Interpreters Of Hamlet Start With The Assumption example essay topic
396 words
Hamlet: Many Interpretations Although many students of Shakespeare believe that Hamlet, among all the plays in the Shakespearean canon, best reflects the universality of the poet-dramatists genius, it remains an enigmatical work, what has been called a grand poetical puzzle. no artist can control the use to which his insights are put by posterity, and this dictum is especially true of Shakespeare, whose Hamlet has caused more discussion than any other character in fiction, dramatic or non-dramatic. Many readers have been disturbed by the two Hamlets in the play: one, the sensitive young intellectual and idealist, the sweet prince who expresses himself in unforgettable poetry; the other, a barbaric Hamlet who treats Ophelia so cruelly, who slays Polonius and then speaks of lugging the guts into another room. Most interpreters of Hamlet start with the assumption that the tragic hero has a clear and sacred obligation to kill Claudius and to do so without delay. The question is then why does he wait so long to do so. It is argued that if Hamlet had taken prompt action, Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Laertes, and Hamlet himself may have survived. A reason must then be drawn from ones own interpretations of Hamlet. Following two rebound interpretations of Hamlet, two major conclusions can be made. First, Shakespeare tragedy is a work of surpassing interest and genius, and the tragic hero is universally attractive and fascinating. Second, only the naive will start with the assumption that there is one obvious interpretation of the play and that the critics, not Shakespeare, have introduced complexities into it. It would be nice to present a simple, direct interpretation based upon a major generalization an to ignore passages in the play which do not fit into the argument. But such a presentation would not do justice to a great play or help the reader. Therefore, when appropriate, passages which seem to lend support to a given theory will be called to the readers attention.
But always one must ask himself whether or not the entire play urges the acceptance of such a theory; ultimately, major themes emerge from the entire plot, not from isolated episodes or passages. In conclusion, one must see Hamlet throughout the entire play in order to get a true sense of what he stands for.
