Hamlet hopes that seeing a replay of the murder of his father would move the king’s conscience to a point where he would be forced to admit his crime. However, the most plausible reason for doing this is to watch the king’s reaction and act on that.
3. From reading the text, one easily gathers that Hamlet is disillusioned about marriage and that is why he advises Ophelia to join a nunnery. By doing this, Ophelia would be sure to escape being a “breeder of sinners.” In fact, King Claudius and Queen Gertrude’s betrayal seems to have scarred Hamlet to a point where he distrusts everyone and that is why he tells Ophelia that all men are “arrant knaves….believe none of us.”(Shakespeare 61) Additionally, Hamlet knows that his intended revenge might cause his death and wants to ensure that Ophelia does not suffer at the hands of another man.
4. At this moment, Hamlet is already convinced that King Claudius is the murderer of his father. Although he knows that his mission is to revenge on his father’s death, he fails to do so when a perfect opportunity presents itself at the chapel. This is obviously because of Hamlet’s weak character but he consoles himself by saying that if he kills King Claudius during a moment of prayer, then his soul would be accepted in heaven and to Hamlet, this is not acceptable since Claudius belongs in hell.
5. When Hamlet kills the person hiding behind the arras, he had every reason to believe it was the king. At this point, the only person whom Hamlet had beefed with was the king and he had no reason to kill any other person. Considering that he had failed to kill the king in the chapel, he now believes that the king must have been doing something wrong for him to be hiding in his mother’s closet. Additionally, we can conclude that Hamlet killed the faceless person to convince himself that he was not a coward as the ghost thought.
6. King Claudius deports Hamlet to England with a letter demanding that they should kill Hamlet as a sign of homage to Denmark. The king is afraid of killing him himself since he knows that the people love Hamlet and killing him would lead to a mutiny. The king enlists the help of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to ensure that Hamlet arrives in England the same day and to bear the letter that explained what Claudius wanted to be done with Hamlet. From the look of things, the two men do not know their role in this mission and they obey the king blindly.
7. From reading the text, it is clear that Hamlet reached England. On the way, he happened to see the letter that the king had given Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to bear to England. As he had suspected, the letter had requested England to chop off Hamlet’s head. Thinking on his feet, he substitutes the letter with another demanding that the bearer of the letter is the one to be killed. On the way back to Denmark, he encounters Laertes who challenges him to a duel. Although he knew the beef that existed between them, Hamlet accepted the challenge after seeing Laertes grief something that reminded him of his mission thus putting him “into a towering passion.” (Shakespeare 82)
   
   More about Hamlet
   How do the actors’ physical appearances affect their adaptations of Hamlet?

   5

   595

   Which Word does Hamlet Use to Describe Those Who Choose to Live?

   5

   375

   What does the first soliloquy reveal about Hamlet?

   5

   471

   If Shakespeare kills the character of Hamlet, what dramatic convention would he be using?

   5

   1155

   What excerpt from act 3 of Hamlet supports the conclusion that Hamlet is critical of women?

   4.3

   880

   How does the play-within-a-play in act 3 of Hamlet represent Elizabethan drama?

   4.3

   1697
8. When Hamlet kills Claudius, he does so as an act of revenge for the death of his mother. Although Hamlet had sought revenge, for the death of his father all along, this quest seems to have been overtaken by events by the time the play ends. Hamlet is justified in doing this since the king has prepared the poison taken by Queen Gertrude and he is therefore responsible for her death. Additionally, King Claudius is the person who has come up with a scheme to poison the sword used by Laertes to ensure that Hamlet does not survive. This act cannot entirely be termed murder since revenge was an accepted occurrence during those days.
9. During his final moments, Hamlet seems to have received an awareness of his approaching death and that is why he reveals all his secrets to Horatio so he can “report me and my cause aright To the unsatisfied.” (Shakespeare 84) Towards the end, Hamlet receives the purgation of the audience and everyone thinks that he is a traitor. By revealing everything to Horatio, it is hoped that he will be able to clear his name and avoid a situation where his name is profaned. The instance where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern carry a letter to England condemning them to death should serve as a warning to each one of us to avoid being overzealous to do things for other people since those things could harm us in the end.

Reference

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet: A Tragedy, 1818. Pub. for the Proprietors, by W. Simpkin and R. Marshall, 5-84. Print.