Death In Hamlet Essay, Research Paper

? So shall you hear of animal, bloody, and unnatural Acts of the Apostless, of inadvertent judgements, insouciant slaughters, of deceases put on by cunning and forced cause, ? ( Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2, Lines 381-384 ) . So says Horatio, best friend of Prince Hamlet in the concluding few lines of the drama. He speaks these words after the deceases of Hamlet, Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, and Laertes, boy of Polonius. Besides dead are Hamlet, King of Denmark, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former friends of Hamlet, Polonius, councilor to the King, and Ophelia, girl of Polonius. Death is an highly prevailing subject in William Shakespeare? s Hamlet. However, each decease is alone in fortunes, causes, and effects. Three of import deceases in Hamlet were the deceases of King Hamlet, Ophelia, and Prince Hamlet.

The first, and likely most of import decease in Hamlet, is the decease of Prince Hamlet? s male parent, Hamlet, King of Denmark. Even though this decease is non portrayed in the drama, it sets off a concatenation of events that comprise the secret plan of Hamlet. Hamlet, King of Denmark died late before the drama begins. Claudius, King Hamlet? s brother, succeeded him. This disquieted Prince Hamlet, who thought he should be the replacement. Then, in the really first scene of the drama, King Hamlet? s shade appears to some soldiers and Hamlet? s friend Horatio. The shade does non talk to them. Horatio tells Hamlet about the shade, and finally the shade appears to Hamlet and speaks with him. The shade surprises Hamlet by stating, ? If 1000 didst of all time thy dear father love? Revenge his foul and most unnatural slaying? ( Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5, Lines 23 and 25 ) . Hamlet had non realised that his male parent had been murdered. The shade goes on to state, ? The snake that did biting thy male parent? s life now wears his Crown, ? ( Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5, Lines 38-39 ) . It is at this point that Hamlet realises that his male parent? s liquidator was his uncle, Claudius. Hamlet swears to hold retaliation. This sets up the fortunes that cause the balance of the action in the drama.

One of the most interesting deceases in Hamlet is the decease of Ophelia. Ophelia was the girl of Polonius, councilor to the male monarch. However, she was besides Prince Hamlet? s girlfriend. She died by submerging in a river. It is most likely that she committed self-destruction, though there was ne’er any grounds to that consequence, and it is impossible to state for certain.

The concatenation of events taking to her decease came from two different waies. One cause of her evident self-destruction could hold been Hamlet? s lunacy. They had been lovers, but during the clip prior to her decease he became really cold toward her and bordered on insanity. In one brief soliloquy she says the followers:

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,

That sucked the honey of his musicked vows,

Now see

that baronial and most autonomous ground

Like sweet bells jangled, out of clip and harsh,

That unmatched signifier and characteristic of blown young person

Blasted with rapture. O, suffering is me

T? have seen what I have seen, see what I see!

Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1, Lines 158-164

She is keening the fact that Prince Hamlet has gone huffy and does non love her as he used to.

The more likely cause of Ophelia? s decease, nevertheless, is the decease of her male parent, Polonius. Polonius was murdered by Prince Hamlet while Hamlet was in his female parent? s chamber. Polonius had concealed himself behind the tapestries. When Hamlet was assailing his female parent, Polonius yelled for aid. Upon hearing this, Hamlet thrust his blade through the tapestries and Polonius fell dead. Hamlet did this because he thought it was Claudius who was concealing at that place. Ophelia did non take the intelligence of her male parent? s decease well. She did nil but walk about frantically cantabile vocals and speaking about flowers. A short piece subsequently, she was found drowned in the river. This is why most people believe Ophelia committed self-destruction. She had been driven huffy by both Hamlet? s lunacy and the decease of her male parent.

In the really last scene of the drama, Prince Hamlet is killed. He is stabbed by Laertes with a poisoned blade during a affaire d’honneur. Both Claudius and Laertes want Hamlet dead. Laertes wants to kill him to revenge his male parent, Polonius. Claudius wants him dead because he knows that Hamlet knows who had murdered his ain male parent, King Hamlet. So, Claudius and Laertes planned to poison the blade in order to guarantee Hamlet? s decease. However, during the affaire d’honneur, Hamlet besides mortally wounds Laertes. Hamlet so stabs Claudius with the poisoned blade, and he dies. The queen drinks from a poisoned cup that was intended for Hamlet and dies. Therefore, as Hamlet dies, so do many others. Horatio? s concluding words to Hamlet were, ? Good dark, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy remainder, ? ( Hamlet Act V, Scene 2, Lines 359-361 ) .

Yes, decease is, no uncertainty, and highly prevailing subject in William Shakespeare? s Hamlet. Among those who died were Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, Polonius, councilor to the male monarch, Laertes, boy of Polonius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Prince Hamlet? s former friends. However, three of the most of import and most interesting deceases were the deceases of Hamlet, King of Denmark, Ophelia, girl of Polonius and Hamlet? s lover, and Prince Hamlet himself. All of this decease does do a point. The point is that of cosmopolitan mortality. The thought is, that no affair how of import person is, he or she will still decease. No 1 can get away this destiny. As Prince Hamlet remarked, ? Your fat male monarch and your thin mendicant is but variable service? two dishes, but to one tabular array. That? s the terminal, ? ( Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 2, Lines 23-25 ) .

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