Hamlet, prince of denmark

Hamlet is considered to be the summit of Shakespeare's art. It was written in 1601—1602 and first published in 1603. Shakespeare took a certain story of Prince Amleth from old sources which can be traced to the 12th century.

Under Shakespeare's pen the medieval story assumed new meaning and significance. Danish names could not hide from the spectators arid readers the fact that it was England which the great writer described in his play. The whole tragedy is permeated with the spirit of Shakespeare's own time. Hamlet is the profoundest expression of Shake­speare's humanism and his criticism of contemporary life. The action of the tragedy is laid in medieval Denmark. Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, widowed by the sudden death of the king, within two months marries the new king, Claudius, brother of her husband. The son of the late king is prince Hamlet.

The character of Hamlet recalls the titans of the Renais­sance. Hamlet is a man of genius, highly accomplished and educated, a man of a searching mind and sparkling wit. Ophelia mentions his "noble and most sovereign reason", his "unmatched form and feature of blown youth".

Hamlet is the pride of all Denmark. He is loved by the common people of his country. Hamlet is a humanist, a man who is free from medieval prejudices and superstitions. His reverence for man, his belief in man's power and destiny find expression in the following impassioned speech: "What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! in action how like an angel in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!"

Hamlet opposes a cruel, hypocritical and treacherous world.

Bright hopes and aspirations of his youth come to a clash with crude reality. The world seems to him "an unweeded garden that grows to seed".

The infidelity of his mother, the servility of the courtiers who bowed and cringed to the unworthy king, the falsehood of his friends and, finally, the crime, committed by his uncle, made him realize how wicked and unjust the world he lived in was.

His indignation at what he sees is summed up in bitter and condemnatory words: "Denmark is a prison".

The contradiction between his lofty ideas and crude rea­lity is one of the reasons of Hamlet's profound grief arid disappointment.

Alongside with his criticism of the court morals and of the general injustice that reigns in his country, Hamlet boldly expounds ideas of equality.

With all his energy wisdom and hatred for oppression, Hamlet is slow to act. He reflects meditates upon evil, but something hinders him from acting quickly and expediently.

Hamlet grieves that his beloved country is a prison for people, that injustice triumphs over justice. But would his revenge upon his uncle set the world aright? We know how popular he is among the people and it is clear that he could have done what Laertes tried to do: muster a force of citizens, break into the castle and depose Claudius by sheer force. But Hamlet feels that he "was born to set it (the world) aright," and this could be done only by exposing the very roots of the reigning evil and by making tyranny in any form unacceptable. Therefore it was more important to unveil the crimes of Claudius to the multitude and to establish a reign of justice in Denmark than simply to kill the usurper.

At the end of the tragedy Hamlet achieves his aims. Claudius is publically exposed and punished. Finally young Fortinbras who is known for his courage and honour will be elected to the throne.

All this brings relief to Hamlet, and he dies with the hope that he and his cause will be rightly understood by his country.

Though Hamlet is seemingly, alone in his struggle, there are characters in the play whose thoughts and feelings coincide with those of Hamlet, and who, like the prince him­self, raise their voice of protest against the injustice that reigns in Denmark.

Questions and tasks

1. Speak about the early years of Shakespeare’s life and his parents.

2. Why did Shakespeare go to London?

3. How did he become a playwright?

4. Analyze the woks of William Shakespeare.

5. Tell the class the contents of one of his plays.

6. What can you say about Hamlet, the main character of the tragedy?

7. What is the idea of the sonnet you have read?