FINAL REMARKS

THE PLOT

Hamlet is the world’s most famous play. The primary reason for this fame is the fascinating yet puzzling hero, the dark brooding Prince Hamlet. So, as one should expect, most of the commentary and criticism on this play focuses on the character of Hamlet.

However, the story or plot of the tragedy also deserves serious attention. The central conflict is the internal one: Hamlet versus himself. The climax (the highest point of tension) then does not come until the end of the play: the sword fight itself is the point where Hamlet really breaks free of his hesitation and begins to get his vengeance against King Claudius. The resolution (the point is which the conflict is resolved or ended) occurs at the point when Hamlet finally gets his vengeance, when King Claudius is dead. But Hamlet himself dies just a few moments later. The denouement (the final untangling of elements – in this case, the final result for Denmark and the surviving characters) is extremely short. The implication that Fortinbras will succeed to throne suggests a hopeful ending for Denmark and the kingdom.

Now that the state or condition of the king (the new king, Fortinbras) is without evil or corruption, the state of Denmark itself also is free of corruption and evil. Peace and goodness will return to the land. Denmark will no longer be a prison. It will no longer contain something rotten. As noted, there are several passages concerning fate in the play, and so a second important conflict in this play is the one of Hamlet vs. Fate. In such a conflict, as Shakespeare repeatedly suggests in his work, Fate is the only winner. The play of Hamlet, then, duplicates an old medieval and Christian historical theme: the evil element exists in order that good can eventually assert itself and defeat the evil or remove that evil from the land. This same idea can be found (but in a much more emphasized manner) in

Shakespeare’s Richard III. The evil King Richard III is vanquished so that the good King Henry VII can gloriously assert goodness, end the civil war referred to as the War of the Roses, and bring peace and harmony to England.

In Hamlet there are also subplots and digressions to enhance and complicate the plot. Most notable is the subplot involving King Claudius. In this subplot, the student should view Claudius as protagonist. The king has three central issues or conflicts to solve: (1) He must maintain Denmark and the throne from its enemies. The primary threat here comes from Fortinbras, but later Laertes is also a threat to the king and kingdom. King Claudius handles both of these threats well. (2) The king must deal with his own guilt after murdering his own brother. In this case, Claudius does not fare so well.

He is not able to confess his sin to God because he is not able to give up the items that he has won by his sin. And (3) Claudius must deal with the emotional and depressed Hamlet. Claudius does not wish to offend either Queen Gertrude or the people of Denmark (who idolize Hamlet). Yet, at the same time, Hamlet clearly represents a threat to the kingdom. And, as the end of the play reveals, Claudius, despite his clever scheming, fails to resolve the problem of the troubled prince.

The digressions on theater (meta-theater) and the conflict of madness in Ophelia are among the other important aspects of the play that complicate the story yet overlap with the main plot. All of the smaller conflicts or digressions relate to and contribute to the overall greatness of the play to make it the best drama ever created.

SOURCES

Shakespeare’s play is a remarkable literary achievement. Although Shakespeare borrowed elements and ideas from a number of sources, none of those sources (either taken individually or in total) contain even a small fragment of the genius found in Hamlet.

Nevertheless, the reader should be aware of the sources or possible sources that Shakespeare had access to and could utilize in the creation of his masterpiece:

1. An earlier play about Hamlet       (actual title unknown):

This English play is now lost. The play is mentioned in a prefix to a novel written in 1589. The prefix of the novel suggests that play’s author was Thomas Kyd. The play was probably quite similar to Fratricide Punished (see below).

2. Fratricide Punished

      (German play of 17th century):

This play based on lost English play mentioned above. The plot is much simpler but fairly similar to Shakespeare’s own play.

3. Prose Edda (c. 1230 AD) –       an Old Norse (Scandinavian) saga:

The name Amlothi appears in a fragment of the saga. Amele is a common first name; Othi means both (1) brave in battle and (2) mad. Feigned madness was part of original story.

4. Historiae Danica by Saxo Grammaticus (Danish historian):

This is the first version of the story (c. 1200). The book is an historical work containing folk tales. The story contains the following plot elements:

1. fratricide
2. incest
3. wild disposition of hero
4. hero’s relationship to character like Ophelia
5. characters like Horatio, Polonius,

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern

6. Amleth eats dirt & talks nonsense

(with sinister hidden meaning)

7. Uncle Feng is the murderer –

      everyone knows it

8. Amleth is foreordained avenger
9. Amleth goes to England and marries the

      king’s daughter

10. Amleth returns to Denmark. Uncle Fen and others are in a hall, drinking and celebrating Amleth’s death. Amleth sets fire to the hall.

5. Francois de Belleforest – historian, circa 1580: This history includes the tale from Historiae Danica (above) and adds adultery scene between mother and uncle before the old king (Amleth’s father) is killed.

6. Treatise of Melancholy (1586) by Timothy Bright: Shakespeare used this source for Hamlet’s characterization.

7. Pamphlet by Thomas Nashe (1592):

This pamphlet contains the source for the

“wassail speech.”

8. Elizabethan textbook containing passages from       Isocrates (Greek author of Classical Age):

This is the source for the maxims or advice that Polonius repeats to his son before Laertes leaves for France.

9. Earl of Essex:

Essex was possibly a real-life model for Hamlet. Essex was noted as one who suffered from severe depression or melancholy.

THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET

Hamlet is the most noted literary figure in the world for two primary reasons: (a) his speeches are eloquent and universal; and (b) the problem of family conflict becomes enmeshed within the larger problem of politics and aristocracy. Thus, Hamlet’s conflict (the plot) operates on both a personal (or psychological) level and a political (or social) level.

In analyzing the character of Hamlet, the student should consider the following elements and descriptive terms: