Abstract
As one of Shakespeare’s the four famous tragedies, Hamlet is the most remarkable one. It is also the sign of the maturation in the art of Shakespeare’s play. With abundant connotation of the time, vivid characters, complicated conflict and varied story, Hamlet gives people deep impression and moves them to appreciate it. This article aims to analyze the tragedy aspects in Hamlet from all the aspects of plot, character, conflict, and so on, according to which it reveals more information about England in the period of Renaissance. Based on the complicated plots, Hamlet reveals the confusion of England in 16th. In this play, there are many characters. With different character, each one reflects different feature of different stage and their social status, and also their value of life, which decide their final sufferance. The struggle between Hamlet and Claudius is about the conflict between the newly emerged capital humanists and the feudal evil force, which reflects the humanists’ hardship for their dreams to come true. As the essence of Renaissance, humanism is a newly emerged thought at that time, but unfortunately, it failed. On behalf of humanists, Hamlet confirms human’s value and dignity, and also the wisdom and power, but in front of the evil reality, all his dreams are destroyed completely. He just gets the spiritual victory with the cost of his life. As the mitigation of the time, Hamlet shows that it is destined to fail for humanists.
Key Words
Tragedy of Characters; conflict; humanism; tragedy of plots; fighting for throne
摘 要
《哈姆雷特》是莎士比亚戏剧创作中最杰出的代表作，著名的四大悲剧之一，又是莎士比亚戏剧艺术成熟的标志。该剧以丰富的时代内涵、生动的人物形象、复杂的矛盾冲突以及曲折多变的故事情节，给人们留下深刻的印象，吸引着他们对其不断的进行解读。本篇文章旨在从情节、人物、矛盾冲突等多方面分析《哈姆雷特》戏剧中的悲剧色彩。透过复杂的故事情节，该剧展示了十六世纪英国的动荡与混乱。该剧中任务众多，不同的任务有不同的性格，也反映了当时不同层次、身份的任务的特征以及他们的人生观。从而决定了他们最终的归宿。剧中哈姆雷特与克劳狄斯的斗争是新兴资产阶级人文主义者与日趋反动的封建王权代表任务之间的斗争，反映了文艺复兴时期先进人物为实现美好理想向社会恶势力所进行的斗争。作为文艺复兴的核心，人文主义在当时是一种新兴思潮，但却遭到失败。作为人文主义者的典型代表，哈姆雷特对人类抱有美好的看法。他相信人类的智慧、高雅和力量。然而，面对罪恶的现实，他所有的人文主义理想都被彻底破灭。因而只能以生命的代价换来精神上的胜利。作为时代的缩影，《哈姆雷特》揭示了人文主义理想破灭的必然性。
关键词
人物悲情；矛盾冲突；人文主义；情节悲剧；王权斗争
Introduction
It is known that Hamlet is the most remarkable works of Shakespeare in his dramas. It describes a story of a prince’s revenge for his father’s death in Denmark, during which, it reveals human-being different conflicts. With abundant connotation of the time, vivid characters, complicated conflict and varied story, Hamlet gives people deep impression and moves them to appreciate it. There are three simultaneous plots of revenge, from which, the tragedy of characters is described more complicated. There is also some description of characters: Hamlet represents the few number of the advanced person emerging in the feudal society; Claudius, who is the head of the reactionary force, is also a schemer, the model character of double-dealer. He is dissolute, insidious and sham. But finally, such unforgivable man bears what he should do; Ophelia, who is one of the loveliest girls Shakespeare has described, is also a tragedy character in this play. She is kind, but because of her innocent and tenderness, she became the tool which her father used to pleasant the King.
As one of the four famous tragedies, Hamlet is full of tragedy aspects: it described a disordered world, and also a world with strong self-consciousness, which reflected the modern main parts uncertainness and complication in the period of Renaissance. In such a special time, there are all the kinds of formation: Claudius’s schemes to seize the state power; the ethics between the ghost and his son; the sincere feelings between Hamlet and Ophelia; friendship’s forsaking with old classmates; simultaneous revenge action; the failure of humanism, and so on. With all the formation organized, it forms Hamlet’s special artistic charm and literal achievement, which reveal human-being the tragedy aspects of Hamlet incisively and vividly.
I. The General Introduction of the Story
It is a story of a prince’s revenge for his father’s death in Denmark. The King of Denmark died, young prince Hamlet who was making further education abroad came back to his country. Out of his imagination, his mother married his uncle Claudius just after the old King’s death. A ghost who looked like the old King emerged one night, and told Hamlet that it was Claudius who killed him, so Hamlet vowed to revenge. He began to pretend to be mad, and left his lover Ophelia. To spy upon the reflection of Claudius, Hamlet arranged a play which was drawn by him. Claudius realized it, he sent Hamlet to England, and asked the man who kept watch on Hamlet to give letter to the king of England to have Hamlet died. But Claudius failed; Hamlet came back to his country again. Meanwhile Ophelia was drawn because of her father’s death and her lover Hamlet’s drifting apart of her. Her brother Leartes was very angry; he asked to fight with Hamlet. Then Claudius arranged a sword match for them, in which Hamlet was killed by the poison sword, Laertes was wounded to die. The Queen (Hamlet’s mother) died from the poison wine which was prepared for Hamlet by Claudius. Before death, Laertes told the truth. Finally Hamlet killed Claudius with the cost of his life.
II. Three Simultaneous Plots of Revenge
In Hamlet, there are three simultaneous plots of revenge, which give more details to help us learn the tragedy aspects in it. There are three characters: Hamlet, Laertes and
Fortinbius,all of whose father are killed. Based on the concept of the time, all the three persons should revenge for their relatives. As the same task, because of their own character and outlook of life, there are three different ways. Of the three persons, there
are two groups of comparison: Laertes and Hamlet are both comparatively young men in a court dominated by the Middle Aged; both are described as being popular with the people in Denmark; their common love for Ophelia units them thematically in the fourth act; and the ensuing swordfight which result in both their death makes clear the extent to which they are each other’s opposites; both give themselves the task of revenging the death of a relative; both are spied on by their parents. Young Fortinblas, who has a few similarities to Hamlet: he too is the nephew of a King; he too is any enemy of Claudius; he too is seeking some sort of vengeance following the death of his father.
A. Laertes’s Simple Idea to Revenge
Of Laertes’s idea to revenge, it can be described as “simple”. He is noble and dignified in his appearance, while in fact there is nothing in is mind. He is impulsive, narrow minded. Though he realizes his error and reveals the evil plot of the King, he loses his life. As he learns the news that his father Polonius was killed, without asking anyone about the reason, hurriedly he comes back to Denmark and arouses the asses to action. Thinking that the King is the sinner of his father’s death, Laretes leads his masses rush into the court and fight with Claudius. We see Laretes does like that, but in fact, he does not love his father at all. He laughs at his father’s weakness, hates that his father asks someone to keep watch on him. For the reason of his father’s death, he has no interest. Suppose Laertes is willing to learn the reason, he would know that the death of Polonius is caused by himself, for he is so positive to interfere the conflict between Hamlet and the King. What’s more, he supports the King. Hamlet is meaningless to kill Polonius, to which Laertes dose not care about, so he decides to revenge without any doubt. He understands the moral from the point of formalism, according to which he takes action. His principle is measure for measure. What Laertes revenges for is the reputation of his relevant and his family. In the face of such requirement, even the King’s order, it should be delayed. Besides, what Laertes revenges for is his ambitions. When he leads his masses to kill the King, he advocates them support him as the King. It is available that Laertes’s revenge is spanorced from the essence, he has ulterior motives.
B．Fortinblas’s Abandonment to Revenge
Fortinblas gives up to revenge. In this drama we do not see the Norway prince so
many times. Just because of his uncle’s several words, he abandons to revenge for his father’s death. When the Denmark is frightened to wait for Fortinblas’s attack for his father’s death and the lost land, Fortinblas attacks Poland. No matter what causes Fortinblas to give up revenge, we can regard that his father once provoked to his enemy (the King of Denmark) and gave no choice to him. If the King of Denmark did not kill Fortinblas’s father, the person who would be in death now is himself. Fortinblas realizes that he has no ability to fight with Denmark, so he gives up. But what if he is willing to try his best? He abandons absolutely.
Leartes and Fortinblas have their own attitude on revenge. One is to obey the requirement of revenge without any conditions, and the other one is to give up
absolutely. Either of them takes hasty action, and also lacks consideration.
C. Hamlet’s Hesitation to Revenge
Since the ghost of Hamlet’s father tells Hamlet the truth of his death, the task to revenge is engraved on Hamlet’s mind deeply, he vows to revenge. He loves his father so sincerely and deeply. In his mind, his father symbolizes the top of human virtue. What a base action to keep his father in death! Compared with Leartes and Fortinblas, his motive for revenge is stimulated by his love to his father. While it takes along time for him to complete his task, why? There are three main stages:
First of all, he puts off all his action until he has positive proof of Claudius’s guilty, during his process, Hamlet arranges a play to spy upon Claudius’s response to prove the truth of the ghost’s words. Secondly, he passes up the opportunity to stab Claudius in the back preferring to wait for chance to kill him in a way more fitting. Because of the religion and superstitious belief, killing the enemy who is repenting is to send the evil person to the heaven. It means that he returns good for evil. Thirdly, however, he gets side-tracked. Forced into confrontation with his mother, he kills the eavesdropping Polonius, thinking that it is Claudius he is stabbing. The fact that Hamlet misfires Polonius has two main effects: it makes Hamlet’s own homicidal campaign lose energy---as if some sort of blood lust had been sated. It also forces Hamlet finally out into the open. Rather than suspects, Hamlet is a threat to Claudius. On the excuse of Polonius’s death, Claudius has opportunity to move against Hamlet, which is sending him off to England to be put in death.
III. The Tragedy of Characters
A. The Tragedy of Hamlet
1. Three Stages of Hamlet’s Tragedy
Of the character of Hamlet in this drama, it is not still, but changeable as the struggles go on. According to the development of the character, Shakespeare shows us the tragedy of Hamlet, which is described in three stages logically.
The first stage is about his happiness time, during which he studies in Wittenberg. In that period, he has wonderful dream on humanism. To him the world is so bright, charming. In his mind, his father is on behalf perfect man. He also believes that the harmonious relationship between human would come true sooner or later. The second stage of Hamlet is about his dejection and hesitation. Hamlet is so puzzled by the conflict between humanism idea and the gloom reality. When we firstly see the prince, Hamlet appears as a dejected person. He is shrouded by sadness; he does not know where to look for happiness of life. When he realizes all the crimes in the court of Denmark, all his wishes of life have been changed. He decides to change the society, but in action he hesitates. The third stage is about his decision to take activities, which is after the play arranged by Hamlet himself. He can not bear the crime of reality any more. In his own words, he would fill his mind with bloody thoughts. Although Hamlet revenges for his father’s death in the end, he does not achieve the purpose to remove the evil force thoroughly, even he loses his life.
2. Hamlet’s Death
Hamlet’s death is also his tragedy. It is destined for Hamlet to end with his death, which is caused by both internal and external course; it is not comprehensive to emphasize either of them. As one of his challengeable enemy, Claudius is on behalf of the evil force; his crime is collected with all the society’s darkness. Hamlet is eager to wipe out such evil force and revenge for his father’s death. But it can not be solved only by having Claudius died, of course to achieve which is not easy. To remove the evil force which is commonly existed in the society and reverses the situation is more difficult. What Hamlet is hesitating “is not what he should do, but how to do it.” Judging from the objective aspect, Hamlet’s enemy is not only Claudius, and also some villains. As a new style of thought of a newly emerging capitalist class, humanism just exists as a power of thought at that time, which is far away to match with the feudal evil force. The bourgeoisie revolution in England happened in 17th century, judging from the feature of the time, Hamlet’s death is destined. Judging from the character of him, Hamlet has the most weakness which dominates his action. Because of his prince social position, there is no communication with people. Although he has sympathy to them, he also learns people are angry to the evil force, and they also keep hope on him, he is unwilling to corporate with people. What he believes is his own ability; what’s more, in his mind he is the only person who can complete such hard task, which is the root of Hamlet’s social tragedy. So Hamlet’s tragedy is of an advanced humanist’s failure to struggle with powerful evil force of him, of the time, which has strong classic meaning.
B． he Tragedy of Claudius
Claudius, who is the head of the reactionary force, is also a schemer, the model character of double-dealer. He is on behalf of the feudal evil force. He kills his older brother, becomes the new King of Denmark, and marries his sister-in-law. What a dissolute gay! He indulges in creature comforts. Although he is so pleased with himself, when he meets Hamlet, who is in mourning apparel, he is frightened, even it is in his new wedding banquet, he can not conceal the fear which is from his inner heart.
Claudius lies that the old King (Hamlet’s father) died of a poisonous snake, and then he takes the place of Hamlet’s succeeding to the throne. While on the surface, he pretends to care Hamlet very much, treats Hamlet as his own son. He also promises Hamlet that he would let him inherit in the future. In the reply to Hamlet’s outburst, Claudius uses language which seems to be calculated to take into account both sides of a question. On one hand, He tells Hamlet that it is ‘sweet and commendable’ of him to be so obviously affected by his father’s death. On the other hand, he continues mourning must end sooner or later, and life must go on. Thus, Claudius’s answer to Hamlet appears at first sight to be the epitome of reasonableness, a balanced combination of sensitivity and down-to-earth common sense.
‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet,To give this mourning duties to your father
But you must know your father lost a father,
That father lost, lost his-and the survivor bound
In filial obligation for some tem
To do obsequious sorrow. But to persevere
In obstinate condolement is a course
Of impious stubbornness, ‘tis unmanly grief,
It shows a will most incorrect to heaven,
A heart unfortified, a mind impatient,
An understanding simple and unschool’d,
For what we know must be, and is as common
As any the most vulgar thing to sense---
Why should we in our peevish opposition
Take it to heart? Fie, ‘tis a fault to heaven,
A fault against the dead, a fault to nature,
To reason most absurd, whose common theme
Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried?
From the first cores till he that died today,
‘This must be so’. (Hamlet, 87-106)
When people actually look at the different weight which Claudius gives to the two opposite parts of his argument as his speech develops, it can be realized that Claudius’s ‘balance’ is actually nothing of kind. It is just because that he is under a great deal of strain, and that he is far less in control of the situation than he wants his audience to believe. In another words, Claudius, because he is in a public situation, needs to be a little tactful towards Hamlet, and thus compliments him on his sweet and commendable nature, and assures him that he regards him ‘with no less nobility of love/Then that which the dearest father bears his son’. (Hamlet, II, 110,-II). But Claudius is, after all, King, and his power is absolute. He tries all the ways to eliminate Hamlet, who is regarded to treat him very much. Because Hamlet is deeply loved by people, even pirate is willing to help him, Claudius could not kill him by any reason, he should be very careful. To spy whether Hamlet is mad or not, Claudius asks two of Hamlet’s classmates to keep watch on him. Meanwhile, as bait, Ophelia is used to spy upon Hamlet’s inner secrets. After the play, which is arranged by Hamlet, Claudius exposes his guilty conscience thoroughly. Then he plans to murder with a borrowed knife to remove Hamlet for another try. On the excuse of Hamlet’s safety, Claudius sends him to England, in secret he asks the man who keeps watch on Hamlet to convey his requirement of having Hamlet died to the King of England. But finally he failed. Then he incited Laertes to revenge for his father’s death, because of which, Hamlet dies from the poison sword.
Claudius is dissolute, insidious and sham, while on surface he pretends so kind. Of his character, Shakespeare shows us all the kinds of hideous features of feudal tyrant and the careerist of capitalist class during the time of original accomplishment. But finally, such unforgivable man bears what he should do.
C. The Tragedy of Ophelia
Ophelia, who is one of the loveliest girls Shakespeare has described, is also a tragedy character in this play. She is kind, but because of her innocent and her
tenderness, she became the tool which her father used to pleasant the King. She is the victim of feudalism. Her thoughts is tightly bounded it. She believes truth, beauty and kindness, she really loves Hamlet, but she also becomes the tool of Claudius to spy upon
the inner secret of Hamlet when Hamlet is mad. When her father tells her to left Hamlet,
she promises him without words. Ophelia is drawn at the end of this drama. It is eventually Ophelia whose madness leads to her actual suicide. But it is clearly that the person who caused Ophelia’s death is the King and her father. Ophelia is also the victim of the political. Is there any other reason? Of course that is the feudalism. Ophelia’s death stimulates people to detest the hateful power, and also evokes people’s sympathy for good things, which people have destroyed.
IV. The Failure of Humanism
A. The Conflict between Humanism and Reality
The Renaissance reached its high tide in 16th century, so did the Humanism. As the fundamental key of Renaissance, the essence of humanism is that human have the right to seek for freedom to advocate the rationalism and to gain people’s position and development in the world. The elements of humanism are to establish the central status, of human beings, their dignity value, to advocate the spirit of rationalism and science, to protest the super role of God admired during the Middle Ages. In the literature of 16th in England, it was play got the best achievement, so there are so many good works. To some extent, a play is the reflection of the society. The history of 16th century is filled with struggle and conflict, which between the capitalism and feudalism.
Hamlet is a humanist, a man who is free from the medieval prejudices and super station. He has an unbounded love for the world instead of the Heaven. As one of humanists, Hamlet cherishes a profound reverence for man, and he believes in human’s power and destiny:
What a piece of work is human; how noble in reason;
How infinite in faculty, in form and moving
How express and admirable; in action how like an angel;
In apprehension how like a god! (Hamlet,85-96)
From such ebullient words, vivid figure of speech, it is clear that Hamlet confirms human’s value and dignity, and also the wisdom and power, wherever exists humanism. He believes that human is valuable, energetic. He regards that the relationship between human being should be equal, and everyone should be respected. He takes “love” to instead of people’s loyalty to him, and the principle of equality and love to the relationship of feudal grade. According to his thought, character, appearance and expression, either of which shows us that he is the model of a perfect humanist. In his mind, his father (the old Hamlet) is a model of human. To love, friendship and life, Hamlet has his own humanism view. And he himself, just as Ophelia’s description, is a young prince of humanism, such a lovely prince, there’s no doubt that anyone would not love him. Even Claudius, his enemy, has to admit that he is loved by the “silly” people, and the ordinary people would have good opinion to him. While at the beginning of the play, Hamlet is covered by the misfortune of his family. He adores and loves his father very much, but he died; he also loves his mother, while very quickly (“A little month, or ere those shoes were old, with which she follow’d my poor father’s body,”) she marries his uncle (the new King). The faithful love, friendship, and all a humanist’s valuable dreams began to be destroyed. He laments: “Fraity, thy name is woman!” To find out the reason of his father’s death, Hamlet pretends to be mad. Out of his imagination, his old classmates and friends, even his lover, Ophelia, become Claudius’s accessories. In front of the evil reality, his humanism dream is destroyed completely. He even thinks about “to be or not to be”:
To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die---to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: ‘tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
B. The Failure of Hamlet’s Task
What Hamlet is able to do is to reveal the reality that the society is not reasonable and it must be changed, not how to solve such fundamental question; to move the crime existing in the world, not how to wipe out it. Because of the limitation of time and class, humanist does not have the ability which is needed to change the society, wipe out the social crime. It is one of the reasons that the reactionary force is powerful, because of which Hamlet fails to complete his task. Hamlet represents the few number of the advanced person emerging in the feudal society. The struggle between Hamlet and Claudius represents that between the newly emerged capital humanist and feudal reactionary force, which reflects the conflict between the advanced people and evil force in Renaissance. However, it is a complicated time, with the social crime of feudal force and the capital accumulation, it is a gloom time, and it is destined to fail for the advanced people.
Conclusion
With abundant and vivid plots, Hamlet reveals an important thought: in the later of Renaissance, the central state power was stable, the system of government was charged by the King. The King abandoned the capitalist class, arbitrarily and dictatorially, he forcibly occupied all the benefit; in political, he went against the progressive measure, then the feudal force had the chance to state a comeback, all the country was filled with foul, and each trying to cheat the other. Under such background, the capital humanists were angry with it. All the ordinary people even could not bear the exploitation coming from the feudal and original accumulation, but they could do nothing to help themselves. Such phenomenon was just about which happened before the bourgeoisie revolutionary in 1645. Humanists had the thought to remove the unforgivable King and reverse the situation, but they fell into hesitation, because the responsibility for them was hard to complete.
Taking the court of Denmark in the Middle Ages for the background, according to the story of Hamlet’s revenge for his father’s death, Hamlet describes the truth England and the Europe society in the later Renaissance. It reveals the author’s self-questioning on Renaissance movement and his carelessness on people’s life and future. The Renaissance promotes Europe into the time human beings awakening. People’s belief to God began to shake, under the flag of “personality liberation”; it was the custom to do what you like to. For one side, people’s thought liberated, which promoted the development of the social civilization. In the other side, especially in the later of Renaissance, it was full of overflow of selfish desire and social’s confusion. Encountering such an enthusiasm and confused time, instead of the optimistic and romantic brought by the humanism, Shakespeare shows us the hidden danger which hided in the ideal and progress. It is destined to fail for humanists. Hamlet is the reflection of such social phenomena.
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