Macbeth Themes Essay, Research Paper

Person?s thoughts will differ from their actions, be it the fear of being the

same or different from others, the consequences of their actions, or the

opinions that others may form about them. People live their lives like drones,

always conforming to the rules, afraid to brake away from the norm and do what

they know or even feel to be the right thing to do simply because they might

cause a ripple in the smooth little lake in which their boat is afloat. Within

the Playwright Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet suffers from such dilemma.

Hamlet refuses to act on what he knows to be accurate, always reassuring himself

of his lack of action. Hamlet also acts in a manner which some may wish to call

lunacy. This is due to the loss in which he has suffered, as well as he is just

pretending to fool the people who he is plotting against. Hamlet?s father,

King Hamlet, was the greatest king Denmark had ever seen. Respected and revered

by all with the exception of his brother, Claudius. Claudius had envied his

older brother since boyhood, the king living the life that Claudius had always

wanted. A wife, a son, and a kingdom were all the holdings possessed by King

Hamlet, holdings and possessions that Claudius would soon make his, by the

killing of his brother. Though Hamlet feels that his mother?s marriage to

Claudius was to soon after the death of King Hamlet, he does not suspect

Claudius killed king Hamlet until told of a sighting of a ghost by some guards

while on watch. Hamlet tells Polonious that he will stand watch that night with

them to see if they can see the ghost again. That night Hamlet stands watch with

Polonious and the ghost appears before them. The ghost tells Hamlet that he is

his father, and of how he was killed. Hamlet is told that while his father lay

under the shade of a tree Claudius came to him and poured poison in his ear and

caused his death instantaneously not allowing him time to repent of his sins,

therefore condemning him to be trapped between the two paranormal worlds. The

ghost then tells Hamlet to avenge his death. Though hamlet agrees to kill

Claudius he does not kill him forthright. Hamlet hesitates and seems to

invalidate every possible moment or opportunity that arises to take the life of

Claudius. His reason for his hesitation is not known and one can only guess at

what they may be. It could be that he doesn?t believe the ghost. He could be

afraid of hurting his mother by killing her second husband, or the fact that he

is his uncle. What ever the reason is, he doses hesitate, and by doing so causes

more pain and suffering for more people than if he would have killed Claudius

forthright. The first example noted of such hesitation by Hamlet within the play

if found within act three scene three where Hamlet contemplates the

extermination of Claudius while he seems to be at prayer. ? Now might I do it

pat, now he?s praying. And?? (P70-71) Within this paragraph Hamlet will

eventually state that he cannot kill Claudius due to the fact that to kill him

at prayer would only send him to heaven and not eternally damn him to the bowels

of hell. Hamlet thinks that if he killed Claudius while he was at prayer and he

was sent to heaven that it would be unfair to his father who is eternally

trapped between the present and the afterlife. That is at least the reason that

is given by Hamlet directly from the text. Though by the reading the entire book

you will see a patter of actions and lack of actions that seem to signify that

he only acts insane so to disorientate the other people within the story. Yet

knowing that his father was murdered, who murdered him, and what Hamlet was

asked to do to seek vengeance he feels that he has to constantly reassure

himself of his lack of action was right so that he doesn?t feel like he is

failing his father. Hamlet is mad and plotting and or struggling with the

question of what to do about the revenge seeking that he has sworn to tend to

for his deceased father. The loss of a father has exiled him into a non-existent

state to where neither present world nor the futures that will come are ever

realized by him. Instead he lives day to day not realizing his accomplishments

from the previous day nor his goals for the next. Because of this Hamlet drags

out the process of killing Claudius. Hamlet exists in a state of denial and

anger. He holds his mother mainly at fault. Like when he is in her room and just

killed Polonious and she says ?Alas he?s mad? (P 75). By this statement

hamlet has achieved a subconscious goal, which he has been trying to reach since

the death of his father. He has portrayed himself as insane in hope that his

actions against the king in the near future will not seem uncommon coming from

him. While in his mother?s bedroom, Hamlet in a way, attributes his lack of

action on the promise made to his father to the way that his mother has married

such a god-awful retch of a man so soon after his father?s death. Comparing

the two men together Hamlet can?t understand the thoughts or feelings that his

mother has claimed to have for Claudius. ?Look here upon this picture, and on

this, the counterfeit presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated

on this brow?this was your husband. Here is your husband: like a mildewed

ear? ha have you eyes?? (P 74) Hamlet pass judgment on his mother

disapproving of her conduct and how she?s shown that she would rather bed a

king who has kill her beloved husband than do what is morally right and remove

herself from the throne, and letting Hamlet take his rightful seat on it. While

hamlet is lecturing his mother on her faults the ghost appears in the outer part

of the bedroom. ?Do not forget. This visitation is but to whet thy almost

blunted purpose. But look amazement on thy mother sits. O, step between her and

her frightened soul. Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works. Speak to her

Hamlet.? (P 75) Through this quote King Hamlet makes clear what the intentions

of young Hamlet should have been and are to be. He is not to blame his mother

for what she has done, in the re-marrying of a man so soon after her husbands

death, instead he is to seek revenge on Claudius, killing him for his father.

Claudius is abruptly informed that Hamlet acted strangely toward his mother. She

tells him about Hamlet talking into thin air. She is completely convinced of his

insanity when he asks her if she saw the ghost of his father (her true husband).

This is when she runs to Claudius and tells him that she is worried about her

son?s mental health. Claudius is also saddened upon hearing about the death of

his dear friend Polonius. He feels now that he must take passive action against

Hamlet?s behavior. Claudius devises a plan to both see what?s wrong with

Hamlet and to recover the body of his dear deceased friend. He calls upon

Hamlet?s two closest friends. Their names are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

They discover Hamlet in the churchyard. They ask him what he is doing. He has

just finished burying Polonius and he starts speaking to them. ?What have you

done, my lord?? Hamlet replies, ?Compounded it with dust, whereto its

kin.?(P 81) Hamlet is aware of the fact that his two dearest friends were sent

to betray him. He tells them that he is insulted and also tells them what he

thinks of their actions. ?Take you me for a sponge, my lord.? Hamlet

replies, ?Ay, sir, that soaks up the king?s countenance, his rewards, his

authorities??(P81). When Hamlet finally decides to take action, he notifies

a man named Fortinbras. This man is the prince of Norway. He was to arrive with

drums, colors, and all of his ambassadors to celebrate the rightful overtaking

of the throne. The only catch is that even though Hamlet succeeds in

exterminating Claudius, he ends up dying in the process. A few other characters

(Gertrude and Laertes) also die in the duration of this fight. So Fortinbras

becomes devastated and holds a ?dead march? in memory of the deceased. It is

obvious that Hamlet eventually acted upon his thoughts. This was a victory won,

but with great loss sustained. Hamlet avenged his father, but lost his own life

in the process. He was never one to conform to the rules. He was essentially a

?rebel? for his time. Even a rebel can be a hero. This is proven in the

writings of Shakespeare. Whether it is Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, Shakespeare

was truly an impeccable author. Loved and respected worldwide.