Crawling Inside the Mind of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursew

Crawling Inside the Mind of Hamlet Much of the dramatic action of Shakespeares tragedy, Hamlet is within the decimal point of the main character, Hamlet. His wordplay represents the amazing, contradictory, unsettled, moc major power, nature of his mind, as it is torn by disappointment and positive love, as Hamlet seeks both acceptance and punishment, action and stillness, and wishes for consummation and annihilation. He can be abruptly silent or vicious he is capable of wild laughter and tears, and to a fault polite badinage. One of the first things which a reader learns about Hamlet is that he uses words with startling agility. He plays on words that sound alike, or nearly alike King. But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son--Ham. A little more than kin, and less than kind.King. How is it that the clouds still hang on you?Ham. Not so, my lord I am too much in the sun. (I.ii.64-67) The king withdraws from this exchange, and his mother begins more lovingly, on a different tack. But still Hamlet takes words that others have used and returns them changed or challenged Ay, madam, it is common./. . . Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I bonk not seems (I.ii.74-76). Although the prince is speaking in public, he uses verbal rhetorical devices most critics in Shakespeares day would consider unseemly. Hamlets first words are rhetorically complicated, and also challenging and puzzling. Does he pretend to be flippant or boorish in order to keep his thoughts to himself, or to contain his pain? Or does he express rational criticism in savagely sarcastic comments spoken only to himself? Or is the energy of his mind such that he thinks and speaks with instinctive ambiguity? Words are restless within his mind, changing meaning, sh... ...espeare, William. 1985. Hamlet. The New Cambridge Shakespeare edn, edited by Philip Edwards. Cambridge Cambridge University Press. Vickers, Brian. 1993. Appropriating Shakespeare Contemporary Critical Quarrels. New Haven and London Yale Universit y Press. Watson, Robert N. 1990. Giving up the shadow in a World of Decay Hamlet, Revenge and Denial. Renaissance Drama 21199-223. Wright, George T. 1981. Hendiadys and Hamlet. PMLA 96168-193. Shakespeare, William. The Tradegy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. New York Washington Square Press, 1992 Weiten, Wayne. Psychology Themes and Variations, fourth part Editon. Boston Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., 1998 Watson, Robert N. 1990. Giving up the Ghost in a World of Decay Hamlet, Revenge and Denial. Renaissance Drama 21199-223. Wright, George T. 1981. Hendiadys and Hamlet. PMLA 96168-193.