Setting Of The Play Hamlet example essay topic

335 words
The setting of the play Hamlet is significant to the movement of the plot. It helps to explain the storyline of the play and gives the reader insight into why characters act the way that they do. The main setting of the play is in Elsinore castle in Denmark. Many of the play's actions take place there and different rooms and objects inside of the castle are used to explain part of the story. For example, the tapestry in the castle was a popular spying place for many of the characters, Polonius in particular. Hiding behind this tapestry also led to his mistaken identity and death.

Polonius was almost like the tapestry as well. He used it to hide himself like his facade hid his true emotions. He seemed like a totally different person on the outside if you just looked at him. But when you actually took a look at him, or pulled away the tapestry, you saw that he was just an extremely talkative, insecure man. The time period of the play also explains why characters acted the way that they did. The most obvious of these actions was when Gertrude married Claudius, her brother in law.

During the time of the play, it was almost common for this to happen because the women needed someone to be with. Hamlet wasn't happy with this because of the short time between his father's death and his mother's remarriage. He believed that there should be a grieving period before his mother remarried and this was part of the reason that he started to act "crazy". Finally, the events that were going on around the main setting were significant to the storyline. The war that was going on with Norway was a major issue in Denmark. King Hamlet killed the king of Norway, Fortinbras, which led to problems in the state of Denmark.

Because of this death, Denmark.