Hamlet Themes Essay, Research Paper

Hamlet by William Shakespeare illustrates foreshadowing through its characters

to keep the reader interested throughout the play. An example of foreshadowing

is Hamlet?s depressed state of mind which foreshadows his motivation to find

out the truth about his father?s death. A second example of foreshadowing is

when Hamlet?s father comes to him as a ghost and informs him about his murder,

this causes rage within Hamlet that foreshadows his revenge. A third example of

foreshadowing is when Hamlet asks the players to perform ?The Mousetrap?

which might prove Claudius? involvement in King Hamlet?s murder and

foreshadows Hamlet?s revenge. Another example is Hamlet?s sudden unusual

behavior towards Ophelia which foreshadows a fatal outcome for the lovers.

Finally, the concluding example is Laertes? anger and pain towards his

father?s death which foreshadows his revenge towards Hamlet, his father?s

murderer. So these five examples of foreshadowing keep the reader interested and

eager to continue reading the play. In the beginning of Hamlet there is an

immediate introduction to Hamlet?s grief and gloominess which foreshadows his

need for revenge. Hamlet?s lovely personality and pleasantry were gone and he

found himself dissatisfied of the world around him. His world was falling apart

in front of him. His father?s death was a bitter wound in his heart he

couldn?t be forgotten. King Hamlet was an excellent king who loved his wife,

Queen Gertrude, deeply. But Hamlet couldn?t understand how his mother who

would ?hang on [her husband]/as if increase of appetite had grown? could

forget about him so quickly (1.2.147-148). It seemed to Hamlet as if they both

loved each other immensely. However, before Gertrude?s ?unrighteous

tears/had left the flushing in her galled eyes/she married? her husbands

brother (1.2.159-161). It was only two months after the funeral and she was

married. This hurt Hamlet a lot because he felt his mother didn?t seem to love

her deceased husband as much as he loved her. She proved this by marrying his

brother which was considered improper to Hamlet and others. Hamlet?s

depression and madness were not only caused by the death of his father but by

his mother?s remarriage. His love for his dear father motivated him to seek

the truth. Hamlet does find out the truth when his father?s ghost comes and

tells him he was murdered. So Hamlet has a mission to find his father?s

murderer and get revenge. Another example of foreshadowing Hamlet?s revenge

occurs when he speaks to his father?s ghost. Hamlet had heard from the

soldiers who worked as night watchers that they had seen an image resembling the

king. The soldiers said the King?s spirit would come exactly at twelve

midnight. They explained he was dressed in a full suit of armor and very pale.

Hamlet stood guard with Horatio and Marcellus on the platform awaiting his

father?s spirit. Hamlet was in awe at the sight of the ghost and he couldn?t

help but be scared. He became relaxed as he noticed the ghost, his father, was

eager to speak with him. He wondered why his father ?revisits thus the

glimpses of the moon? since his death (1.4.58). King Hamlet came to inform his

son he was ?stung by a serpent? and the ?serpent that did sting [his]

life/now wears his crown? (1.5.43,46-47). He explained that his brother

Claudius arranged to have him poisoned in his sleep with the poision being

poured into his ear. Consequently, Claudius murdered his brother to gain his

brother?s crown. He told Hamlet if he loved him he would get revenge on his

murderer. This incident foreshadows Hamlet?s revenge. Hamlet plots a way to

have Claudius admit he killed King Hamlet. His plan was to have the players

perform the play ?The Mousetrap? which was an allusion to the truth.

Claudius gets angry during the play which proves he was the murderer. For that

reason Hamlet eventually gets revenge and kills Claudius. Hamlet was obligated

to his father to seek revenge on his murderer which foreshadowed the death of

Claudius. He felt that the longer he waited to capture the truth and bring

justice to his father?s death he was dishonoring his name. Therefore, Hamlet

plotted a plan to make Claudius confess. He asked the players to performed

?The Mousetrap? which was really a way of solving the mystery of his

father?s death. The play was a story about the murder of a Duke in Vienna. The

Duke was murdered by a family member and soon after the Duke?s death the

family member gained his crown. Hamlet selected this play since it was an

allusion to his father?s murder. His intention was to make Claudius feel

guilty as he watched the play so he would breakdown and confess. Claudius

becomes very angry and leaves and does not continue to watch the play. Claudius

was setup and got caught in a trap which was laid for him. Hamlet?s

premonition that Claudius murdered his father was proven with Claudius reaction

while watching the play. This is another example that foreshadows Hamlet getting

revenge on Claudius. The death of Ophelia is foreshadowed by Hamlet?s unusual

behavior towards her. Hamlet showed Ophelia his unconditional love through his

acts of kindness. He showed her his affections by sending her letters and

pledging his undevoted love to her. She believed his devotion of love and felt

the same way because he ?made many tenders/of his affection to [her]?

(1.3.108-109). His madness increased after his uncle Claudius and his mother

Gertrude married two months after his father?s death. Ophelia described

Hamlet?s appearance ?as if he had been loosed out of hell/to speak of

horrors?? since he was so pale and dreadful looking (2.1.93-94). After his

father?s death and his mother?s marriage Hamlet?s depressed state of mind

caused him to neglect Ophelia. Therefore, she felt very lonely especially since

her father, Polonius, was murdered by her lover. Her lover?s neglect, her

brother?s absence and her father?s death caused her to go mad. She just

needed to be comforted. The lack of love she received caused her madness which

left her with no other choose but to take her own life by drowning. Laertes?

rage towards his father, Polonius? death foreshadows his revenge towards

Hamlet who killed Polonius. Hamlet was sent to England by Claudius since he

murdered Polonius. However, Hamlet managed to return to Denmark to finally get

revenge on Claudius. Yet when he arrived there was a funeral in procession.

Hamlet noticed that the funeral was for Ophelia his lovely maiden. He declares

he loved Ophelia more than ?forty thousand brothers? who ?could not with

all their quantity of love/make upon [his] sum? (5.1.285-287). Laertes was

full of grief as well and blamed Hamlet for this so he seeked revenge. Laertes

and Claudius plotted a plan to murder Hamlet. Laertes challenged Hamlet to a

fencing match and Hamlet agrees. Laertes prepares a poisoned weapon to kill

Hamlet in guidance from Claudius. By the end of the match Hamlet dies, Laertis

dies, as well as Claudius and Gertrude. Horatio is the only one living to tell

the story. So Laertes gets revenge on Hamlet for killing Polonius and Hamlet

finally gets revenge on Claudius for killing King Hamlet. In conclusion, these

five examples of foreshadowing keep the reader interested in wanting to find out

the ending of this tragedy. Hamlet is forced to seek revenge not only for

himself but for his father as well. Laertes, Ophelia, and Polonius were innocent

victims of Hamlets? procrastination to get revenge throughout the play.

322