Hamlet and His Delay.docx
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Hamlet and His Delay.docx
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HamletandHisDelay
HamletandHisDelay
By
YANYAN
UndertheSupervisionofLIPIN
SubmittedinPartialFulfillmentoftheRequirements
fortheDegreeofBachelorofArts
SchoolofForeignLanguages
AnqingTeachersCollege
April2015
HamletandHisDelay
Abstract:
AsoneofShakespeare’sfourfamoustragedies,Hamletranksasthemostprominentone.IthasattractedgenerationaftergenerationandtheresearchonHamletwillcontinue.ItisclearthatHamletstandsforShakespeare’shumanismandisthemostpowerfulexpressionofcriticalspirit.Inthispaper,themaintargetistoanalyzethereasonsofHamlet’sdelay.ItfirstintroducestheauthorandthemainplotofHamlet.Thenitelaboratesthereasonsfromobjectiveperspectives.Hamletmustfacetheharshrealityintheprocessofhisrevenge.Shakespeare’screationalneed,hislifeexperienceandtheinfluenceofthesocietyalsocomeintoplay.Itfinallyexploresthereasonsfromthesubjectiveperspectives.Hamlet’scharacterandhisnobleparentagesomewhatdeterminehistragicfate.Oedipuscomplexandhisdeep-rootedhumanisticviewscausehimtohesitateratherthantakeactionofrevenge.
Keywords:
Hamlet;Shakespeare;delay
HamletandHisdelay
Thesisstatement:
.Hamlet’sdelaycanbeanalyzedfrombothobjectiveandsubjectiveperspectives.
Outline
I.Introduction
II.Theobjectivereasons
A.TheharshrealityfacedbyHamlet
B.Shakespeare’screationalneed
C.Shakespeare’slifeexperience
D.Theinfluenceofthesociety
III.Thesubjectivereasons
A.Hamlet’scharacter
1.Beingmelancholy
2.Beingrational
B.Hamlet’snobleparentage
C.Hamlet’sOedipuscomplex
D.Hamlet’shumanism
V.Conclusion
HamletandHisdelay
I.Introduction
WilliamShakespeareisborninStratford-on-AvononApril23,1564.HeisanEnglishpoetandplaywright.Inthecourseofaquartercentury,Shakespearewritessomethirtyeightplays.Takenindividually,severalofthemareamongtheworld’sfinestwrittenworks,andtakencollectively,theyestablishShakespeareastheforemostliterallytalentofhisownElizabethanAge,andevenmoreimpressively,asageniuswhosecreativeachievementhasneverbeensurpassedinanyage.Hisliterarycareerisusuallydividedintothreeperiods.Inthefirstperiod(1590-1600),hecreatesmainlyhistoryplaysandcomedies.Thesecondperiod(1601-1608)istheoneofgreattragedies,namelyHamlet(1601),Othello(1604),Macbeth(1605)andKingLear(1605).Inthelastperiod(1609-1612),Shakespearewritesfourdramaticromances.Hisplaysarestillperformedaroundtheworld.Everyyearonhisbirthday,manycountriesstagehisplaysinmemoryofhim.Marxsaidhewasthegreatestdramaticgenius.AndheisBritain’smostoutstandingmasterinRenaissance.Shakespearehasbeenandisstilloneofthegreatestplaywrightstheworldhaseverhad.Hiscontributionstothedevelopmentofdramaistremendous.Foronething,itismainlyShakespearewhotakesthelibertyagainstthestrictdramaprincipleofthreeunities.Foranotherthing,itisalsoShakespearewhobreaksthedivisionbetweentragedyandcomedyandcreatesrealisticplaysthathavebothtragicandcomicelements.Inaword,Shakespearecontributesalottotheworldliterature.
HamletisWilliamShakespeare’slongestplayandthemostfamoustragedyplayamonghisfourtragedies.AsissaidinunderstandingHamlet,“IfShakespeare’sworkstheHimalayasofLiterature,HamletishisEverest”(RichardCorum,1998).HamletistheprinceofDenmarkandiseducatedinGermany.Duetohisfather’ssuddendeath,hereturnstohismotherland.Butitdoesn’ttaketoolongforhismothertomarrythenewking,whoisHamlet’suncle.WhatmakeshimfeelmoresadisthatthenewkingsaysHamlet’sfatheriskilledbysnakesinthegarden.ButthesoulofhisfathertellshimthenewkingisthemurdererandchargesHamlettoavenge.Aftercarefulthinking,Hamletconsidersitisnotonlyhispersonalmatter,butalsorelatestotheentiresocietyandthestate.Heworriesthatotherswouldknowwhatisinhismind,andthattheghostisnothisfatherbutatrapofdevil.Atlast,Hamletmakesitclearthathisuncleisthemurdererbyarrangingaperformance.HamletkillsOphelia’sfatherbyaccident.OpheliagoesmadbecauseofthisaswellasHamlet’signorance,thenshedrowns.Ophelia’sbrotherwantstoavengeforhisfatherandsister.Finally,thenewkingiskilledbyHamlet,theQueendrinksthepoisonedwineandHamletalsodies.
HamletwantstorevengeforhisfatherwhenheknowsitisClaudiuswhokillshisfather.Butwhentheopportunityiscoming,hedelayshisrevenge.Why?
Firstlylet’ssummarizethedelaysintheplay.HamletisinformedbytheghosthowhisfatherismurderedbyhisuncleClaudius.Thissettheyoungprinceinagreatpanic.HisimmediatereactionistokillClaudius,buthedoesn’tbecauseoflackingevidence.ItconfirmsthathisfatherisreallymurderedbyClaudius,forClaudiuslooksnervousandshowseverysignoffearwhenhewatchestheplay.However,Hamletisonlysatisfiedwithrealizingthetruthanddoesnothing.Thenightonhiswaytohismother’sroom,HamletcomesacrossClaudiuspraying.Thisisthebestchanceforhimtorevenge.However,HamletdoesnottakeactionforfearthatClaudius’spiritmightgotoheaven.Asaresult,hemissesthebestopportunitytotaketherevenge.Inhismother’sroom,HamletkillsPolonius.Inthisway,hispretendedmadnesswouldberevealedtoClaudius.Nowisthetimeforhimtokillhisuncleorhewouldbeingreattrouble.Buthetakesnoaction.OnhiswaytoEngland,HamletescapesandreturnstoDenmark.InsteadofkillingClaudiussecretly,hewritesalettertotheking,tellinghimabouthisreturn.OnOphelia’sobsequies,HamletmeetsClaudius.Butatthatmoment,onlyhisloveforOpheliarecovers,hedoesn’ttakeaction.
Fromwhatabove-mentionedanalysis,therearemanydelaysinthecourseofhisrevenge.Sowhydoeshedelay?
ThereasonsofHamlet’sdelaywillbeanalyzedinthefollowingchapters.
II.Theobjectivereasons
ManyobjectivereasonsresultinHamlet’sdelay.
A.TheharshrealityfacedbyHamlet
Claudiusiscunningandpowerful.HeliesthattheHamlet’sfatherdiesofapoisonoussnake,andthenhetakestheplaceofHamlet’ssucceedingtothethrone.Whileonthesurface,hepretendstocareHamletverymuchandtreatsHamletashisownson.HealsopromisesHamletthathewouldlethiminheritinthefuture.EvenHamletfinallyknowsthetruth,hestillcannotkillClaudius.Asweknow,thekingcontrolsthewholecountry,thepeopleandtherights.Themoralconceptsofkeepingloyaltytothekingaredeeplyrootedinpeople’smind,especiallyinthemindsoftheupperclassandaristocracy.Inthiscase,Hamlet’srevengemustfacegreatdifficulties.Therefore,Hamletshouldwaituntilthegoldenopportunityiscoming.Helivesintheperiodwhenfeudalautocraticmonarchyisstillpowerful.Yousee,evenwhentheking’scrimeislaidbareatlast,thereisstillsomeoneshouting“Treason!
Treason”!
Ifhehastakenactionearlier,perhapshewouldhavefailed.OrevenifhehassucceededinkillingClaudius,peopleinthecountrymightnotawareofthejustnessoftherevenge.Therefore,hisdelayscanbeseenasthetacticswhenstrugglingagainsthisenemy.Ithelpshiminmakingpeopleseethejustnessofhisaction.
AsforHamlethimself,heappreciatesthegoodandhatesthebad.Heloveshismother.HeloseshishearttoOphelia.HebelieveshismothershouldlovehimpurelyandhisbelovedOpheliashouldbefaithfultohim.Buttherealitytellshim:
hismothersleepsinan“incestuousbed”andhisOpheliaisusedastheweapontodealwithhim.Hefeelshehasbeendeceivedbyhislovers.Hisfriendsalsobetrayhim.AlthoughHamletfindstheschemeout,westillconsiderthefriendshipbetweenHamletandhisfriendsisatragedy.Undertheevilruleinthatblacksocialbackground,itishardtolookforfriendshiporloyalty.Peopleintriguewitheachother,andeveryonehashisownpurposes.Theytryanypossiblemeanstoachievetheirgoalsandevendothingsagainstmoralandconscience.Inthisplay,affectionbetweenrelativesaswellasfriendsishypocritical,whichdeeplyincreasesthetragicelements.
B.Shakespeare’screationalneed
Thisplayiscenteredonthedelay.TherewouldbeasuddenendifShakespearehasn’tdelayedHamlet’srevenge.ItcanberegardedasanartfulwaytodevelopthetypicalcharactersintheRenaissancetimewhenscienceandreasonareunderway.Inaddition,thedelayofactionsuccessfullydistinguishesthisplayfrommanyotherpreviousElizabethanrevengetragedies.Itismoreconcernedwithhumannatureandmoralquestioningratherthanheadlongactionandbloodysituation,asthoseoccurringintheearlySpanishtragedybyThomasKid,theliterarysourceofHamlet.Onthesurface,thedelayresultsfromHamlet’sincompetencetofindcertainmoraltruthsasheworkshiswaytowardsrevengeforhisdeadfather.Infact,itresultsfromtheplaywright’sdeliberatearrangement.ThedelayismostlyembodiedinHamlet’slongsoliloquies,throughwhichmanyhumanthoughtsandphilosophicalinsightsofRenaissancetimearereviewed.Soinsomeway,wecanconcludethatthewordsofShakespearecarryalotculturalheritageofhumankindsduringthetimeofEnlightenment.
InthechurchyardinActⅤ,SceneⅠ,onknowingthattheskullbelongstooneofhisacquaintances,Hamletisappalledandrealizesstronglythatallmenwilleventuallybecomedust,greatorminor,richorpoor,youngorold.Hamletcontemplatesthat“towhatbaseuseswemayreturn”.Peoplecan“tracethenobledustofAlexander,tila’finditstoppingabung
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