Although Hamlet is not a completely irrational character, the ghost evokes enough emotion to stir Hamlet's soul and gear him towards murder. ... Although there may be a variety of factors why Hamlet does not kill Claudius instantly, it may be argued that Hamlet is displaying rational behavior, and this rational behavior keeps him from bloody murder. ... One way in which readers and scholars of Hamlet have interpreted the significance of both reason and passion in the play is by shaping the interpretation with various philosophies throughout history. 17th century Romanticists may see Hamle...

• Word Count: 1742
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

One of the greatest plays ever written was Shakespeare, "Hamlet-. In "Hamlet-, there is plenty of room for interpretation because, first of all it is a play, and second the writer does not give you painted scenery in which to imagine the characters, and setting. ... A perfect example of this is Tolstoy's, "The Death of Ivan Ilyich-; even though this is a short story the author does not give you any room for interpretation. ... One of the most important scenes in "Hamlet- is the "to be or not to be- scene. ... In one of the Hamlet movies, this scene is set as Hamlet being inside a t...

• Word Count: 1112
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Relation of religion with "HAMLET" Claudius's murder of King Hamlet, the act catalyzing the drama of the play, is presented as a sin of primordial character and cosmic implications. ... The ghost encourages Hamlet to take this task into his own hands. ... Hamlet is a revenge tragedy, a common genre in Shakespeare's day. ... Even the most cursory review of the dramatic movement and literary structure of the play, however, demolishes all such interpretations. ... Later, Hamlet, on his way to England under the gua...

• Word Count: 1931
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

The character of Claudius is perhaps the most complex in the play and therefore is open to wide interpretation. ... He praises Hamlet for fulfilling his duty as a son and offers his condolence. ... Claudius discounts Hamlet's genuine grief and decides that his sorrow is "impious stubbornness". ... He went against Gods wishes when he removed Hamlet snr as king. ... The interpretation that Shakespeare wanted to present Claudius as a coward is accentuated in many other ways. ...

• Word Count: 1997
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

To Sleep Perchance, To Dream: Shakespeare's Use Of Dream and Sleep Motifs To Create The Gothic Reality Although Shakespeare's contribution to the Gothic novel was acknowledged by Horace Walpole in the preface to the Second Edition of "The Castle of Otranto," "shelter[ing] my own daring under the cannon of the brightest genius in the country" (Walpole 13), the extent to which the Gothic sensibility informs so many of Shakespeare's plays has only recently been conceded by many mainstream scholars. This is hardly surprising considering Gothic fiction's entr...

• Word Count: 2655
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School