Macbeth Themes (1432 words)
Macbeth Themes
Person’s thoughts will differ from their actions, be it the fear of being the
same or different from others, the consequences of their actions, or the
opinions that others may form about them. People live their lives like drones,
always conforming to the rules, afraid to brake away from the norm and do what
they know or even feel to be the right thing to do simply because they might
cause a ripple in the smooth little lake in which their boat is afloat. Within
the Playwright Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet suffers from such dilemma.
Hamlet refuses to act on what he knows to be accurate, always reassuring himself
of his lack of action. Hamlet also acts in a manner which some may wish to call
lunacy. This is due to the loss in which he has suffered, as well as he is just
pretending to fool the people who he is plotting against. Hamlet’s father,
King Hamlet, was the greatest king Denmark had ever seen. Respected and revered
by all with the exception of his brother, Claudius. Claudius had envied his
older brother since boyhood, the king living the life that Claudius had always
wanted. A wife, a son, and a kingdom were all the holdings possessed by King
Hamlet, holdings and possessions that Claudius would soon make his, by the
killing of his brother. Though Hamlet feels that his mother’s marriage to
Claudius was to soon after the death of King Hamlet, he does not suspect
Claudius killed king Hamlet until told of a sighting of a ghost by some guards
while on watch. Hamlet tells Polonious that he will stand watch that night with
them to see if they can see the ghost again. That night Hamlet stands watch with
Polonious and the ghost appears before them. The ghost tells Hamlet that he is
his father, and of how he was killed. Hamlet is told that while his father lay
under the shade of a tree Claudius came to him and poured poison in his ear and
caused his death instantaneously not allowing him time to repent of his sins,
therefore condemning him to be trapped between the two paranormal worlds. The
ghost then tells Hamlet to avenge his death. Though hamlet agrees to kill
Claudius he does not kill him forthright. Hamlet hesitates and seems to
invalidate every possible moment or opportunity that arises to take the life of
Claudius. His reason for his hesitation is not known and one can only guess at
what they may be. It could be that he doesn’t believe the ghost. He could be
afraid of hurting his mother by killing her second husband, or the fact that he
is his uncle. What ever the reason is, he doses hesitate, and by doing so causes
more pain and suffering for more people than if he would have killed Claudius
forthright. The first example noted of such hesitation by Hamlet within the play
if found within act three scene three where Hamlet contemplates the
extermination of Claudius while he seems to be at prayer. ” Now might I do it
pat, now he’s praying. And…” (P70-71) Within this paragraph Hamlet will
eventually state that he cannot kill Claudius due to the fact that to kill him
at prayer would only send him to heaven and not eternally damn him to the bowels
of hell. Hamlet thinks that if he killed Claudius while he was at prayer and he
was sent to heaven that it would be unfair to his father who is eternally
trapped between the present and the afterlife. That is at least the reason that
is given by Hamlet directly from the text. Though by the reading the entire book
you will see a patter of actions and lack of actions that seem to signify that
he only acts insane so to disorientate the other people within the story. Yet
knowing that his father was murdered, who murdered him, and what Hamlet was
asked to do to seek vengeance he feels that he has to constantly reassure
himself of his lack of action was right so that he doesn’t feel like he is
failing his father. Hamlet is mad and plotting and or struggling with the
question of what to do about the revenge seeking that he has sworn to tend to
for his deceased father. The loss of a father has exiled him into a non-existent
state to where neither present world nor the futures that will come are ever
realized by him. Instead he lives day to day not realizing his accomplishments
from the previous day nor his goals for the next. Because of this Hamlet drags
out the process of killing Claudius. Hamlet exists in a state of denial and
anger. He holds his mother mainly at fault. Like when he is in her room and just
killed Polonious and she says “Alas he’s mad” (P 75). By this statement
hamlet has achieved a subconscious goal, which he has been trying to reach since
the death of his father. He has portrayed himself as insane in hope that his
actions against the king in the near future will not seem uncommon coming from
him. While in his mother’s bedroom, Hamlet in a way, attributes his lack of
action on the promise made to his father to the way that his mother has married
such a god-awful retch of a man so soon after his father’s death. Comparing
the two men together Hamlet can’t understand the thoughts or feelings that his
mother has claimed to have for Claudius. “Look here upon this picture, and on
this, the counterfeit presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated
on this brow…this was your husband. Here is your husband: like a mildewed
ear… ha have you eyes?” (P 74) Hamlet pass judgment on his mother
disapproving of her conduct and how she’s shown that she would rather bed a
king who has kill her beloved husband than do what is morally right and remove
herself from the throne, and letting Hamlet take his rightful seat on it. While
hamlet is lecturing his mother on her faults the ghost appears in the outer part
of the bedroom. “Do not forget. This visitation is but to whet thy almost
blunted purpose. But look amazement on thy mother sits. O, step between her and
her frightened soul. Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works. Speak to her
Hamlet.” (P 75) Through this quote King Hamlet makes clear what the intentions
of young Hamlet should have been and are to be. He is not to blame his mother
for what she has done, in the re-marrying of a man so soon after her husbands
death, instead he is to seek revenge on Claudius, killing him for his father.
Claudius is abruptly informed that Hamlet acted strangely toward his mother. She
tells him about Hamlet talking into thin air. She is completely convinced of his
insanity when he asks her if she saw the ghost of his father (her true husband).
This is when she runs to Claudius and tells him that she is worried about her
son’s mental health. Claudius is also saddened upon hearing about the death of
his dear friend Polonius. He feels now that he must take passive action against
Hamlet’s behavior. Claudius devises a plan to both see what’s wrong with
Hamlet and to recover the body of his dear deceased friend. He calls upon
Hamlet’s two closest friends. Their names are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
They discover Hamlet in the churchyard. They ask him what he is doing. He has
just finished burying Polonius and he starts speaking to them. “What have you
done, my lord?” Hamlet replies, “Compounded it with dust, whereto its
kin.”(P 81) Hamlet is aware of the fact that his two dearest friends were sent
to betray him. He tells them that he is insulted and also tells them what he
thinks of their actions. “Take you me for a sponge, my lord.” Hamlet
replies, “Ay, sir, that soaks up the king’s countenance, his rewards, his
authorities…”(P81). When Hamlet finally decides to take action, he notifies
a man named Fortinbras. This man is the prince of Norway. He was to arrive with
drums, colors, and all of his ambassadors to celebrate the rightful overtaking
of the throne. The only catch is that even though Hamlet succeeds in
exterminating Claudius, he ends up dying in the process. A few other characters
(Gertrude and Laertes) also die in the duration of this fight. So Fortinbras
becomes devastated and holds a “dead march” in memory of the deceased. It is
obvious that Hamlet eventually acted upon his thoughts. This was a victory won,
but with great loss sustained. Hamlet avenged his father, but lost his own life
in the process. He was never one to conform to the rules. He was essentially a”rebel” for his time. Even a rebel can be a hero. This is proven in the
writings of Shakespeare. Whether it is Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, Shakespeare
was truly an impeccable author. Loved and respected worldwide.
