Abstract
This paper examines Hamlet, the main character in William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet." The paper explores the thesis that revenge is anti-ethical to Hamlet's character. It looks at the ways in which Hamlet " both the play and its eponymous prince " are both psychologically more complex and yet also, in some important dramaturgical ways, less satisfying than are other Shakespearean plays that are centered on revenge such as "Romeo and Juliet," and "King Lear."

From the Paper
"But the world of Denmark as seen in Hamlet's court is so corrupted that it cannot be cleansed even by the degree of death that takes place in the play. The fact that this is so should be an indication that the corruption goes to the very heart of not only the state but of Hamlet, who serves as a sort of mythical kingly figure in this context. It is not so much that something is rotten in the state of Denmark, but that something is weakened beyond the possibility of being fixed. Given the cultural standards for manliness common in both the medieval world in which the play is set as well as the Renaissance world in which Shakespeare was writing " as well as, of course, our own " it is not surprising that Hamlet should interpret weakness as corruption. Princes, by the standards of his time, should be warriors rather than philosophers."

Tags:hamlet, elsinore, king, murder, revenge, tragedies, shakespeare, william, lear, king, juliet, romeo, denmark, court, renaissance, death, elsinore, horror, innocent, guilty, mother, nature, sheltered, rottenness, human, relationships, ophelia, power, deceive, maddening, fate

Abstract
This paper takes a look at "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare and looks at how he uses his work to display Renaissance thought and concerns. It examines how, through Hamlet's contemplation of death, his character is solidly connected to the ideals of the Renaissance.

From the Paper
"One such archaic belief that was left behind in the previous centuries was the sense that tragedies, both personal and widespread, were great punishments for sins. In particular, a tragic and untimely death was often considered some kind of spiritual retribution passed down to the individual from God himself. This certainly made sense since the medical knowledge of the day could not explain the horrible plagues that wiped out entire populations, or other such tragic events. Often what is not understood is highly feared and attributed to a greater power, and so an early death or any death preceded by an agonizing illness was considered a terrible event since they were a clear indication of God's displeasure. These conceptions were replaced in the Renaissance, especially by the time Shakespeare was writing Hamlet."

Tags:death, ideals, insanity, empathetic, connection, audience

Abstract
This paper explains that the Renaissance concept and consideration of death are prominent throughout Shakespeare's "Hamlet". The author points out that, in Shakespeare's famous soliloquy, Hamlet hesitates in his consideration of suicide not because of an absolute Christian belief in divine retribution but because he is afraid of an afterlife of which he is unsure. The paper relates that the Renaissance ideas around decay of the body and mortality as the great leveler are present in "Hamlet" on several occasions such as after killing Polonius and disposing of the remains. The paper includes quotations from the play.

From the Paper
"The Renaissance is considered a period of rebirth for culture and learning. It is traditionally identified at the period of European history that closes the Middle Ages, spanning from the 14th to the mid-17th centuries. Considered the beginning of the modern world, the Renaissance period experienced a rebirth of ancient Greek philosophies, and a renewed interest in classical art forms and sensitivities. Many artists began to explore and expand the work done in the classical age, concentrating on the human form and the depiction of ancient mythologies."

Tags:humanism, sensibility, soliloquy, death, unknown

Abstract
In this essay, it is argued that the underlying theme of Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet' is epistemological uncertainty. In order to reveal this theme the context of the Renaissance and the rise of humanism is first presented. Following this, the content of the play is analyzed in order to highlight the theme. Among the clues presented are direct references to humanism, the nature of Hamlet's soliloquies, and specifically the influence of Montaigne. The views of a number of commentators are also presented in this regard, including those of Freud and Lacan.

From the Paper
"On the surface Shakespeare's play Hamlet appears to be a conventional tale of revenge. However, a closer analysis reveals that epistemology is a predominant concern too. To uncover this theme we need to play closer attention to the climate of humanism that prevailed in the Elizabethan era, and the associated epistemology which dictates that certainty in knowledge is possible. Hamlet is searching for the truth regarding his father's death, and his insistence on certainty leaves him paralyzed with indecision. Through this character Shakespeare seems to be exploring the limits to the humanist endeavor."

Tags:tragedy, regicide, madness, revenge, murder, ghost

Abstract
The theme of the supernatural in Renaissance drama emerges more as a 'problem' than as a unified theology. This paper explains that the use of supernatural and characterization thereof, says more about the playwright's ability to use language to characterize, than about the ideology of the period. It explains that Shakespeare's stress on characterization results in more human fairies and spirits than in Marlowe's world.

From the Paper
"These questions of truth and reality become even more sharply defined in "Hamlet." Ironically, Hamlet begins the play wanting to go back to Faustus' Wittenberg to study-but ends up meeting the supernatural on his own doorstep. Rather than the comic Faustus, stewing over his books, Hamlet's meeting with his father is frightening, and causes Hamlet to consecrate his life to revenge. (1.3) But Hamlet is never sure if the ghost is true or false, hence he uses a play as a truth-test of his uncle's guilt, noting that the devil has a power to assume a pleasing shape. By the end of the play, the supernatural has virtually retreated from the play entirely-the ghost disappears after preventing Hamlet from killing his mother in anger, and Hamlet does kill Claudius, but without the satisfaction of revealing to the court with his own words, or before his mother what really happened to his father."

Tags:playwright, characterization

Abstract
The paper examines "Hamlet" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" and explains that both of these plays analyze the moral state of the 'modern' society. The paper notes that these plays are at two very different moments in time, the Renaissance and the end of the Victorian Age, but they both show the moral decline of society. The paper discusses how the plays reach a similar conclusion about humanity: the trivial side of human nature usually prevails over the spiritual, ethical one.

From the Paper
"In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the state of moral decline of the society at the Court of Denmark is the main focus. Denmark is meant to figure, of course, the larger, universal context of man. The plot is somewhat simple: Hamlet is called upon to revenge (morally) the death of his father. The appearance of the ghost of the murdered king in the first act is already a sign of the moral direction in which the play goes: a dead spirit comes back to claim justice. Thus, Hamlet's own ideas about the world and about man, which are essentially idealist, meet with an obvious obstacle in the material world, where he sees the baseness of character of both his uncle and his mother who are capable of murder, adultery and duplicity. All of Hamlet's famous soliloquies oppose the idealist and the actual, real view of man as an immoral and trivial creature."

Tags:Court, of, Denmark, Ernest, Algernon, spiritual, depravity, superficiality

Abstract
In this paper, the writer looks at William Shakespeare's 'The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' and examines this work from a psychoanalytical point of view. The writer maintains that there is a great deal of psychoanalytical perspectives for Hamlet, which is defined through Freud's Oedipal Complex. The writer discusses that Hamlet's Oedipal Complex is found within his urge to kill Claudius and regain his mother's loyalty and love. The writer maintains that the development of psychology in the twentieth century helped to shape modern views on Hamlet's actions and behaviors, which can help elucidate why his life ended so tragically. The writer concludes that in this manner, Hamlet shows determinately Freudian urges of motherly obsession, as well as the urge to kill Claudius as a father figure.

Tags:Freud, Shakespeare, hamlet

Abstract
The paper discusses how the crime of murder was committed in the State of Denmark by Hamlet, the Prince. The murder was committed during an argument with his mother Gertrude following Hamlet's realization that someone was hiding behind a curtain in his mother bedroom. The paper explains that although Hamlet is a Prince, it has been contended by Claudius and Laertes that Hamlet be held accountable for his actions. The paper explains that further information in this case provides evidence that Hamlet is known to have been considered insane with the insanity arising after the murder of his father.

Tags:hamlet, law, defense

Abstract
The paper focuses on two themes in "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"; one of absurd theatre and the other of the alignment of the Renaissance reality with the existentialist void of the 20th century. The paper opines that, despite the initial confusion that it tends to invite, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" continues to be a play which illuminates and heartens.

Outline:
The Point of View
The Theme
Absurd Theatre
The Renaissance Angle, the Dovetailing of the Two Ages and Beyond Absurdity

From the Paper
"It was during the 1960's with the slow, but steady, emergence of the concepts of post-modernism that the idea of the pastiche was beginning to become more and more exciting for writers, scholars, and academicians alike. The environment was charged with possibilities, linearity of both experience and reality were being questioned. Old traditions were quickly being shed or bent into new, contemporary shapes. Amongst all the excitement Marshall McLuhan wisely announced that the paradigm, which had till now defined all things, was now at the verge of a pronounced shift."

Tags:absurd, theater, Hamlet, Shakespeare, Renaissance, existentialism

Abstract
This paper analyzes Shakespeare's play "Pericles".The paper discusses the way that Shakespeare utilizes fantasy elements, such as a fairy tale format and characters from extreme ends of the spectrum, to illustrate a kind of reality. The paper further discusses how by grabbing the reader, and allowing them to explore this make-believe world, Shakespeare also allows us to explore our inner self, the real source of truth.

From the Paper
"Near the end of his life, Shakespeare began experimenting with the seemingly artificial elements of the Romances. With its extraordinary plot riddled with random occurrences, and its ridiculously apparent fairy tale format, Pericles is the most obviously contrived of all of these later plays. Once one looks beyond the bland rhyme schemes of the first two acts and the underdeveloped characters throughout, however, one can begin to understand that the blatant artificiality of the play is deliberate. The question is why? Why would Shakespeare choose to create such an unrealistic play? The answer being that Pericles delineates the ideas and concepts that are fundamental parts of the real world through the use of these artificial conventions. For instance, the archetypal characters and the episodic sequences of events place Pericles in the company of stories such as Snow White and Cinderella. Yet the reason why these kinds of characters appeal to people so much is because they reflect the very ideals and emotions that people see in themselves. Likewise, the episodic events parallel reality, in that life seldom follows the traditional narrative arch found in many of Shakespeare's earlier plays."

Tags:fairy, hero, poetry, renaissance, tale, Hamlet