Hamlet's Place in Denmark

Several people have had the dream to correct the sins and errors of the human society. Hamlet Prince of Denmark, a Shakespearean tragedy, tells the story of a young man, by the name of Hamlet, who gained the knowledge of a terrible incident that his kingdom had suffered. The only problem was that Claudius, the king of Denmark and Hamlet's uncle, was the villain in the situation. Claudius had killed his own brother, the king, who was also the father of Hamlet, and married his brother's widow. Hamlet suffered these traumas to a severe degree, and his only relief was to defeat his human weaknesses and correct the wrongs created by his uncle.

The soliloquy selected to describe the emotions of Hamlet, after discovering the evil doings of his uncle, is found within the lines one hundred twenty-nine to one hundred fifty-nine (Hamlet Prince 71). Hamlet's first reaction was to look for a way out, which would be a common response for several humans if they were placed in that situation. He wished for death and questioned God's decision that suicide be a sin. Most human beings, when placed as leaders in a difficult situation, will look for ways to free themselves of their responsibility. Even Jesus Christ, the greatest being to walk the face of this earth, according to Christianity, searched for a way out as He took upon him the sins of the world in the Garden of Gethsemane. In St. Mathew 26:39 he said, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will" (The Holy Bible 1235). Hamlet realized, as Jesus did, that he was in a situation where he was the only man to do the job. Therefore, he forgot about his own death and suicidal thoughts and concentrated more on bringing his uncle to justice.

Throughout the play, Hamlet demonstrates a witty personality although he is bogged down by the knowledge of his father's murder. Ophelia noticed his witty remarks in line one hundred four as she stated, "You are merry, my lord" (Hamlet Prince 111). Hamlet's Mouse Trap commented that "suicide means death of the mind in symbolic unproductivity due to self-destructive tendencies" (91). Hamlet, with his rapid and witty thoughts, could not become inactive in his mind.

Hamlet showed disgust during the lines one hundred thirty-three through one hundred thirty-seven in which he questioned the purpose of the world (Hamlet Prince 71). He felt that the world's only purpose was to raise "weeds." Those weeds or the things that are "rank and gross in nature," represented the wicked people of the world that were in power. It is evident throughout these lines that he has strong feelings of mistrust and hatred towards his uncle. It is undetermined if Hamlet ever thought that his mother was also a murderess who helped devise the plan to kill the king. Hamlet's anger is justified, as his trust was lost in almost everyone that was close to him.

Hamlet reconciles his mother's hasty actions after the death of his father in lines one hundred thirty-seven through one hundred fifty-seven (Hamlet Prince 71). He begins with, "But not two months dead! --Nay, not so much, not two," which clearly shows disgust in the hastiness of the marriage between his mother and his uncle. His ideas and feelings jump around throughout this group of lines, which also demonstrates a nervous anger. He remembers how "excellent a king" his father was and how "loving [he was] to [Hamlet's] mother" (Hamlet Prince 71). Hamlet described his father's love towards his mother as "Hyperion to a satyr," in line one hundred forty (Hamlet Prince 71). Hyperion was the sun god of the Greeks who was very bright and beautiful (Who's Who 124). Webster's New World College Dictionary defines a satyr as "any of a class of minor woodland deities" (1193). The contrast between a great god such as Hyperion and a lower woodland deity is quite large, and within this contrast, humbleness is presented.

Hamlet released a surge of anger as he proclaimed "Frailty, thy name is woman!" in line one hundred forty-six (Hamlet Prince 71). His anger against his mother is quite evident as he recalls his mother's hasty marriage. Hamlet compared his mother's state, at the time of her husband's death, to Niobe, a Greek figure who, after losing eleven of her children, turned to marble due to the grief suffered (Who's Who 164). It seems as if Hamlet's mother grieved over her dead husband a brief moment, and then re-married to her brother-in-law.

Hamlet's Enemy stated that it was "not primarily the loss of his father but the loss of his mother that possesses Hamlet" (51). Hamlet's Enemy also suggested that a good method of punishing his mother on an emotional level would be to commit suicide (51), but he never came to the point of committing suicide. The Freud-Jones Interpretation also suggests that Hamlet suffered the Oedipus Complex (Hamlet's Enemy 9). Essentials of Psychology states that the Oedipus Complex is "the male's jealousy about his father's sexual relationship with his mother" (139). This suggests that Hamlet may have delusionally envisioned the whole situation through jealousy because of his uncle's relationship with his mother.

Hamlet used the following analogy in the lines one hundred fifty-two and one hundred fifty-three to describe his uncle's personality: "My father's brother; but no more like my father/ Than I to Hercules..." (Hamlet Prince 71). Hercules, of course, was known for his great, physical strength (Who's Who 117). This example, used by Hamlet, further demonstrates his own recognition of his personal weaknesses. Hamlet felt trapped in the situation, but his weaknesses never stopped him from justifying the death of his father.

It is questionable as to why Hamlet waited so long to justify the death of his father, however lines one hundred fifty-eight and one hundred fifty-nine clearly state Hamlet's plan to "hold [his] tongue" (Hamlet Prince 71). Hamlet's Enemy stated that "he may be obligated to vengeance and murder, but such deeds require him to become someone other than the person he seeks to be" (23). He quickly realized that there would be no good outcome to the situation, and he decided that he must stay quiet even though it would "break [his] heart" (Hamlet Prince 71). This must have been a very difficult decision to make, since Hamlet knew that he was the only other person, besides his uncle, who knew of the real reason for his father's death.

Hamlet was a victim and a hero within his kingdom. He had knowledge of the vicious deception brought upon by his uncle, and he was the only person capable of correcting or at least trying to justify the death of his father. His uncle, Claudius, became a sinking ship that drug two families into a situation that would leave all of them in a murky grave. Hamlet was just a prince who, against his will, was pulled into this situation by chance, and it was left in his hands to justify his father's death. He did what he had to do according to his own manner.