What 4 themes are in the play Hamlet?
Hamlet Themes
- Action and Inaction. Hamlet is part of a literary tradition called the revenge play, in which a person—most often a man—must take revenge against those who have wronged him.
- Appearance vs. Reality.
- Women.
- Religion, Honor, and Revenge.
- Poison, Corruption, Death.
How is corruption shown in Hamlet?
We find corruption mainly in the act of taking and planning the act of vengeance. The main source of corruption appears to be Hamlet’s opposition to Claudius. As becomes clear early in the play, Hamlet cannot accept Claudius, neither as father nor as king, even before the ghost reveals the circumstances of his death.
How is revenge used in Hamlet?
Hamlet turns revenge tragedy on its head by taking away the usual obstacles to the hero’s vengeance. In a typical revenge tragedy like The Spanish Tragedy, the hero faces two obstacles: to find out who the murderers are, and then to get himself into a position where he can kill them.
What is the main theme of Hamlet?
The play Hamlet’s major theme is death. It is the death of the King Hamlet that triggers the events in the play one after another. When the Prince Hamlet hears about the news of his father’s death, he comes back to Denmark.
What is the theme of moral corruption in Hamlet?
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the moral corruption that occurs between family members causes animosity that results in their downfall, and eventually their ultimate demise. More specifically, the tainted view of an individual in a family may result in the downfall of the other family members involved.
What characters are corrupt in Hamlet?
Throughout the play we can trace a progression of corruption, that leads to death, through ‘disease’ in the characters of Polonius, Claudius and Hamlet. Polonius is perhaps the most obviously corrupt character in Hamlet.
Is revenge justified in Hamlet?
The need to adhere to his father’s ghost justifies the revenge mission that Hamlet undertakes in the play. The ghost commands Hamlet to revenge his father’s “foul and most unnatural murder” (Shakespeare 37). Hamlet is justified to obey the ghost and kill Claudius, who killed King Hamlet, the prince’s father.
What is the thesis for Hamlet?
Thesis: The repeated guise of madness in Shakespeare’s Hamlet demonstrates a departure from norms creates freedom from social and political restrictions. BP1: As Hamlet first begins to act insane, he is freed from social restrictions regarding how he speaks to those around him – both his superiors and his subordinates.