My initial reaction to Hamlet since it is written in Old English was that I could not relate much to its situations. However, after really digging in and analyzing what they really were saying it is clear that it is just one big horribly dysfunctional family that I hope I will never meet. It is so fantastical that it really does remind me of a soap opera of today's times.
I will focus on Hamlet who is the protagonist of the play. Hamlet is a very complicated character. He is very dualistic in nature. On one hand he wants to act rashly and avenge his father's murder. On the other hand he can't quite drive himself to do it and must constantly mulls over every little thought and deed that happens around him. He is full of hate for Claudius and disgust for his Mother and what he views as her weak behaviors. Hamlet definitely fits in to Aristotle's concept of the Greek tragic hero as he is of noble birth, he is generally wanting to be virtuous, he has a desire to do good deeds, and he dies at the end of the play.
I chose the Love/family/ friendship as my topic of theme analysis. In Act 1 the plot of the whole entire play was based on the relationships between love/family/friendships. It was not only about Hamlet and his family but many of the minor characters and their relationships with their families. In Act 1 Hamlet comes to a state of disgust against his own Mother who he once cherished. He felt betrayed by her quick marriage to his Uncle who he finds out murdered his father whom he cherished and looked up to. His whole familial world his turned upside down. Who can he trust now? Now he is starting to feel disgust for the " weaknesses" he perceives women to have. He now has trouble relating to Ophelia. It also shows the relationship between Hamlet and Horatio who's friendship is loyal. This friendship brings Hamlet so much love and support this may be the only one he can trust. This also shows the relationship between Polonius and Ophelia as she is the ever obedient daughter who goes mad at her father's death. This play is a complex interweaving of relationships and their intrigues.
Reading your journal has helped me to understand more about Act one by allowing me to understand a bit more about the play as a whole. I enjoyed reading your thoughts as they were applied to technical knowledge (the specific details of a Greek Tragic Hero and how they relate to Hamlet). My analysis of this story will be different because of some the ideas you have presented about the relationships between some of the characters and how they apply to this tragedy.
ReplyDeleteI loved your description of the story and dysfunctional the family truly is. I also looked at the family/love/friendship theme for this ACT as all of these items were very pronounced. Shakespeare provided a good foundation for the story and characters within this ACT which provides a broad understanding for everyone throughout the story.
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