How Does Shakespeare Present Identity In Hamlet
In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, he writes about the challenges royalty could
face and emphasizes the challenges of family relationships, suicidal thoughts and
doubt, and explores the idea of revenge and identity. The main themes present are
expectation versus reality and the complexity of actions. Shakespeare wrote this
play during the Renaissance, with the rise of humanism, emphasizing that the ideal
world is filled with many of difficulties, therefore it is impossible to know the
whole truth. The context of this play is set in Elsinore, Denmark in the 14th century,
where a prince discovers his father was murdered and seeks revenge on his uncle,
who marries the queen, and is a suspect of killing the former king. If Shakespeare had
written... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Hamlet s famous soliloquy, To be, or not to be? (3.1, 57 91), he emphasizes the
challenges in facing the unknown truth of reality and questions whether his
decisions are ethical. Hamlet goes on and says, Whether tis nobler in the mind to
suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of
troubles, and , by opposing, end them? (3.1, 58 61). Today, there are many people
who experience depression and anxiety that always wonder whether living is worth
the chance. Revenge is constantly present because negative thoughts and outcomes
can heavily damage a person mentally and physically. Especially for Hamlet, he is
convinced that the ghost of his father told him the truth, and is determined to kill
Claudius for his father. In modern society, cyber bullying is common due to the easy
access to the internet for people to attack each other and spread of negative messages.
Suicide and revenge contribute to the theme of complexity of action, that emotions
can control one s actions and lead to irrational decisions, which is part of the human