Clara Luise Heine
Mrs. Yager
IB English Literature 1
31/1/15
Hamlet Essay – “Impossibility of Certainty In Life”
In the tragic play “Hamlet”, William Shakespeare makes it clear that in his opinion nothing is certain in life and death. He develops this fear of the unknown and uncertainty throughout the play. They control everything, the actions, characters, but most important the thoughts and moves of the main character Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Hamlet, who seeks revenge against the murder of his father, his uncle Claudius, postpones all his planned acts, because the uncertainty in him is too big. Again and again we find his uncertainties paralyzing him, until he finally realizes the only certainty in life: death comes to all.
The first, most…show more content… It appears that Hamlet acts, when he acts, with impulsiveness, blindness and violence. This can be found, when Hamlet kills Polonius in Act 3 Scene 4. When he hears a noise behind the curtain in Gertrude´s closet he just stabs the person behind, not thinking or considering possible effects of his actions. This is confirmed by Gertrudes call: “O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!” (3.4). Hamlet even makes this his goal, when he states in one of his soliloquy´s after a conversation with a sailor of King Fortinbras of Norway: “O from this time forth,/My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!” (4.5) In contrast to this the other characters think less impulsive and more rational, focused on the effects. They act in a situation as they feel it´s appropriate. Pondering those two methods rationally, we come to the conclusion that the latter will be the more effective, the more useful. However, in the play it is confirmed that Hamlet´s approach is the one that´s working better, if there is such a thing, as the actions of other characters miscarry. Laertes states that he won´t be distracted from seeking revenge against Hamlet, but he is used by Claudius to act in his own intents and finally he gets murdered by his own sword (5.2). Claudius robs the queen and crown by acting boldly, but in the end he can´t live with his conscience and he lets himself be threatened by Hamlet and his actions don´t work