THE TRAGEDT OF HAMLET
The play hamlet was first staged in 1600. Hamlet, one of the most critiqued or commented upon works of literature in its delineation of personality and its portrayal of inwardness. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s four main tragedies. In the play, we witness how hamlet is confronted from early on with a huge moral dilemma. He is ordered to avenge the murder of his father. Claudius, the king of Denmark and hamlet’s uncle, is a corrupt monarch who has attained the thrown by murdering his own brother. Hamlet is unable to appeal to law or justice as Claudius is the law and represents justice through his rule as a monarch. The story of Polonius the mayor and his two children, Laertes and Ophelia, form the subject of the plot. Both plots merge at different stages throughout this play, and, as in all Shakespeare’s tragedies.
The plot of the play is centred on the death of old hamlet, former king of Denmark. Old hamlets brother immediately succeeds to the thrown and proceeds to marry Gertrude, old hamlets widow and the mother of young hamlet. The atmosphere is rife with suspicion and corruption. The court is filled with lies, infidelity, and corruption. There are hints of war and revolution from outside Denmark, while the servants realize the appearance of old hamlets ghost brings omens of revenge and destruction coming from the other world of purgatory. From the moment when young hamlet meets with his father Old Hamlet ,who tells him to revenge his foul ,unnatural murder by his brother Claudius ,the play moves speedily to its tragic and dramatic conclusion.
At the beginning of the final scene, hamlet is telling Horatio his best friend; how he managed to discover the plot on his life through the letters that were given to his two school friends, he was travelling with them, since he was forced to travel with them due to his uncles detestation towards him. And, how he changed the commission and organised the deaths of his two friends instead. Therefore, when hamlet returns Horatio informs him that he is strained to fight a battle against laertes son of Polonius, since Hamlet has killed his father. Claudius, meanwhile, has put some poison in a large chalice of wine and he has arranged for laertess sword to be tipped with poison .During the duel Laertes losses his sword, Hamlet picks it up and wounds Laertes with it. Laertes also wounds hamlet with the poisoned sword ,so both men are in mortal danger. Meanwhile, Gertrude drinks to her son from the poisoned chalice. When Laertes realises that he has been fatally wounded and is about to die he repents of his crime and asks forgiveness from Hamlet. Laertes then tells Hamlet about the poison and the sword and the fact that Claudius is culpable .Hamlet reacts violently by attacking Claudius and killing him with the poisoned sword, while at the same time and forcing him to drink from the chalice.
The scene concludes with words from the dying hamlet, telling Horatio to inform young Fortinbras that he must take control of the king ship of Denmark. Hamlet also urges Horatio to remain alive and inform the Danish people about the truth .Therefore Fortinbras arrives and orders that the body of hamlet should be carried away like a brave solider to be buried.
At the beginning of the final scene, hamlet is telling Horatio his best friend; how he managed to discover the plot on his life through the letters that were given to his two school friends, he was travelling with them, since he was forced to travel with them due to his uncles detestation towards him. And, how he changed the commission and organised the deaths of his two friends instead. Therefore, when hamlet returns Horatio informs him that he is strained to fight a battle against laertes son of Polonius, since Hamlet has killed his father. Claudius, meanwhile, has put some poison in a large chalice of wine and he has arranged for laertess sword to be tipped with poison .During the duel Laertes losses his sword, Hamlet picks it up and wounds Laertes with it. Laertes also wounds hamlet with the poisoned sword ,so both men are in mortal danger. Meanwhile, Gertrude drinks to her son from the poisoned chalice. When Laertes realises that he has been fatally wounded and is about to die he repents of his crime and asks forgiveness from Hamlet. Laertes then tells Hamlet about the poison and the sword and the fact that Claudius is culpable .Hamlet reacts violently by attacking Claudius and killing him with the poisoned sword, while at the same time and forcing him to drink from the chalice.
The scene concludes with words from the dying hamlet, telling Horatio to inform young Fortinbras that he must take control of the king ship of Denmark. Hamlet also urges Horatio to remain alive and inform the Danish people about the truth .Therefore Fortinbras arrives and orders that the body of hamlet should be carried away like a brave solider to be buried.
BY DUA EL HARRAM
GRADE 10B
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