Who is to Blame?
Whether or not you are a fan of Shakespearean plays, it is apparent that the truth and purpose of his plays were in fact… not apparent at all. Consider Hamlet. A story filled with betrayal, madmen, and of course, death. Death is the primary theme of Hamlet; how each character is affected by death in some way or form. However, it is unclear on where death came from and who initially brought it upon Denmark. In this analysis of Hamlet, I will dissect the viewpoints of Indira Ghose, G. Wilson Knight, and Tabassum Javed towards identifying who is truly responsible for the deaths in this Shakespearean play. As Hamlet sits in the graveyard, staring at the skull of the dead jester, Shakespeare foreshadows the same gloomy fate for the rest of the characters. During this famous scene, we notice that Hamlet is calm and collected, not showing any signs of his madness and craziness. Could it be that Hamlet’s lunacy is truly a simple façade for his intention of vengeance? According Indira Ghose’s article “Jesting with Death,” “But acting the fool is a fitting disguise for a character who… is the only Shakespearean tragic hero who doubles as a joker” (Ghose 1007). Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as a foolish character, but not because he is mad, rather it is because he does not want anyone to discover his objective. Many critics believe that Hamlet’s craziness leads other characters, along with him, to their demise. However, Ghose does not believe that it is due to Hamlet’s “madness”; rather, “Hamlet is obsessed with his own identity, with plucking out the heart of his own mystery, with uncovering the truth, both about the past and about himself” (Ghose 100). There are many unanswered questions in Hamlet, leaving the audience confused, and even the characters. Remember, Hamlet is informed to seek vengeance by a mysterious ghost. This ghost may be real, or it may be a devilish way for succeeding in killing all the noblemen of Denmark. This bewilders Hamlet, and may be the cause
Cited: Ghose, Indira. “Jesting With Death: Hamlet In The Graveyard.” Textual Practice 24.6 (2010): 1003-1018. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Jan. 2014 Knight, G. Wilson. "The Embassy of Death: An Essay on Hamlet." Bloom 's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 30 Jan. 2014 . Javed, Tabassum. “Perfect Idealism In Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet.” Dialogue (1819-6462) 8.3 (2013): 327-333. Academic Search Complete. Web.30 Jan. 2014