Harry Levin the word question occurs in Hamlet no less than 17 times, much

more frequently than in any of Shakespeares other plays

Hamlet when we first meet him has lost all sense of life's significance -
Williams Alice 1890

James L Calderwood describes such efforts as the cosmetics of lies and false
seeming conceal the moral ugliness of evil.

How does Shakespeares treatment of conflict shape your

understanding of HAMLET?

a) Soliloquy 1.ii 129-159

b) Hamlet speech A3S4 53-88

HAMLET composed in 1602 is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The play

itself is arguably one of the most famous plays of all time and is ingrained within
popular culture. HAMLET presents an impressive assemblage of intellectual
ideas, ethical systems, social mores, and literary conventions of the Renaissance,
as evolved from the classical period through the medieval era. Within it,
Shakespeare explores the conflict virtue and vice. These conflictions both
internal and external, are reflected in Hamlets identity and are roused by the
corruption afflicting Denmark, and are similarly affected by a Christians notion of
vengeance. Additionally hamlet adopts a critical view towards the anachronistic
and medieval belief that sanctions revenge as virtuous, and challenges concepts
of blind filial devotion while embracing a humanist trust on reason and rationality
to determine a righteous response within a corrupt context kingdom. Thus
through observing the treatment of conflict in Shakespeares HAMLET we gain an
insight of the psychological complication which arises when one questions
foreordained vengeance.

One of Hamlets main soliloquies brings to light one of the main themes and
internal conflicts of the entire play, this conflict being the matter of suicide found
within the quote O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve
itself into a dew!. In this historical context, suicide was a way out of harsh and
painful existence; yet if one did commit suicide according the heavily dominant
Christian religion, that person exiles themselves to eternal suffering in hell. The
constant internal questioning of Hamlets moral validity is an issue that would
have resounded with the audience. The evidence of Hamlets hatred and grief
for the world around him can be examined in the quote: An unweeded garden,
that grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature, possess it merely; where he
compares not just Denmark, but his entire personal life to an unweeded
garden. This scene can be noted as the crumbling of Hamlets foundations of his
desire to live, and the destruction of his own perceptions, as both his family and
his religion have abandoned him. Hamlet when we first meet him has lost all
sense of life's significance - Williams Alice 1890

In important external conflict apparent in HAMLET is between Hamlet and his

uncle, Claudius. Additionally, Hamlets resentfulness towards Gertrude stems
from the conflict between himself and Claudius due to the murder of his father
and their hasteful marriage following the event. In both Act 1 Scene 2 and Act 3
Scene 4, Hamlet makes numerous comparisons between his King Hamlet and
Claudius. More specifically Hamlet refers to his deceased father as being a once
god like being, and insulting Claudius. Hamlet contrasts the two in the line
Hyperion to a satyr in which he makes comparisons of his father to a Hyperion,
one of the twelve giants of ancient Greek Mythology who represented and
upholds virtues of light, wisdom and watchfulness. He also compares Claudius to
a satyr, a half-man half-goat which also draws the implication of Claudius being
the devil due to the fact Satyrs were often depicted as having horns. Furthermore
Hamlet goes on to describe Claudius using a simile as My fathers brother, but
no more like my father than I to Hercules once again comparing his father to a
Greek divine hero and insulting Claudius. Additionally in Act 3 Scene 4 another
comparison is made between the two conflicting characters when he states while
talking to Gertrude Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear blasting his
wholesome brother where Hamlet metaphorically compares his brother to a
rotten ear of corn, showing the corruption of the state of Denmark and the
rotten implications of engaging in regicide.

Hamlets external dilemma, arisen from conflict between himself and his uncle is
shown to be the cause of the destruction of the moral conscience of Denmark.
Within this conflict, hasty marriage, is seen to bring about the corruption of the
royal family, causing further conflict between Hamlet and Gertrude. With
reference to Act 1 Scene 2, Hamlets perception of his own external conflict
between himself and Gertrude is shown to be brought about by the acts of
Claudius and their hasty marriage. Within O god a beast, that wants discourse
of reason, the audience is given bestial references, comparing Gertrude to a
beast, as a result of her lack of mourning. Furthermore, in Act 3 Scene 4,
Shakespeare uses repetition of Rhetorical questions within Have you eyes, thus
paralleling the effects of lack of mourning at the death of Old Hamlet, showing
Gertrudes lack of reason and virtue. The binary opposites between Hamlet and
Claudius, are brought about by their different values, Hamlet having a Humanist
perception of the world and Claudius, show to be Christian, this brings about
further internal conflict between the two characters

Further internal conflict, is shown through Hamlets inability to engage, torn

between his filial duties and the moral consequences of murderous revenge.
Hamlets Christian Conscience, disabling him from enacting in the crime of
regicide is made evident with his lack of trust in the ghost of His father, showing
his internal conflict, brought about by his loyalty to his fathers memory, but
questioned by his Christian conscience. Hamlets apparent inability to enact in
swift vengeance alerts readers of several moral issues. Hamlets initial mistrust of
the ghost, evident in the heaven and hell binaries in Act One scene Four a spirit
of health or goblin damned be they intents wicked or charitable, this points to
his Christian conscience, loyal to the name of god, yet wary of demonic forces.
Hamlet declares in his soliloquy in Act 3, conscience makes cowards of us all, it
is this human conscience, a defining characteristic of Elizabethan belief that
precludes the act of vengeance, shaping the text to be one which shows conflict
between moral and religious discourse. This stresses an ethical allegiance to the
symbol of heaven and the Holy Father over the literal father, therefore showing
the origin for Hamlets internal conflict