The Importance of Fear in Hamlet Essay examples - 1063 Words

The Importance of Fear in Hamlet Fear plays an important role in Shakespeares tragic play, Hamlet. Within the play, the main character, Hamlet, attempts to overcome his fear and fulfill his fathers revenge. Hamlets apprehension toward death prevents him from carrying out the murder of Claudius. Although confrontation with death is avoided for as long as possible, Hamlet comes to recognize his weakness, and faces this anxiety. Displaying an antic disposition, Hamlet first attempts to side step his trepidation by feigning madness. After meeting with his fathers proposed ghost, Hamlet attempts to distance himself from the thought or evidence of death. Hamlet notifies his friends, Marcellus and Horatio, of his plan†¦show more content†¦Hamlet exhibits his insecurity toward death when he lingers on the phrase no traveler returns from death. He is afraid of leaving his earthly life, showing his indecision towards what lies in the afterlife. This indecision carries over into his actions when trying to go through with Claudius murder. Hesitant to kill Claudius, Hamlets settles on making sure the ghost was correct in his accusation. By employing the players to dramatize the murder of King Hamlet Sr., Hamlet hides behind the faà §ade of the play in order to accuse Claudius. By using the players as his medium for accusation, Hamlet again shows how timid he is to approach the subject of death and confront it face to face. It is seen by Claudius that Hamlets madness is a direct threat to his security, and Hamlet is shipped off to England. While traveling to his execution, Hamlet again slips out of deaths way before having to directly challenge it. Prior to Hamlets kidnapping, he changes the letter to have it be his escorts execution. This is only appropriate, since Hamlet never is present to see their reaction to facing death, or is there is witness the ending of their lives. Again, Hamlet is able to allude death, by escaping the ship set sail for his execution. Returning home, Hamlet contemplates the finality of death, and resolves to confront this head on, breaking his guise of insanity. Walking back toward the Kingdom, through a grave yard with Horatio,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Religion and Morality in Hamlet955 Words   |  4 PagesBenny Woo 10/27/10 Religion and Morality in Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Danish prince sets out to avenge his father’s assassination at the hands of his uncle Claudius, the new king. At first, Hamlet is fragile because of his father’s sudden death and the following marriage of his mother Gertrude and uncle Claudius. Originally contemplating suicide, Hamlet dissuades himself from doing so on the grounds of it being a sin. Shifting from an internal struggle to an external oneRead MoreHamlet by Williams Shakespeare: The Women Hidden in the Shadows1154 Words   |  5 Pagesand bold actions. 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