Moral Matters in Hamlet :: essays research papers

Each book has its own fate, but there are a few works of art, that can compete in fame the most mysterious piece of art by Shakespeare –, the tragedy ‘,Hamlet’,. There is a bountiful amount of matters- moral, philosophical, and social ones, set in the plot of the book. The tragedy of the humanist and the fate of one honest person in the era of Renaissance, his tragic dilemma about his love and duty, about the crime, the punishment and the retribution, will never stop provoking the readers of ‘,Hamlet’,. What actually is situated in the core of Hamlet’,s tragedy?!? Is it just his confused mind because of his father’,s murder, or because he has not got enough strength to revenge for the terrible crime?!? The reasons for Hamlet’,s tragedy are more complicated and considerable than the disturbed mental balance and weakness, which turns out to be obvious. His rambling and suffering are deeply seated in a person, whose ideas of morality and humanity, good and evil are torn down suddenly and irrevocably. That is the tragedy of the humanist Hamlet, caused by the conflict between his ideals, regarding mankind and their wild passion for power and wealth at any price. Brought up with the spirit of humanism, Hamlet suffers a deep spiritual stress because he has to cope with evil in all of its dimensions for a short period: a murder, fratricide, adultery, incest, treachery and complicity of the crime. Shockingly for him, the people who have done the evil deeds are those who he loves- his uncle, his own mother, his love, some of his friends who he has known since his childhood. This confrontation with the evil that follows and attacks him takes the joy away from Hamlet and distorts his ideal of humanity. Hamlet seeks the relation between him and the common taint and violence which surround reality from the beginning itself. According to him the murder has been done because of these factors of disgust and hatered. His disappointment leads him to the insight that Denmark is a beautiful prison. Moreover, the tragedy of a humanist, forced to live in an inhumane society changes his idea of the world, which now different and in his view is a des ert garden, ruled by the weed that is among people.