Hamlet

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 12th grade November 2001

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Among the many people that have read Shakespeare, many assumptions have been made about the tragedy of Hamlet, a play of the Elizabethan Age. Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, is a work of exceeding interest and talent, and the tragic hero is universally attractive and fascinating.

Hamlet is considered a problem play, a revenge play and an ambition play by many interpreters.

Many say that Hamlet was a man who could not make up his mind, others say that he had gone mad. There is no right or wrong answer, it is just basically opinion. Although many people have different assumptions of the story of Hamlet, it is clear that Hamlet was right with his assumptions of Claudius all along and he was not crazy. Even before Hamlet learns of his father's death, he senses that there is something more deeply wrong than his mother's marriage to her deceased husband's brother.

When the ghost appeared to Horatio, Marcellus and Hamlet, Hamlet believed that the ghost was his father coming to him telling him the truth about how he died, who murdered him and why. The ghost calls upon Hamlet to prove his love for his father: "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder"� (23-25).

The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius had put poison in his ear and that's how he really died. He told him that Claudius consoled his mother, started becoming close to her so she would fall in love with him and marry him so he can take over as being king. Hamlet made Horatio and Marcellus promise to not say a word to anyone about what they experienced. Ever since this incident Hamlet has been confused, not knowing what or who to believe. This is where the assumption of Hamlet going mad comes up. Claudius and Gertrude, Hamlet's...