Hamlet Essay, Research Paper
HAMLET:
As Modern as Today
Find me an involved Shakespearean student that does not find interest in Hamlet,
and I will find you a member of Congress who does not like money. It is as simple as that.
Just thinking about the Bard s tale of sadness and revenge makes the hairs on the nape of
my neck stand up and tingle. Who out there in the modern world is not familiar with the
ever-so-famous line to be, or not to be? I should hope that every high school student is
somewhat knowledgeable as to where that originated from. If not, it indicates a failure on
their teacher s behalf.
Hamlet. One word that inspires a million emotions and feelings in anyone that
hears it uttered. What English student isn t familiar with this classic tale of a prince gone
mad? So many different aspects of today s society can be picked out of this story.
Revenge, betrayal, sorrow, insanity, lust, greed, and despair are only a select few. The
aspect of revenge is most evident in the story, seemingly so because two young men are
both on the race to avenge the death of their father.
I myself am in love with Shakespeare s works. From Henry V to Much Ado
About Nothing, I find his stories entertaining as well as fascinating. I realize that all of his
works aren t original, but the way he presents them is just breathtaking. His vernacular as
well as his diction encompasses the power to hold the reader spellbound. I believe that if a
woman approached me, speaking like Ophelia does, I would fall head over heels for her.
That is, if she were presentable enough. Come, now…I m not shallow, but I have my
stipulations!
Although Hamlet is not my all-time favorite Shakespearean work, it ranks
extremely high on my list. The themes present in the story are easily understandable, as
well as related to. Who, in their life, has never dreamed of getting even with someone
because they have wronged you in some way? I m sure that everyone has wanted to.
This story is somewhat of an escape into a new reality where the reader can feel content
when the bad guy gets it. A sense of relief washed over you when at last, that dastardly
fink gets his castigation. We ourselves cannot come to avenge it ourselves, so the story
serves as a sort of a substitute where we can relieve our tensions through the written
word.
Where do I begin to state my feelings about Hamlet. All s I can utter is wow.
From start to finish, it holds the reader steadfast in an iron-tight grip of sheer awe. One
man, a single person wrote this story. He had such an amazing grasp of the language that
the lines he used are still practiced and rehearsed even today. His plays are put on
worldwide and quite frequently, at that. There is hardly a person alive who does not know
who Shakespeare is.
My reaction to the play is one of contentment and wonderment. I hold the Bard in
such high regard that I find myself constantly researching information about him and his
works. My Shakespeare library is growing at a sharpening rate. It is alarming how the
Bard Bug has bitten me. It is a sickness that I hope there is no cure for. I have
developed a love for everything Shakespearean and an affinity for all of his plays. Truly,
in my mind, Shakespeare is a dream that I wish I may never awake from.