Hamlet by Shakespeare is one of the greatest and most famous works of literature in the world, and it acts as an inspiration to many writers the world over, who succeeded him. The play talks about the tragic history of the Prince of Denmark, who takes revenge on his father’s murderer. The current king, who is also Hamlet’s uncle, is responsible for the death of his father; also, Hamlet’s uncle has gone ahead to marry his mother, in less than two months after his father’s death. Hamlets seek revenge on the current king for two things; having killed his father, and having married his father’s widow. The series of events happening in the play, are all aimed at vengeance; the internal conflicts within Hamlet, the ghost that resembles his father, and his friends enhance the successes of the protagonist’s mission. In his quest for revenge, Hamlet dies but not before the death of his uncle and his mother, hence an achievement of his revenge. In the Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays revenge as an inward tragic event that’s brought about by destructive family relationships, whose negative energy destroys a person. The play is considered a reflection of the confusion, falsity, and evil in our everyday life, and in a world where things are different from what they seem. In addition, the protagonist in the play portrays the primary responses and emotions associated with human nature (Irina 2009). Several devices are used in the play; one of the main devices is soliloquy, which is considered one of the critical tools in English literature. Soliloquy is present in the play from time to time, where Hamlet delivers a speech which the other characters have no knowledge about, but which the audience is aware of. It is through such speeches that we can know the character’s inner conflicts and motivations. It is also through soliloquy that the author is able to externalize and dramatize Hamlet’s thoughts in the play. The play’s narrative structure and dramatic form are also devices used, and which help in plot development and in the creation of the different concepts in the play. This helps the audience understand the flow of the play and the various aspects incorporated into it by Shakespeare.
Narrative structure and dramatic form are techniques used in modern literature to create the patterns, sequence of events, and plots in a drama or play. Narrative structure is the framework of a play that determines the manner in which it is presented to the audience. Primary narrative structures have different forms which include; linear narratives, nonlinear narratives, interactive narration, and interactive narratives (Jauregui 2002). This enables the definition of key concepts that are entailed in a play like the setting, main characters, and key conflicts. It also plays a significant role in the presentation of a chronological order of events, indicating the changes occurring throughout the play. It focuses on the story in the play and on the form that’s used to tell that story to the audience. This refers to the content of the dramatic action in the plots of the play; the effectiveness of the narrative structure revolves around the logical flow of events in the story, comprised of clear and predictable elements to the audience. Dramatic form is a literary element composed of five different parts to help writers produce an organized sequence of thoughts and ideas when focusing on the basic problem of the play. The structure refers to the plot development, how the materials are arranged, and the sequence of events, all of which are aimed at adding a dramatic effect to a play. The five plots are; the introduction, the central conflict, the rising action, the climax and falling action, and the resolution. (Kumamoto 2007). In addition, contemporary plays have embraced the use of a dual plot structure which focuses on the inclusion of two plots in a single play. Usually, the role of the play’s structure is to intrigue and attract the attention of the audience; also, the structure is of great importance, as it creates a pattern that combines different aspects for effective plot development. Although modern drama is unpredictable in its structure or form, the drama form of the play and narrative structure are essential in the creation of a complete flow of events and in the creation also, of cohesion in a play.
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Shakespeare’s Hamlet externalizes the inner thoughts of Hamlet through the use of soliloquy and aside devices. In the play, there are various speeches that occur in the thoughts of the main character, which act as the inward tragedy that leads to his death. The different speeches by Hamlet to himself depicts the internal conflicts and struggles that happen in the protagonist’s mind and in his inner life in general. Through the various soliloquies, the author powerfully externalizes and dramatizes the internal tensions and feelings of Hamlet. Hamlet is faced with dilemmas, and is unable to reach any decisions until he has no other option, which leads to emotional distress on his part; through soliloquy, the audience can understand the major conflicts that the character is facing. The audience gets to know the thoughts of Hamlet which encompass rage and powerlessness throughout the play. Hamlet chooses to deal with his issues internally, which is the reason why his inner self is intensified and results to his actions which are mostly motivated by impulse instead of reasoning (Arrington 2015). The story enlightens and challenges the audience on the choices of life; it also encourages us to keep the valuable lessons in our hearts. “If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, absent thee from felicity awhile, and this harsh world draw thy breath in pain to tell my story” (Act 5, Scene 2). There are many soliloquies in the play through which Shakespeare invites the audience in a state of self-reflection of our inner conflicts and desires. One of the soliloquies is ‘To be, or not to be,' that is the question.
“ Whether ‘tis nobler in mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and opposing end them? To die, to sleep…” (Act 3, Scene 1). This is the most famous of all soliloquys in the Hamlet, as it incorporates philosophical ideas into the play, pioneering this form of literature. This speech has received various interpretations, each based on different perspectives. “To be or not to be “ questions the benefits of life over death; Hamlet’s thoughts are about ending his life even though at the end, he decides to live so as to accomplish his mission of revenge on his uncle, the then king of Denmark (Irina 2009). When he poses this question, it is clear that the main subject is death; however, Hamlet also recognizes that even though suicide is one of the solutions that are available to him, it is a sin in God’s eyes. This means that if he commits suicide, this could make his afterlife worse than the present situation, which he’ll have escaped. Moreover, the fact that no one knows about life after death and its nature makes Hamlet, like many others, to choose life over death. At the end of this soliloquy, Hamlet decides to face the evil in his life although there remains a contemplation about the reasons for death. Also, it is through these internal conversations that Hamlet can pursue his vengeance without being swallowed into the evil and corrupt world. In this soliloquy, life is depicted as a burden and a lack of power, even in the face of unbearable situations; Hamlet lists all of the unfavorable circumstances and things that annoy him in life (Kumamoto 2007). However, at the end, he understands that the fear of the unknown prevents people from doing anything no matter how bad life gets. Finally, at death, Hamlet is relieved of the burden of revenge, grief, and pain, with the acceptance that all the negative attributes in life will always result to misery and eventually, to the death of the wholeness of a person.
An example of a personal narrative in soliloquy form is about an internal conversation that happens just before addressing a group of students in school at a play directed by one of my professors. I was vying for a political position in class politics, and I invited fellow students, who were the voters in the set elections. “I do not know if I made the right decision stepping up as a candidate in the elections. I know not what they expect from me as a leader; I am nervous about their reaction towards my agenda. I have never taken this path before, but my guts tell me it’s a good idea. If there is a positive response from the eligible voters, I will take up the challenge and face my opponents; if there is a negative response, I will not proceed with my intentions”. As this conversation happens in my mind, I am looking at the large number of students who have attended my meeting. I cannot get past the fear of not meeting their expectations or of convincing them enough that I am the ideal candidate for the post at stake in order to gain their support. I can see the look of an audience who seem to wish they could get a chance to tell me a word or two to include in my speech. Although my audience knows what is going on in my head, the crowd of students who I am about to address has no idea of this. To them, the smile I have on my face indicates a calm, confident, and focused student who is determined and sure of her intentions. I was not about to let them know of the fear and doubts that were within me. As I open my mouth to address the crowd, the audience of the play only hopes for the best for me, knowing my inner thoughts, whilst my fellow students listen keenly to my speech to help them decide their stand.
In conclusion, Hamlet by Shakespeare remains one of the most influential literary works, and it has been used by many in the development of English literature. It is also rated as one of the plays, most performed during Shakespeare’s lifetime, inspiring many writers of modern narratives. In addition, the Hamlet is one of the longest plays written at a time when most plays were expected to run only for 2 hours, this particular play often takes over four hours to deliver. Even in today’s performances, the play is not produced entirely. Most of the philosophical ideas that are found in the play have Greek origins, which are now described as skeptical. Through the play, the author demonstrates the way of thinking and decision making of human beings even in the contemporary society. The main character portrays patience and resilience, which is characteristic of humanity when faced with stressful situations in life. This is an aspect associated with every individual as they all sense and perceive things differently, concluding that there only exist relative truth, and further, that there is no absolute truth due to the diversity of human nature. Although the play ends with the tragic death of the royal family, the protagonist lives to see the end of his mission, which is revenging his father’s death. The success of his mission is through different characters, including his friends, his father’s ghost and his inner forces which drive him to act accordingly. This play is a resourceful source of literary work and a fantastic piece of writing recommended to all people interested in literature.
References
Arrington, P. (May 01, 2015). Feigned Soliloquy, Feigned Argument: Hamlet's “To Be or Not to Be” Speech as Sophistic Dissoi Logoi. Ben Jonson Journal, 22, 1, 101-118.
Irina Keshabyan. (December 01, 2009). Analyzing the Concepts of Vengeance and Honor in Shakespeare´s Hamlet and Sumarokov´s Gamlet: A Corpus-based Approach to Literature. International Journal of English Studies (ijes), 9, 3, 235-258.
Jauregui, I. (October 01, 2002). Psychology and literature: the question of reading otherwise. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 83, 5, 1169-1180.
Kumamoto, C. D. (October 01, 2007). Prince Hamlet, Please Meet Mr. Philip Marlowe: English Renaissance Revenge Drama and the Contemporary Mystery Novel. The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association, 40, 2, 61-78.
