哈姆雷特的性格分析

TermPaperTheCharacterofHamletMajor:English(Education)Class:0902StudentID:09511500317Writer:LuoPingTeacher:BaiRuifangDate:27th,June,2012 TheCharacterofHamletHamletisatragedywrittenbyShakespeare.Withoutaknowledgeofhischaracter,Hamlefsstorywouldhardlybeintelligible.Hamletisneitherafrailandweak-mindedyouthnorathought-sickbook-worm.Theplayitselfdoesnotbearoutsuchideas.Intheplay,nobodythinksofhiminthatway.Thoughheisdeprivedofhisrighttothethrone,heisstilllovedandrespectedbyeveryone.Hamletisamanofgenius,highlyaccomplishedandeducated,amanoffar-reachingperceptionandsparklingwit.Thoughascholar,heisatthesametimefearlessandimpetuousinaction.Hecaresfornothingbuthumanworthandshowscontemptforrankandwealth,Heisacloseobserverofmenandmanners•Heeasilyseesthroughpeople.ThekeynoteofHamlefscharacterismelancholy.Revengeiseasy,butitisnotmerelypersonalrevengethatHamletseeks.Whatismoreimportantistoexposetherootsoftheevilandtoestablishareignofjustice.Hisresponsibilityisthusenlargedintoaradicaltransformationofsociety.ThisisthecauseofHamlefsprofoundmelancholyandhisdelayinrevenge.ShakespeareinjectsthethrillingRenaissancespiritintothestory.Heturnsaone-dimensionalstereotypedplotintooneinwhichHamletistransfiguredintoamultifacetedRenaissanceidealist,madetofaceaworldofdebilitatingevilandhavingtolearndealwithitbeforeheisready.AllofhisHantic-disposition/hisfeigninginsanityandhismomentarybuttruemadness,andhisimpulsiveaction—theseallstemfromthethinkingmindofaRenaissancehumanistashepicksupwisdomandfastmaturestoactproperly.Theothercharactersaresimilarlydeftlytransformedfromthestockcharactersoftheotherversions ofthestoryintocomplexindividualsofthisplay,sothattheyallservetorivetattentiononHamletandenrichhispersonality.Asaresult,Shakespear*sHamletisnolongerthemereagentofrevengeandviolence.Althoughhisfirstpriorityistoideal,theRenaissancehumanistideal,whichheknowssadlyislosttohim,probablyneveragaintoberetrieved.Hewouldstillassertman'spower—hisnoblereasonandinfinitefaculties;hewouldstillhelpmendthesocialills,andsaveasocietythatisnoutofjointn;butheknowsthatheisfightingalosingbattle.Hekeenlyfeelsthatheisnotbornattherighttime,andthatrealityissosinisterandoverwhelmingthatitisprobablynotworthwhilefightingitoutanymore.Viewedinthisway,thethemeofthestoryassumesamuchgravermagnitudethanoneofmerebloodandviolence.ThecorruptandcriminalancientDanishcourtversusPrinceHamletbecomes,inthehandsofShakespear,ametaphorfor—oramirrorreflectionof—therealworldofShakespeare'sEnglandinconfrontationwithRenaissancehumanism.ThequestionthathasattractedShakespeareanscholarshasbeenHamlefsprocrastination.Peoplehavefoundithardtounderstandwhytheyoungmandoesnottakeimmediateactionandgetthejobofrevengedoneonceandforallandproceedtoputthecountrybackinorder.OneobviousreasonisthatHamlethasdoubtsabouttheghostandhisntruth/1Hehastoproveitforhimselfbeforeheacts.Actually,Hamletseemstothinkthattheghostmaybethedevilthatnabusesmetodamnmen.Anotherreasonforhisprocrastinationisthesocialandreligiouseducationthathehasreceived,whichexplainswhyhedoesnotkillClaudiuswhenthemankneelsandpraysandmakeshimselfavulnerableprey;Hamlethatestokillamaninhismomentsofrepentanceandhelpsendhissoultoheaven.ThenthereisHamletfsintensementalbattlethroughouttheplay,which indicatesthathisconsciencemaysecretlyfeelthattherevengemayservemother'shonor.Astotheappearanceoftheghost,althoughthewatchmanandHoratioconfirmthatitisnotafigmentoftheirimagination,itmystifiesHamletasheistheonlyonetohearitspeakandhismothercanneitherseenorhearit.Hamletrsrepeatedquestioningofhismotherastowhethersheseesorhearsthespiritsuggestssomehowtotheaudiencethatheisnotquitesureofhissensesandthathemightbehallucinatingandhavingakillefsnhiddenvoiceninhim.Heisverymuchafraidthathemightdothewrongthing.MoreinterestingisperhapstheFreudianapproachtothe"hesitation”questionthoughitmaysoundabitfar-fetchedandwayoffthemark.PsychoanalyticalcriticismseemstosuggestthattheyoungprincesuffersfromtheOedipuscomplex.Buthecouldnotkillhisfatherasthiswouldviolatethemoralprincipleonpatricideandentaildisasterforhim.Yetifsomeoneelsekillsthefather,heshouldfeelmorethanhappy.Butthesonwouldhavetoavengehisfatheronthecriminal,whichisanotherwayofsayingthathewouldbedenouncingandhuntinghimselftothekill.Thatiswhy,asthepsychoanalyticcriticsays,Hamletputsoffhisfatalstrikeathisuncle.Thepointsoundsabsurdbutitopensonemorewindowtolookintotheinnerworldofthefascinatingyouth.ThemostfamousspeechinHamletistheprincefssoliloquy,HTobe,ornottobe.nSaidtobethemostfamoussoliloquyinthehistoryofthetheatre,itdiscussestheattitudeofaRenaissancehumanisttowardlifeanddeath.ThespeechcomesatacriticaljunctureinthedramawhenthetruthaboutClaudius1murderisabouttobeconfirmedwiththestagingofapaywithintheplay.Whilewaitingforthemomenttocome,hissenseofanxietydrivesHamlettothinkseriouslyabouttheexistentialistconditionofman.Isitworthitdyinginthefightwithevil?Orisitbettertosettleforthepassiveacceptanceofthesecondbest,toignoreevilandendurethepainandliveon?Hemaydieinhisefforttoremoveevilandavengethebloodofhisfather.Deathmaybethewayoutofalltheanguishandsorrowinthenextworld?Hamletrealizesthat,thoughthoughtguidesaction,excessivethinkingmakespeoplecowardlyandjeopardizesthechancesofsuccessofgreatundertaking.Thisself-warningportraystheRenaissancehumanistsasbothmenofthoughtandaction.Insteadoftalkingaboutsuicideandevadingcommitmentassomecriticsthink,Hamletis infactspurringhimselftoaction.Thisspeechisalsoavehementcriticismoftheillofthetime—itsoppressionanditsvariousotherformsofofthoughtandthepoetryofthelanguage.ThesubstanceofthesoliloquyservestoindicatewithinthelimitedspaceofitsfewlinesthewholeprocessofgrowthofHamlefscharacter,whichisinawayanindicationofthehistoryofhumanthinkingfromtheRenaissancethroughmodernexistentialism.Astothelanguage,itissimplybeautiful,withitsblankverse,itsimpressiverhythm(smoothalternatingwithrugged)andplace(fastalternatingwithslow),andeachofitslinespresentingsomewonderofitsownkind.BibliographyChangYaoxin.ASurveyofEnglishLiterature(英国文学简史).1(2006)LiuBingshan.AShortHistoryofEnglishLiterature(英国文学简史).3(2007)