Hamlet and Death

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the concept of revenge and madness in Shakespeare's play, "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark", and looks at how these concepts are central to the play's theme of death. The paper explains how each of the main characters in the play, Hamlet, Ophelia and Laertes, respond to death and points out how these reactions and responses add depth to the characters and make them appear more real to the audience.

From the Paper:

"Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes deal with the death of their fathers in very different ways. When we look at each character and how they choose to deal with death, we often discover insight into the characters themselves. Each character's reaction is also fueled by other aspects in the play that influence their reason and logic. For example, Hamlet's response to his father's death is fueled by his anger and hurt feelings toward Gertrude and Claudius for marrying so soon. Ophelia's response to her father's death is influenced by the fact that Hamlet has been hateful to her and that Hamlet killed Polonius. Laertes' response to Polonius' death is fueled by the fact that Hamlet killed him and is indirectly responsible for Ophelia's suicide."

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