Hamlets Problem In Shakespeares Hamlet Term Paper Example

“Hamlet” is one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces; and one of his most complex plays; as soon as one figures out what is going on with Hamlet, Shakespeare adds a new puzzle. As with all his plays, Shakespeare makes the reader think; consequently, discussions about his plays are lively. In “Hamlet, several questions can be asked about Hamlet, but the most frequently asked question is, “What is Hamlet’s problem?” There have been many answers to this question; however, there is one answer that has not been given or contemplates. The answer to “What is Hamlet’s Problem?” The answer is, he is surrounded by too much poison. Poison has two meanings; a literal meaning, administering a substance that kills, and a figurative meaning, a person who does malicious things; in this play both meanings are employed. In the Shakespearean Era, poison represents death or contamination, but in this developed world of modern technology, poison and death are no longer partners. Poison creeps up on Hamlet and he slowly nurtures it.
Men should be strong and do not allow themselves to succumb to tears, despite their pain. Claudius reproach Hamlet for prolonging his grief over his father’s death. Both he and Gertrude agree that Hamlet has mourned long enough and it is time for him to get on with his life. The seed of poison is already planted in Hamlet’s heart; and he does not trust his uncle, he thinks that he is contaminated and has passed it on to his mother. After bidding farewell to Laertes, and everyone has left the room, Hamlet is left alone, the poison begins to grow as he watches his mother with his uncle and wonders how could she remarry so soon after her husband’s death, and he senses a conspiracy between them. In his first soliloquy he expresses himself;
The poison is being nourished as Hamlet contemplates his mother‘s and uncle’s relationship, he concludes that he wants no relationship with his mother; she has betrayed his father’s memories by marrying his brother who is no better than a scoundrel.
As always Shakespeare interject beings from the underworld to change the tempo and tone of his writing. Hamlet wants to see this ghost that Horatio and Marcellus speak about and visits with them on their watch. And as they said it would, it appears and beckons Hamlet to follow it. As Hamlet has already suspected, the ghost confirms his fear that his uncle is a rogue. The ghost tells Hamlet that contrary to what everyone thinks he was not poisoned by a snake, but by his brother Claudius; the one who now wears his crown and possesses his wife. “'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,/ A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark/ Is by a forged process of my death/ Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth,/ The serpent that did sting thy father's life/ Now wears his crown”(Act I, Scene V). At this juncture, Shakespeare has juxtaposition the two meanings of poison, literal and figuratively; Hamlet’s father is literally killed with poison administered by his brother, King Claudius. Hamlet begins to nourish a microscopic portion of poison placed in his heart by his uncle. It is human nature to bear grudges and the most forgiving child would find it hard to forgive Claudius; who has taken both his mother and father from him. Hamlet succumbs to the desire to avenge Claudius for making him an orphan. Hamlet has never trusted his uncle and now the ghost has confirmed his suspicions; a revelation that unleashes the poison that festers for his uncle to a murderous pitch, it is no longer if he will kill his uncle; it is when he will kill his uncle. The poison has metastased throughout Hamlet’s body; germination is complete, Claudius will die. Unlike his father, Hamlet no longer feels any affinity towards his mother and his father’s (the ghost), pleadings to show mercy to his mother fell on deaf ears. Hamlet does not know what he is going to do with his mother; but he is sure that he is going to kill Claudius. He makes his friends swear that they would keep the secret of his father’s visit and not to repeat anything they have heard. At this moment, Hamlet is more upset with his mother than with Claudius because he feels that his mother has betrayed him with, of all the people, his unscrupulous uncle. The pace of the play changes and Hamlet is the one deciding its every beat.
There are many titles one may give to Hamlet at this interlude, but madness is not one of them. Yes, Hamlet does play the fool, another characteristic of Shakespeare’s plays. From now on Hamlet is shown as a mad man: everyone may be fooled by this new Hamlet but not Claudius; he is convinced that Hamlet is putting on an act, so does he, use a thief to catch a thief. Claudius tries to treat Hamlet the way any good man would treat a step-child; he does this more to fool his wife, Gertrude, and hopes she is duly impressed by his apprehension for her child and to solicit Gertrude’s help claiming Hamlet is mad and to pput Hamlet away. Hamlet is one step above Claudius; and despite Claudius’ deception, Hamlet is beating him at his own game. Hamlet puts on a class act, he does it so well that everyone including his fiancé believes he is mad. Convinced that Hamlet is acting Claudius and his wife, who truly believes that her son is mentally ill, send for Hamlet’s childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to interact with Hamlet and report to them whether or not they find any hint of craziness in him.
Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern!/Our hasty sending. Something have you heard/ Of Hamlet's transformation; so call it,/ Sith nor the exterior nor the inward man Resembles that it was. What it should be,/ More than his father's death, that thus hath put him/ So much from the understanding of himself,/ That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court/ Some little time: so by your companies/ To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather,/ So much as from occasion you may glean,/Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus,/ That, open'd, lies within our remedy (Act II, Scene II).
Hamlet knows that his friends did not come to visit out of friendship, somehow, maybe he eavesdrop, Hamlet knows Claudius sends for his friends to spy on him. Hamlet gets them to admit to the truth and decides to be the most convincing mad man they have ever seen. A man of Claudius’ stature is very perceptive and he will realize that sending for Hamlet’s friends was a wrong move. Hamlet’s friends report the truth to Claudius, but the truth according to Hamlet. Hamlet gives his friends quite a report to take back to the king; they have proven his madness, Hamlet mocks Claudius. Around Claudius he acts like a mad man and he entices his friends to help him entertain in the king’s court, a play that enacts Claudius’ rise to monarchy. Claudius blood pressure rises in a jet, he needs no more investigation, Hamlet knows the whole truth. He knows now that when he literally poisoned his brother, he figuratively poisoned his nephew, Hamlet, now Hamlet is just like he, poisoned and relentless.
Claudius and Hamlet have both experienced the consequences of poison; poison is thrust on Hamlet; but for Claudius it is nurtured. Knowing how much Hamlet is loved in Denmark, Claudius did not want to punish him publicly, when he accidently killed Polonius; therefore he tries to banish him from Denmark. How Hamlet returns, to Denmark, Claudius is furious, he must get rid of this thorn in his flesh. The race is on, who will kill who? Hamlet has yet to commit murder; nonetheless, he is working up to his grand finale. Hamlet has reached the point that he does not even want Claudius to get forgiveness. Hamlet makes another decision to kill Claudius he searches for Claudius and when he finds him he is on his knees; with poison still boiling in him, Hamlet puts off killing Claudius yet, another time.
Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;/And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;/And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:/A villain kills my father; and for that,/ I, his sole son, do this same villain send/ To heaven/ To take him in the purging of his soul, /When he is fit and season'd for his passage?/ No (Act III, Scene III).
Hamlet feels if he should kill Claudius while he is on his knees he would be doing his father a disfavor. Such a horrible deed that Claudius has done, he has no place fin heaven; and even if he went to heaven Hamlet decides that he would not be the one to send him there.
Claudius allows poison into his heart when he begins to covet his brother’s kingdom and his brother’s wife. He permits this poison to simmer until it finally manifests itself and he killed his brother. Claudius did not factor into the equation that His brother has a very intelligence son, who will give him no peace until he avenges his father’s death. Nor did it occur to him that the same poison that he sustains could be transfer to someone else. In the end the poison, the poison that Hamlet brewed kills him. O, I die, Horatio;/ The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit:/ I cannot live to hear the news from England;/ But I do prophesy the election lights/On Fortinbras: he has my dying voice;/ So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less,/ Which have solicited. The rest is silence(Act V, Scene II)
There is no good poison literally or figuratively, of course Hamlet believes that avenging his father is thing to do. That is what a man is supposed to do. Too late Hamlet finds out that it does not matter how revenge is served, no good comes from it other than the pollution it causes. Poison will take one to the point of no return. Had Hamlet left Claudius alone, he would not have turned out just like he, now they are the same, destroyed by poison, literally and figuratively.