Hamlet: Hamlet: An Introduction An Introduction to Interpretationsto Interpretations

Grand Poetical PuzzleGrand Poetical Puzzle

Play best reflects the universality of Play best reflects the universality of Shakespeare’s genius, yet most Shakespeare’s genius, yet most enigmaticenigmatic

Hamlet has caused more discussion Hamlet has caused more discussion than any other character in fiction, than any other character in fiction, dramatic or non-dramaticdramatic or non-dramatic

Two Hamlets in the playTwo Hamlets in the play

I. “Sweet Prince”I. “Sweet Prince” Sensitive young intellectual and Sensitive young intellectual and

idealistidealist Expresses himself in unforgettable Expresses himself in unforgettable

poetrypoetry Dedicated to the truthDedicated to the truth

Two Hamlets, cont.Two Hamlets, cont.

II. Barbaric HamletII. Barbaric Hamlet Treats Ophelia cruellyTreats Ophelia cruelly Slays Polonius – then speaks of lugging Slays Polonius – then speaks of lugging

guts into another roomguts into another room Callously reports sending Rosencrantz Callously reports sending Rosencrantz

and Guildenstern to their deathsand Guildenstern to their deathsDid Shakespeare transmute an old play Did Shakespeare transmute an old play

without reconstructing it?without reconstructing it?

Critics don’t accept the idea Critics don’t accept the idea that Shakespeare was not that Shakespeare was not

carefulcareful Audiences and readers find Audiences and readers find

themselves sympathetic to Hamletthemselves sympathetic to Hamlet Try to find the key to his character Try to find the key to his character

through intensive study of through intensive study of Renaissance thoughtRenaissance thought

H. N. Hudson, Shakespearean H. N. Hudson, Shakespearean criticcritic

““It is easy to invent with plausibility It is easy to invent with plausibility almost any theory respecting almost any theory respecting [Hamlet], but very hard to make any [Hamlet], but very hard to make any theory comprehend the whole theory comprehend the whole subject.”subject.”

From his Introduction to From his Introduction to Hamlet, Hamlet, 18701870

Tragic HeroTragic Hero Must start with the assumption that the tragic Must start with the assumption that the tragic

hero has a clear and sacred obligation to kill hero has a clear and sacred obligation to kill Claudius and to do so without delayClaudius and to do so without delay

Basic question: Why does so much time Basic question: Why does so much time elapse before the young Prince sweeps to his elapse before the young Prince sweeps to his revenge?revenge?

It is argued that if he had acted quickly in It is argued that if he had acted quickly in killing Claudius, that everyone, including killing Claudius, that everyone, including Hamlet, would still be alive at the end of the Hamlet, would still be alive at the end of the playplay

Six Interpretations:Six Interpretations:I. Hamlet, the Victim of I. Hamlet, the Victim of

External DifficultiesExternal Difficulties Simple answerSimple answer

Hamlet faces external difficulties which make Hamlet faces external difficulties which make immediate, positive action impossibleimmediate, positive action impossible

Claudius too powerful; only once placed Claudius too powerful; only once placed himself in a defenseless position.himself in a defenseless position.

If H. acted, how could he have convinced the If H. acted, how could he have convinced the people that he justifiably had executed people that he justifiably had executed revenge?revenge?

II. Hamlet, the Sentimental II. Hamlet, the Sentimental DreamerDreamer

Romantic critics of the late 18Romantic critics of the late 18thth and and early 19early 19thth centuries saw H. as gifted centuries saw H. as gifted but incapable of positive action.but incapable of positive action.

Goethe first pointed out a Goethe first pointed out a sentimental interpretation – Hamlet sentimental interpretation – Hamlet is a young man of “lovely, pure, and is a young man of “lovely, pure, and moral nature, without the strength of moral nature, without the strength of nerve which forms a hero.”nerve which forms a hero.”

II. II. Sentimental Dreamer, Sentimental Dreamer, cont .cont .

Goethe’s Prince is an impractical dreamerGoethe’s Prince is an impractical dreamer A.W. Schleger – Hamlet has “no firm belief A.W. Schleger – Hamlet has “no firm belief

either in himself or in anything else […] in either in himself or in anything else […] in the resolutions which he so often em- the resolutions which he so often em- braces and always leaves unexecuted, his braces and always leaves unexecuted, his weakness is too apparent […] his far-weakness is too apparent […] his far-fetched scruples are often mere pretexts fetched scruples are often mere pretexts to cover his want of determination”to cover his want of determination”

- - Dramatic Art & Literature, Dramatic Art & Literature, 18101810

Sentimental Dreamer, cont.Sentimental Dreamer, cont. Coleridge – Hamlet suffers from an “over-Coleridge – Hamlet suffers from an “over-

balance of the contemplative faculty” and balance of the contemplative faculty” and “thereby becomes the creature of mere “thereby becomes the creature of mere meditation and loses his power to action” meditation and loses his power to action”

- - Notes & Lectures on Shakespeare, Notes & Lectures on Shakespeare, 18081808 William Hazlitt – “At other times , when he William Hazlitt – “At other times , when he

is most bound to act, he remains puzzled, is most bound to act, he remains puzzled, undecided, and sceptical [sic], dallies with undecided, and sceptical [sic], dallies with his purposes, till the occasion is lost”his purposes, till the occasion is lost”- - Characters in Shakespeare’s Plays, Characters in Shakespeare’s Plays, 18181818

III. The Victim of Excessive III. The Victim of Excessive MelancholyMelancholy

Theory comes from 18Theory comes from 18thth century century Hamlet’s grief is pathological.Hamlet’s grief is pathological. It is a destructive thing which causes It is a destructive thing which causes

him to procrastinate and leads to his him to procrastinate and leads to his death.death.

““Melancholy” – called the “Elizabethan Melancholy” – called the “Elizabethan malady”malady”

Was recognized as a diseaseWas recognized as a disease Treatises written on itTreatises written on it

Excessive Melancholy, cont.Excessive Melancholy, cont. Melancholy characters of one kind or Melancholy characters of one kind or

another appeared often in elizabethan and another appeared often in elizabethan and Jacobean playsJacobean plays

Hamlet has been classified as the Hamlet has been classified as the intellectual melancholy typeintellectual melancholy type

Disease that afflicts him is most Disease that afflicts him is most destructive kind, melancholy adustdestructive kind, melancholy adust

When his mood shifts from deep When his mood shifts from deep depression to elation, he is following the depression to elation, he is following the pattern of behavior peculiar to the pattern of behavior peculiar to the melancholic described by Bright in his melancholic described by Bright in his A A Treatise of Melancholie, Treatise of Melancholie, 15861586

IV. The Victim of the Oedipus IV. The Victim of the Oedipus ComplexComplex

Freudian, or neo-Freudian, Freudian, or neo-Freudian, interpretation of interpretation of Hamlet Hamlet that appeals that appeals to people todayto people today

Dr. Ernest Jones, disciple and Dr. Ernest Jones, disciple and biographer of Sigmund Freud, wrote biographer of Sigmund Freud, wrote Hamlet & Oedipus Hamlet & Oedipus in 1910in 1910

Hamlet suffered from an undue and Hamlet suffered from an undue and unhealthy attachment of a son for his unhealthy attachment of a son for his mother which is apt to be morbidly mother which is apt to be morbidly suppressed and cause great mental suppressed and cause great mental distressdistress

Oedipus Complex, cont.Oedipus Complex, cont. Harry Levin rejects the theoryHarry Levin rejects the theory This theory “motivates Hamlet’s delay This theory “motivates Hamlet’s delay

by identifying him with Claudius, by identifying him with Claudius, through whom he has vicariously through whom he has vicariously accomplished the Oedipal feat of accomplished the Oedipal feat of murdering his father and marrying his murdering his father and marrying his mother”mother”

--The Question of HamletThe Question of Hamlet

V. Motivated by AmbitionV. Motivated by Ambition Play seen as one of the Elizabethan Play seen as one of the Elizabethan

ambition playsambition plays The reason for Hamlet’s desire to kill his The reason for Hamlet’s desire to kill his

uncle is not to avenge his father’s “foul and uncle is not to avenge his father’s “foul and most unnatural murder,” but rather to make most unnatural murder,” but rather to make possible his own advancement to the thronepossible his own advancement to the throne

The delays and inner conflicts are the result The delays and inner conflicts are the result of his awareness that personal ambition and of his awareness that personal ambition and pride, not sacred duty, motivate him. pride, not sacred duty, motivate him.

VI. VI. Misled by the GhostMisled by the Ghost Not all critics agree that the ghost is an Not all critics agree that the ghost is an

honest ghost or that Hamlet has a honest ghost or that Hamlet has a solemn duty to slay Claudiussolemn duty to slay Claudius

This denies the assumption that Hamlet This denies the assumption that Hamlet is the instrument of divine vengeance – is the instrument of divine vengeance – public justice – and is instead a sinner public justice – and is instead a sinner & must suffer for his sins& must suffer for his sins

Hamlet is a tragic hero who should not Hamlet is a tragic hero who should not take vengeance into his own handstake vengeance into his own hands

Misled by the Ghost, cont.Misled by the Ghost, cont. Renaissance theories of revenge will help Renaissance theories of revenge will help

us understand H’s dilemmaus understand H’s dilemma The test of the Ghost’s honesty is not to The test of the Ghost’s honesty is not to

establish Claudius’s guilt, but to establish establish Claudius’s guilt, but to establish the nature of the Ghost’s injunctionthe nature of the Ghost’s injunction

If Ghost is not honest, the Prince is called If Ghost is not honest, the Prince is called upon to execute upon to execute private private vengeance, an vengeance, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, which is eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, which is contrary to Christian teachingcontrary to Christian teaching

H’s problem – a man who believes in H’s problem – a man who believes in heaven and hell and whose reason tells heaven and hell and whose reason tells him that the man who defies divine him that the man who defies divine ordinance ultimately must face judgmentordinance ultimately must face judgment

Misled by the Ghost, cont.Misled by the Ghost, cont. Shakespeare, then, portrays a tragic hero Shakespeare, then, portrays a tragic hero

who should who should not not take vengeance into his own take vengeance into his own hands and a Ghost that is “a spirit damn’d.”hands and a Ghost that is “a spirit damn’d.”

This is Eleanor Prosser’s theory – This is Eleanor Prosser’s theory – Hamlet and Hamlet and Revenge, Revenge, 19671967

Instead of seeing H as one whose propensity Instead of seeing H as one whose propensity for thought prevents him from performing the for thought prevents him from performing the necessary action, Prosser finds him to be one necessary action, Prosser finds him to be one whose conscience, which operates with whose conscience, which operates with reason, restrains him for some time from reason, restrains him for some time from acting impulsively in response to instinct.acting impulsively in response to instinct.

ConclusionsConclusions

Shakespeare’s tragedy is a work of Shakespeare’s tragedy is a work of surpassing interest and genius, and the surpassing interest and genius, and the tragic hero is universally attractive and tragic hero is universally attractive and fascinating.fascinating.

Only the naïve will start with the assumption Only the naïve will start with the assumption that there is one obvious interpretation of that there is one obvious interpretation of the play and that critics, not Shakespeare, the play and that critics, not Shakespeare, have introduced complexities into it. have introduced complexities into it.