Jenna Farnham

1) Role of revenge
Revenge was Hamlets driving force in this play. Without his need for revenge the events
of this play would have never happened. So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.
(I.V. 12) Haste me to knowt that I with wing as swift as meditation or the thoughts of
love may sweep to my revenge.(I.V.35-37)
Hamlet is a tragedy about revenge. A Tragedy is a story about the tragic fall of a hero,
they are dark, dramatic and usually send a message. The story of hamlet does all of those
things. Because of the rage inside of Hamlet and his need for revenge he carelessly kills
Polonius, which in turn leads to the battle between Hamlet and Laertes which leads to
Hamlets death. The whole play has a dark overtone and explores death, madness, and
murder. I believe that the message in Hamlet is the price of revenge, it consumes you, the
people around you and can bring about your destruction. This message about revenge is a
very popular theme though out the ages and even now.
2) Is hamlet mad?
I dont believe Hamlet ever becomes completely insane but I do believe that by him
acting crazy that he was close to the threshold of insanity. Just how actors who play the
role of the Joker tend to lose their grip on reality, even if its for a short time. Hamlet uses
his insane act to keep suspicion off him while he tries to plot his revenge and get
information from people. How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself, As I perchance
hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on. (I.V. 190-193) That I
essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft. (III.IV.209-210)
Hamlet is a smart man but the longer he pretends to be insane the closer he gets to
actually becoming mad. I think that if he hadnt died at the end that he would eventually
sink into madness having killed 3 people and his mother and love interest both died as
well.
3) Obsession with afterlife
Religion was very important in the day of Hamlet, it had much more power and greatly
affected how people lived and behave Hamlets most famous soliloquy is all about life and

death and the fear of what happens after death if anything happens at all. He talks about
how fear of hell, and the unknown can keep people from committing suicide. The whole
speech is based around whether its better to live or die. Does dying end the suffering or
is what happens after death just as bad or worse. Do you go to heaven, hell, or does it just
end. People always wonder, imagine, and question what happens after you die because no
one can ever be 100% certain. To grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that dread of
something after death (III.I 85-86) To sleep. Perchance to dream, Ay theres the rub, for
in that sleep of death what dream may come. (III.I 73-74)
4) Ophelia
She was Hamlets love interest. Her character was a frail you girl manipulated by her
father and confused by Hamlet. I think without a doubt that she really did love Hamlet. I
also believe that Hamlet loved her, she just got caught in the middle of the madness. I
think both hamlet and her frailty are responsible for her death. Her fathers death was
what brike her sanity and Hamlet was responsible for his death.
My lord, he hath importuned me with love in honorable fashion (I.III 119-120) I shall
obey my lord (I.III. 145)
5) Hamlet sexual identity
Hamlet is a true lover. I believe Hamlet love Ophelia she simply gets caught in his act for
revenge. I feel like we wants her to be safe but his desire for revenge is stronger so he
pushes her away so hopefully she will stay out of the violence. I also believe that he feels
the pain of rejection when Ophelia doesnt respond to his love letter, so he denies his
affections. But his true feelings come out after she dies. No not I. I never gave you
aught (III. I. 105) I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their
quality of love make up my sum. (V.I 285-287)

6) Tragic heros
Hamlet is a tragic hero with a fatal flaw. Hamlets flaw is that even though he is clever he
lets his emotions get the best of him. Because of his emotions he yells at Ophelia and his
mother and kills Polonius. He was angry, nervous and erratic when he was talking to his
mother and without thinking he stabs Polonius thinking that it was the Claudius. If he

never killed Polonius, him and Laertes wouldnt have fenced with or poisoned his sword
so Hamlet wouldnt have died. so mortal that, but dip a knife in it, where it draws blood
no cataplasm so rare. (IV.VII.162-163) o hamlet, speak no more! Thou turnst my eyes
into me very soul. (III.IV 99-100)
7) Questions unanswered
Shakespeare often leaves questions unanswered because he want to get peaole thinking.
He was a very smart, and outspoken man and his plays carried a lot of weight and often
had serious messages. He wanted the audience to leave with questions because it opened
their minds.
- Did Ophelia really kill herself
- How much did Gertrude know about Hamlets murder
- Did the queen have an affair with Claudius, thats why she was ok with marrying him
so quickly
- Did Claudius love Gertrude
(V.I the whole page 239) How can that be, unless she drowned herself in her own
defense (V.I 6-7) her death was doubtful, and but that great command oersways the
order, she should in ground unsanctified been lodged. (V.I. 285-287) That cannot be,
since I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder: my crown, mine
own ambitions, and my queen. (III.III. 57-58)

8) Comedy in hamlet
The comedy serves both as a relif of tension and an easier way to get a serious message
across. Shakespeare uses both methods not just in Hamlet but in all his plays. One that
was a women, sir. But, rest her soul shes dead(V.I.138-139) for the satirical rouge says
here that old men have grey breads,that their faces are wrinkled.. (II.II.214-216)
9) Symbolism
Skull- death is the great equalizer.the play explores death a lot and having the skulls of
different people all with each other symbolizes that is doesnt matter what we do in life
we all end up in the ground.
Flower- flowers have their own language and Ophelia even though she is mad cleverly
links the meaning of the flower to each person that she gives it to.

theres rosemary, that for remembranceand the pansies thats for thoughts (IV.V 199200) theres a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they withered all when y father
died (IV.V.207-208)
10)
Create
-Do you think Hamlet is at peace now that he got his revenge
- was killing Claudius the right thing to do or did it make Hamlet no better than Claudius
-I dont think he is at peace because out of his need for revenge came the
destruction and death of everyone around him.
-I feel like imprisoning him would have even better because he would have
suffered more because everything he gained by killing hamlet would have been taken
away. Both Hamlet had a nobler reason for killing so I think he is still the better man.
That cannot be, since I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder: my
crown, mine own ambitions, and my queen. (III.III. 57-58) Thy mothers poisoned. I
can no more. The king, the kings to blame. (V.II.350-351)