Humanity And Moral In Hamlet

Humanity and Moral in "Hamlet"

While reading "Hamlet" the reader is induced to ponder upon centuries-old problems that still have no concrete answer - humanity, moral, madness and sanity, love and hate, good and bad. Shakespeare leads us through the various aspects of these issues by revealing the contrasting personalities of his characters and by the protagonist's philosophical view of life.

Often contradicting in his words and deeds, Hamlet makes us think what would be the right thing to do, what actions should we take if we encounter the same situations as he does. Unfortunately, more often than not there is no 'right' decision and every step you take (or do not take) will be in breach of some personal or society moral. For example, in order to revenge for his father's death, Hamlet will have to take a human's life, to become a murderer. Moreover the person that he has to kill is his blood relative and the husband of his beloved mother. Although he claims to hate his uncle and disapproves of his mother's marriage, I believe that this is one the reasons for Hamlet's indecisiveness when it comes to the revenge. He wants to do his duty to his father but at the same time he can't completely ignore his feelings for his mother. It also appears that it may be difficult for Hamlet to kill another human being, as we know his reaction to the war that Prince Fortinbras fights with Poland - he doesn't understand how people could be so violent. Even when Hamlet kills Ophelia's father, he doesn't openly admit this and take

responsibility, which suggests the fact that he might not be able to deal with the thought that he is a murderer.

Contrasting to Hamlet's indecisive nature, comes the impulsiveness of some of his acts, like stabbing Polonius thinking that he was Claudius. These moments reveal Hamlet's determination to fight for his cause. He struggles with the evilness but realizes that he is alone in his "war" and will not be able to win,

...