Hamlet And Eliot Essay, Research Paper

Over time many opinions have been formed about William Shakespeare?s work

Hamlet. Yet through the quagmire of confusion surrounding the tragedy none have

spoken than T.S. Eliot. Eliot sees hamlet as somewhat of an artistic failure due

to its confusion between the main plot and the main character. In his analysis

Eliot recalls the work of other authors who have talked the subject of Hamlet.

He states that many authors connect with Hamlet and don?t come to realize

their own creative potential. These men come to think of the drama as a classic

and therefore see it as an extension of there own artistic ability. Eliot also

realizes that in the case of Hamlet interpretation is futile and that only

criticism is relevant. Interpretation comes with a certain understanding of the

nature of the work and a basis on the history surrounding the tragedy. Through

searching and digging many scholars have found the historical relevance behind

Hamlet, but Eliot?s belief is that the public as a whole was to be left

ignorant of this information and in turn was not meant to fully understand the

full scope of the play. Eliot?s idea is valid and it has many good points, but

I tend to disagree with him. It is true that much of the story line in Hamlet is

confusing and that the emphasis shifts numerous times from the actual plot to

the actions of the main character, but I find that to be what draws me towards

the story. The play is time less to me, but not for this time. For those people

who lived in the Elizabethan era it may have been a little more straightforward,

but to us it seems to have lost its hold and our understanding.