Wednesday, October 7, 2015

In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, is there any significnace to Hamlet's attitude toward death at the end of this act?

In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, I
believe that finally seeing Claudius' guilty reaction to the play, feeling the sad
responsibility for Polonius' death, reflecting again on his father's murder, and knowing
that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are escorting him to London—probably with the intent
of seeing Hamlet dead—Hamlet realizes that death is not only inevitable for everyone,
but that a natural death in this castle is not the norm. There seems little hope that
death by natural causes is an option for many (or any) of
them.


Hamlet has told the King that a king and a beggar are
"equalized" in death.


readability="8">

Your fat king and your lean beggar is but
variable service, two dishes, but to one table.
(IV.iii.26-28)



Hamlet is now
certain Claudius has killed Old Hamlet and that there is no longer reason to hesitate in
taking the King's life.


When we reflect back on Hamlet's
famous "To be or not to be" speech, his struggle with life and death, with continuing in
his miserable existence or taking his own life, that Hamlet has been forced to grow up
and face not just the mortality of those around him, but his own as well. He also sees
that life can be translated to life as "taking action" and death to "not taking
action." Should he act, or should he wait (in that the Ghost may be evil or an
hallucination)?


readability="9">

...in the "to be, or not to be" speech,...Hamlet
uses "being" to allude to both life and action, and "not being" to death and
inaction...



Hamlet sees life
and death on two separate levels: the philosophical and the physical. Other tragic
deaths will follow that will solidify Hamlet's newfound enlightenment to the sense that
as surely as there is life, there is death, and failure to act is like
death.


Now it seems that Hamlet is aware of the true nature
of the cycle of life and has resolved that he will not run from it (or his
responsibilities), but will do what is necessary. The choice was taken from his hands
once Claudius murdered Old Hamlet, and Hamlet learned the truth. Hamlet has come to
terms with the inevitability of death.

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