Hamlet's Strong Love For His Mother example essay topic

Harold Bloom, a critic for Hamlet, by William Shakespeare states numerous opinions about the play. In "Shakespeare: Invention of the Human", by Bloom, he says, "The charismatic is compelled to a physician's authority despite himself (Hamlet); Claudius is merely an accident; Hamlet's only persuasive enemy is Hamlet himself". Although Hamlet's own mind seems to be a problem, it is the women of the play, Gertrude and Ophelia, who are the true enemies of Hamlet. In Shakespeare's play, the driving forces seem to be greed and revenge.

Yet, if someone searches more, he or she will find motives other than these in the play. If the reader asks himself what is the main reason for revenge in the play they will find that there is a woman at the center of it. In the beginning of the play the audience learns that the king has died and later discovers that it was his brother Claudius who killed him. Besides Claudius's desire for the crown, what else might have motivated him to kill his brother? The answer is the queen, who he married barely a month after her husband's death. The king himself admits this in his prayer, saying, "Of those effects for which I did the murder-/ my crown, mine own ambition, and my queen" (3.3.

57-58). Hamlet's actions also revolve around his mother. Part of his quest for revenge may seem only to be brought on by his love of his father, but this is not so. He is, at the same time, angry with his mother, jealous of her attention to Claudius, and desperately wishing for her love. He makes fun of her with hateful comments, "You are the queen, your brother's wife, / And - would it were not so - you are my mother" (3.4. 16-17), but he loves her just the same.

His love for her is first expressed without words when he stays in Denmark instead of returning to college just because she asks him to. Also, Gertrude influenced Hamlet somewhat throughout the course of the play. Hamlet was very angered by his mother's remarriage. A few months after his father's ghost appeared to him and revealed that Claudius was responsible for the death of Hamlet's father. Hamlet even termed the marriage as incest.

Hamlet's anger is displayed when he throws his mother on the bed and says, .".. Frailty, thy name is woman-" (1.2. 48). This shows his extent of anger because he makes a generalization that all women are weak. As a result of his mother's actions, Hamlet strives to seek revenge against Claudius for the death of his father.

In order to marry Gertrude, Claudius kills his brother. Therefore, Gertrude is the driving factor for the setup of the play. Then, Ophelia, the daughter of Polonium, sister of Laertes, and girlfriend of Hamlet, dies. Laertes blames Hamlet, thinking that Ophelia killed herself over what she thought was her useless love for Hamlet.

When Gertrude speaks of Hamlet at Ophelia's grave site Le artes angrily says, "O treble woe / Fall ten times treble on that curse head / Whose wicked deed they most ingenious sense / Deprived thee of" (5.1. 229-232)! When Hamlet steps forward and identifies himself Laertes attacks him, screaming, "The devil take thy soul" (5.1. 243)! Hamlet's own madness is aroused by Laertes's threatening words and complaints that Hamlet cared nothing for Ophelia and suffers not over her death. "Why, I will fight with him upon this theme / Until me eyelids will no longer wag" (5.1.

253-254). Hamlet cried out, "I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers / Could not, with all their quantity of love, / make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her" (5.1. 256-258)? So, Ophelia's death turned these two friends against each other and also, along with the death of his father, made Laertes weak to Claudius's influence when he convinces Laertes to kill Hamlet.

Then, the events in the end of the play were brought about, once again, because of Hamlet's strong love for his mother. We cannot say for sure if Hamlet would or would not have killed Claudius that day if his mother had not died, but whatever Hamlet's plan was, the situation was forgotten in the instant he discovered Gertrude was poisoned. He had enough anger and jealousy burning in him to make him want to kill Claudius and enough chances during the play to do it, but always stops, even though he knows that if he does not kill Claudius, then Claudius will certainly see him dead. It is not until his mother is poisoned by Claudius's hand that his mind really snaps and all of his pain, anger, and grief are let loose as he kills Claudius with the poisoned sword and then forces the rest of the poisoned drink down his throat, crying, "Here, thou incestuous murderous, damned Dane, / Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? / Follow my mother" (5.2.

323-325) Although Bloom states that Hamlet is his own enemy, it is the women who are the root of all the evil. Gertrude and Ophelia cause dramatic scenes to happen that are somewhat unclear to the reader, but when connecting everything together, the women are to blame. Hamlet is guilty of not controlling of himself in an elegant matter, but if he didn't there would be no drama in Shakespeare's famous play.