Hamlet And The Limits Of Narrative

Hamlet And The Limits Of Narrative
Individuals present themselves and their stories in the way they play it out in their heads, and through the way they see the world around them. This
is defined as cognitive narratology, where someone creates their own identity based on the story that they tell themselves. According to Rebecca
Yearling in her critical essay, "Hamlet and the Limits of Narrative," "we 'invent ourselves' through narrative" (370). Individuals tend to fabricate
themselves and create their own narrative, based upon the norms or stereotypes that exist during their time period. Two examples of characters that
readers can see from their language create their identities based on their own views of the world, are Mama from Alice Childress's "Florence," and
Louise...show more content...
The narrator shows that Louise does feel some grief when she first hears the news of her husband. However, there is a shift in how the narrator
presents Louise and her role. When she begins to think about Brently in a coffin or grave, the narrator states that "She knew she would weep again
when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death...But she beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her
absolutely" (Chopin 1). This section that the narrator displays, reveals that Louise acknowledges that Brently's death is upsetting but she is is willing
to attain her independence from her him and shape her own identity without him. Furthermore, the narrator illuminates Louise's want for liberty, when
they make Louise compare love to freedom. The narrator show Louise contemplating this idea by saying "What could love, the unsolved mystery,
count for in face of this possession of self–assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being" (Chopin 2). This illustrates
that Louise would prefer to be completely free, rather than have love, because to her love means very little in comparison to not having any ties to
someone or something. Louise, according to the narrator, is looking forward to being completely alone, and no longer have to live for her husband, as
women had to
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Hamlet: Rebel, Lost Soul, Social Deviant
Drama Unit Activities
Hamlet
By: Arielle Zhivko
Activity 1: Character Analysis
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark – Rebel, Lost Soul, Social Deviant
1. Hamlet behaves outside of societal norms. He constantly acts in a rash, impulsive manner. His actions are often with little or no premeditation and he
behaves erratically, simply to upset other characters. He deliberately gives aggravating philosophical speeches and pointed innuendos just to challenge
the status quo. Similar to the sea and the wind, as they battle each other to erode the coast, Hamlet wages war regardless of consequence. His feigning
of madness accompanied by the murder of Polonius, back his archetype of being a rebel.
"Mad as the sea and wind when both contend
Which is the...show more content...
As stated in the article, the morbid curiosity we posses further drives our inquiries into matter regarding death; this curiosity gives us a meaningful
insight into the true nature of humans. Once we can accept the true nature of things, especially death, we come to realize that no matter how noble the
person is/was during life, once dead, that body becomes nothing more than mud and stepping stones for others to prosper upon.
3.Quotations from the Article
"We understand what it is. We understand that there is no one–way to mark somebody's death. It is a post–modern contemporary coping mechanism.
One day you'll be the shape under the sheet." (Sottile 172).
Quotations from the Play
"Not a whit. We defy augury.
There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow.

If it be now, 'tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now.
If it be not now, yet it will come–the readiness is all.
Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is 't to leave betimes? Let be." (Shakespeare V.II 205–210).

Wit: an Analysis Essay
Wit: An Analysis Abstract Wit is a movie about a woman dying of cancer. It is a powerful drama that chronicles the last few months of her life. The
recurring theme throughout the movie is the nurses' role as the compassionate, caring individual who humanizes the main character. The nurse seems to
be everywhere and able to do just about everything that is needed. The nurses' sole purpose in this film is to promote healing, preserve dignity and
respect the patient as a whole person. The nursing theorist strongly represented in this film is Jean Watson. . This paper explains Jean Watson's
theoretical concept how the nurse in the movie utilizes her nursing theory model. Summary of Wit Wit is the story of Vivian Bearing, a...show more
content...
Bearing so desires from the medical professionals, she never offered. Although most of the medical staff in the movie seems to perceive Dr. Bearing
as either an experiment or just another patient, there is one person who sees her as a human being. This person is Susie Monahan, Dr. Bearing's
nurse. Susie is there for Dr. Bearing during almost everything and represents the "caring professional". Susie is a shoulder for Dr. Bearing to cry on,
she is a teacher and explains information that Dr. Kalekian and his fellows cannot seem to put into terms that a patient can actually understand, and
Susie is Dr. Bearing's advocate and truly shows compassion and caring. At the end of the film, Dr. Bearing dies and Jason calls a code blue unknowing
that her wishes were do not resuscitate. Susie is there, advocating for Dr. Bearing and making sure she dies with dignity the way she wanted it. Jason
needed Dr. Bearing to live to help his research and completely lost sight of the humanity involved when caring for a dying patient. Theoretical Concept
in Wit The theory of transpersonal caring is the nursing theory of Jean Watson. The essence of her theory is "caring for the purpose of promoting
healing, preserving dignity, and respecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of humanity." (George, 2010) The four major components of Watson's
theory are the human being, health, environment/society and nursing. Watson embraces

Hamlet and The Spanish Tragedy
The parallels shown between Hamlet and The Spanish Tragedy demonstrate the influence Kyd's play had on Shakespeare. The similarities can be seen
throughout the plot lines and context of both plays. While using the plays as different tools, both are used for expediting revenge. Shakespeare,
through the impact of Kyd's play, established and perfected an ideal plot for a play expressing revengeful tragedy. The actions and thoughts thatHamlet
shows greatly displays many characteristics from The Spanish Tragedy. Hamlet models himself after Hieronimo in the way he approaches revenge.
However, Hamlet wants his victims to suffer not only on earth but in the afterlife. Kyd and Shakespeare utilize both meta–theaters to exact revenge and
reveal guilt. The intention of a play within a play by Kyd is used for the format of Hieronimo's death. It varies from that of Hamlet in layout and
context. Hamlet plans precisely how he will avenge his father's death and when he will strike. Hamlet exclaims, "When he is...about some act/ That has
no relish of salvation in't––/ Then trip him...And that his soul may be damned and black/ As hell" (Shakespeare III.iv.94–100). Killing Claudius in a
sinful state will satisfy him, his father, and affect him by suffering in the afterlife as well. Hieronimo also plots his revenge, but is solely concerned
with achieve earthly revenge. The Spanish Tragedy includes a play that is longer in duration than that of Hamlet. Kyd does this to allow the audience to

The Body And Soul Essay
Topic Two: The Body and Soul In St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica Question 76 Article 1, Aquinas discusses the union of the soul with the
body. Throughout this paper, I will examine what Aquinas means by the term soul and why he thinks that the soul must be thought as the form of the
man. There is much debate between philosophers on how the body and soul exist amongst each other. Aquinas believes that the soul is in the body,
however it is not contained by it but rather containing it. To elaborate on this, Aquinas believes that the soul is not a substance in a living human
because it is not a complete thing. In other words, the soul is matter. Therefore, in a living human, the soul must exist in the body. This means that the
soul is the form of the body because of its ability to actualize energy of the body. The soul is subsistent to the body, yet they have independent
existences. Aquinas states that the soul is the first principle of the life. He believes the soul is the difference between animate and inanimate objects.
The body cannot exist without the soul because the soul allows the body to fulfill itself. To better understand this, we should discuss how actuality and
potentiality fit in. Aquinas was big fan of Aristotle and took a lot of his philosophies and work and made them his own. Aristotle used potentiality and
actuality to analyze motion, causality, ethics, and physiology in his metaphysical works. So where does this come in to play for the soul? Aquinas

An Unforgettable Teacher Essay
I remember my fourth grade year as if it were yesterday. My homeroom teacher, Mr.
Anderson, would stand at the front of the room each morning at 9:15, and wait
patiently for us to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, like clockwork, at
exactly 9:17, as my class of 28 sat down, he would set up a magic trick,
pretending each day that something was going wrong during the set–up. As Mr.
Anderson did this, he would often tell us a story that in some way or another
related to the magic trick he showed us. Then, as he finished the trick, he
would tell us the moral to the story.
Now a days I don't have someone there for me constantly saying what I should or
should not do. I often find myself in...show more content...
Until I actually went through the list of quotes at the back
of the play Hamlet, I automatically assumed that Mr. Anderson was a genius. For
I am taling about the line, "brevity is the soul of wit," in which Polonius is

talking to the King and Queen.
When I see "brevity is the soul of all wit," I translate it into Mr. Anderson's
words: "Brevity is the heart of success." As a fourth grader, this was difficult
for me to understand. I would listen to each moral, and memorize each one with
such determination, that sometimes that is all that I did: Memorize. I never
really took the time to study these quotes. Now that I am older, many times I
find myself referring to these words of wisdom with a new outlook that I truly
understand them.
As I wrote my college essay, I came to understand that admissions counselors
were not going to want to read papers that were four typed pages long. I
realized that it was possible to write an essay, get across my point, and keep
the paper within two typed pages. It was then that it cam to me. Mr. Anderson
was trying to say that if you do a task with all of your effort, it does not
matter the length. A three page paper that answers a question is better than a
five page paper that goes on and on about nothing.

Now that I

Character Of Polonius In Hamlet
How significant is the character of Polonius in the play "Hamlet".
In the play Hamlet the character Polonius is a courtier to the king Claudius. He is the epitome of everything that Hamlet hates in the court of
Denmark. Polonius's character is at many points in the play is a comic character who contradicts himself constantly and finds incredibly long winded
ways to embellish his points. Shakespeare uses the persona of Polonius, as a satirical figure and as a foil, to show what is wrong with the court of the
time. Polonius is also the father of Laertes and Ophelia who are integral to the final downfall of the Danish kingdom. The tensions that arise from the
death of Polonius is prevalent throughout the remainder of the play, and his passing...show more content...
His use of complex language to increase his intelligence is both farcical and comical in nature. The most obvious example of this satirical self
mockery in the play comes in Act two scene two "Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will
be brief." In this single sentence Polonius proves to himself and the world that he his does not have "the soul of wit" due to the fact that even though
he is trying to talk about being short winded, Polonius cannot help himself from embellishing his point and therefore showing that he cannot be brief.
Polonius's inability to use decisive and precise diction is a major factor in the animosity that grows between him and Hamlet in the play and provides
the basis for that particular subplot. However Polonius still manages to make a mockery of himself when he interrupts a player claiming that the
speech was "too long". This is an allusion in itself to the contradictory nature of the upper classes. Where one law applies to everyone else and another
to themselves, his clear lack of consistency is used by Shakespeare to further enhance Polonius's comical

Summary Of Euphues : The Anatomy Of Wit
In John Lyly's Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit he wrote to explain the importance and contradictory of euphuism. Lyly writes using excessive
antitheses, alliteration, and rhetorical questions. One of the most important uses is through the word "wit", which is used in the main title and
multiple times throughout the story. Lyly uses the story of Euphues as base over the importance of fluency in words and art of expression. Reading
Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit, it is unclear to define a single morality of the story. However, Lyly's use of the word wit presents the moral of wisdom
of learning from one's experience. The word "wit" is defined as the "faculty of thinking and reasoning in general; mental capacity, understanding,
intellect, reason" (English Oxford Dictionary). Wit is derived from Anglo–Saxon "witan" which means "to know". In the Renaissance era, wit is seen
as intellectually ability of eloquence. In the modern understanding of "wit" it is slightly different. Modern wit is seen as the capacity for inventive
thought or quick understanding, it is associated among those who are humorous, clever, or charming. In Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit Lyly stretches
this understanding with the character Euphues. Lyly's story is about a witty and beautiful man named Euphues. Euphues uses his wit and endowments
for interest instead of good. He makes a friend named Philautus, a loyal and respectful man. Euphues takes the love of Philautus's bride, Lucilla a fickle
woman. Lucilla rejects

Hamlet: The Deadly Sin Of Wrath
Hamlet uses many sins in his play but the sin that really stood out to me is the Deadly Sin called Wrath; Wrath happens when a person spurns has
anger or madness instead of love. Hamlet has to decide whether or not to take a stand against this type of lifestyle, or let it continue further. I believe it
shaped and impacted his life tremendously in a negative way.
First and Foremost the sin is used when Hamlet decides how he's going to act when his dad had been murdered. Hamlet's uncle makes him angry and
In Act 1 Scene 5 lines 60–64 it describes how the ghost of his Father is describing to him how his uncle killed him when he was sleeping, this made
hamlets worst fears about his uncle become true.Hamlet is furious when finding out what happens

Essay 2
The play Hamlet is written by William Shakespeare whereby he uses a combination of poetry and prose. The film, Hamlet is a theater performance
of the Shakespeare play. The play is written in blank verse offering an insight into the state of mind of the character as well as a reaction to the
ongoing actions in the stage. The style is reserved for the nobles and informal situations like courts. Figurative language is used to express the actions
and feelings of the characters have been evidenced in Act 1 Scene II. The power of words drives the central action on the plots. The language is
complex but can be decoded with confidence and is used to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters that are hidden. Watching the scene
on film moves the audience and the language inspires many actors. The author used a Lambic pentameter whereby all the lines in the text contain ten
stressed syllables with each line having five lambs. As a result, full lines of iambic pentameter have rhythm. The paper is going to focus on the
language and characterization used by Shakespeare in Hamlet and the understanding gained after watching the scene in a film.
The use of language and characterization in Hamlet
The author uses language to convey the characters. To convey Hamlet 's madness, the author uses language manipulation to every time the madness of
Hamlet is displayed. Hamlet speaks in prose every time he wants to deceive people into thinking he is insane. He speaks iambic

Hamlet : A Tragic Comedy
Hamlet: A Tragic Comedy William Shakespeare once said that "brevity is the soul of wit." This is heavily evident in regards to Hamlet and all of his
short, witty comments throughout the play. In Act I Scene II Hamlet 's wit comes out in full force during a discussion with his mother, Gertrude, and
his uncle/stepfather, Claudius, with Hamlet's very first words in the play: "A little more than kin, and less than kind!" (Meyer, pg 1610)
WIth this initial first line, he satirically assaults Claudius' claim the prince is both his cousin and his child. One may conclude that Hamlet's mind and
witticism, which partitions him from Claudius and Gertrude, add to the acrimony of him and the imperial couple. In this paper I would address and
investigate the humorous parts of the protagonist, while analyzing the different witty figures, and also remark on the perplexing relationship between
the play's comic and genuine components, the novel blend of happiness and seriousness.
Susan Snyder once said that comedy is "the ground from which, or against which, tragedy develops... comedy and tragedy function as polar opposites,
or as two sides of the same coin." (Snyder. Print). The prototypical comic clash between blocking father and youthful beaus, which underlies the
activities of numerous Shakespearean comedies, illuminates one strand of the activity of Hamlet: the relationship between Polonius, Ophelia and the
Prince. Also unmistakable in different tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet and

As with many plays, actors in Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, are at liberty to alter the portrayal of their characters.
Because of this, the significance and subtleties of various characters can be lost in varying adaptations of the play. This holds true for the character
Polonius, who is often incorrectly portrayed as a oblivious and foolish yet caring father. Rather, Shakespeare implicitly and explicitly establishes
Polonius as a character in full control of his wits. Polonius' interaction with other characters throughout the play highlights his cunning, wit, and
selfishness. Polonius' interactions with Hamlet are often the source of misinterpretations that Polonius is a bumbling fool. In every conversation,
Polonius appears oblivious to the witty and cruel remarks Hamlet makes in response to his persistent questioning. Even when explicitly called a
"fishmonger," Polonius feigns surprised ignorance and suggests that Hamlet is insane rather than sarcastic (II.ii.187). He appears to continue ignoring
Hamlet's thinly veiled insults even when Hamlet compares Ophelia to "maggots in a dead dog," assuming that Hamlet is "still harping on [his]
daughter" (II.ii.669). However, Polonius is not the "tedious old fool" that he appears to be; just as Hamlet confessed to being "not in madness,/But
mad in craft," Polonius merely feigns stupidity (II.ii.224; III.iv.204–5). By pretending to be clueless, Polonius is able to question and study Hamlet
further without

Film Summary: 'Wit'
Wit
When a person becomes ill and must seek out medical treatment, they are highly vulnerable. They are in discomfort and pain and do not understand
why. Then they learn what is wrong with them and they go through a range of emotions from fury to despair. Through it all they look to the people
around them for support when it becomes too much to bear themselves. Patients will look to friends and to family, but more than this they will look to
the people who are caring for them, their doctors and nurses. They will rely on you to get them through this episode whether the outcome looks
promising or dire. In the film Wit starring Emma Thompson, a female English literature professor has been diagnosed with metastatic Stage IV
ovarian cancer and has come to the conclusion that she has eschewed closeness to other people to a great degree and because of this has only the
hospital staff on whom she can depend and look to for comfort in the final days of her life.
Throughout her career as a scholar of the poetry of John Donne, Vivian Bearing has had more companionship with literature than with human beings.
Her parents have passed away. She has no husband and no children. There are not even any friends to whom she is close enough to list them as an
emergency contact in the hospital. Vivian's daily communication is mostly with oncologist Dr. Kelekian. He cares about the results of his experiments
more than his patients. When he suggests an experimental treatment for Vivian which

What Is The Human Soul Essay
What is the Human Soul?
Picture 44813605
I will start by giving my definition of the human soul:
A separate entity, independent of our physical body, that helps give life to our physical body, it is a true representation of who we really are. It
existed before we were conceived in our mother's womb, and would still exist when we die. This part of a human is disembodied after death
(disembodied means to free from the body), and since we are talking about the human soul, it means to free the human soul from the body at the point
of death.) Our Soul existed before our body was formed and will continue to exist when our physical body is dead and gone, we are in a physical body
(container) and when we go to the spirit world we will have a spiritual body. It's our soul that has to answer to, what we did with our life, which will
lead to a promotion, demotion or being at the same place we were, before we came to this physical world.
The human can also be perceived as the connecting link to the spirit world, while we are still in the physical form, the soul can grow into either
something nice and beautiful, or the opposite which could be nasty and bad.
When a soul enters a body, it gives life to the body and when it leaves the body, the body is dead, not the soul, as the soul can never die, even the
souls that go to hell don't...show more content...
Not to disrespect females, but a good example could be a female with make up on and off, the vibration could be different in these two instances, to
find the real inner personality would be via conversation and not appearance. A person may still be able to pick it up the type of soul an individual
has by appearance; however there are chances that it could be

Hamlet : The Real Villain
The Real Villain The king of Denmark, Hamlet's father, has died, leaving Hamlet distraught and grieving. His mother triggers these emotions in him to
an even further extent by marrying Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, soon after the funeral. When the ghost of Hamlet's father comes to Hamlet while roaming
the castle grounds, telling him he was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet vows to use madness as a weapon to exact revenge upon Claudius and his
mother. However, the idea that Hamlet descends into madness throughout the play is extremely debatable, as some of his actions have no logically
beneficial explanation. In Hamlet Shakespeare describes a fictional world filled with spies, murder, and revenge. Through Hamlet's thoughts and
actions Shakespeare communicates the idea that Hamlet's tragically flawed motives derive not from revenge and hatred, but from a severe mental
disorder. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet around the end of the 16th century, and during that time, mental illnesses were not usually addressed. Just because
it wasn't defined then, doesn't mean that mental illnesses didn't exist. To the authorities of this time, people with mental illnesses did not have the
mental ability to understand reason. Very few people got actual institutional care during that time; many people who needed mental therapy were
thought of as burdens to their friends and family, causing them to become beggars (Historic England Mental Illness in the 16th and 17th centuries).
This reflects onto Hamlet as he

Hamlet : The Themes Of Hamlet And Hamlet
Medea, an ancient Greek tragedy was written by Euripides during the classical era. This play focuses on Medea and how she plots the revenge against
her unfaithful husband. Jason has left Medea and their children to go marry the princess of Corinth, Glauce. This was Medea's motivation to kill
Glauce and her own children. Similarly, in Hamlet, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare during the post classical era is about Hamlet and his
revenge for his father on Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, that took his father's life, throne, and wife. Hamlet was motivated to take revenge after seeing the
ghost which was his father in Act I Scene V. In both plays, the theme of revenge is present and is represented through the main characters.Medea and
Hamlet are both characters who seek revenge on those who betray them to prove their control over their lives and to preserve their honor, which
leads to death and suffering. In addition, both characters went mad in order to fulfil their plotted revenge. Also, while Medea successfully took
revenge against her husband and lived, Hamlet received the ultimate price of death after his revenge. In Medea, Medea finds out that Jason is
leaving her for someone better than her to gain power. She is an emotional wreck due to Jason's betrayal because she has sacrificed so much for
him. She even went out of her way and killed her own father and brother for the love between her and Jason. Now that Jason is abandoning Medea
for another woman when she has abandoned her family, country, and home for him, Medea is fierce. Medea seeked revenge on her husband whom
she loved so much by killing his new bride, Glauce and her children she had with Jason. Medea states in lines 1238– 1247, "I must kill the children
quickly and be gone. They must die, in any case, and as they must it is I, who gave them life, must kill them. Let there be no weakness now, no
tender memories of their birth, of them as babies...".(pg. 66) Medea's children were the product of her and Jason's love which symbolized the
marriage they once had, so Medea killing her sons represented their marriage coming to an end. Killing her children will also hurt Jason which was
Medea's ultimate goal and revenge for hurting her. Similarly, in

Ethical Virtue Is A State Of The Soul
The definition of ethical virtue is one of the difficult themes that are often discussed by many philosophers. In Nicomachean Ethicsв…Ў.6, Aristotle
defines ethical virtue as '(a) a state that decides,(b) in a mean, (c) the mean relative to us, (d) which is defined by reference to reason, (e) i.e. to the
reason by reference to which the intelligent person would define it.' (NEв…Ў.6) But, this definition itself is complex. Then, in this paper, I will explain
what he means by this and evaluate this definition. First, Aristotle claims virtue should be a state that makes a human good and makes him function
well. In Nicomachean Ethicsв…Ў.5, he concluded that ethical virtue is a state of the soul. On the basis of this conclusion, he starts to discuss what
kind of state is ethical virtue. Then, as a premise, he defines every virtue should make its possessors be in a good state and perform their functions
well. The virtue of a horse, for example, makes the horse excellent because it is good at galloping, at running, and at carrying its rider. In the case of
human being, therefore, the virtue is the state that makes a human being good and perform his or her function well. Next, he claims mean states
should be ethical virtue. A mean is a middle or intermediate between excess and deficiency. He claims those extreme states are vices because they
make human being perform worse. Bravery, for example, is a virtue that makes people deal with a difficult situation with confidence. If, however,

Hamlet's Wit Essay examples
Hamlet's Wit
We remember Shakespeare's characters largely because of their enormously complex personalities. Hamlet, with his inner conflicts, indecision, wit, and
passive–aggressive behavior, is one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters. Yet so much attention has been given toHamlet's inner conflict
–whether or not he should kill his uncle–that a large piece of his personality is easy to overlook. Hamlet's wit strikes out at the audience in several
different scenes throughout the play and not only gives the reader greater insight into Hamlet's deepest feelings, but greater insight into the play itself.
In Hamlet's first few lines of the play he expresses his deepest feelings through his wit. Hamlet's sarcastic...show more content...
Hamlet's sarcastic responses to Polonius' questions lead the audience to the realization that Hamlet is not truly mad. Polonius asks Hamlet: "What do
you read, my lord?"(2.2.190). Hamlet responds to Polonius' question with, "Words, words, words"(191). Polonius asks Hamlet the "matter" he is
reading about and Hamlet responds question with, "yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am, if like a crab you could / go backward"(192–202). Wit is very
orderly and a truly mad person could never state something as clever and sarcastic as what Hamlet has just said. Even Polonius realizes that madness
and wit do not coincide: "Though this be madness, yet there is / method in't"(203–4). Because of Hamlet's sarcastic conversation with Polonius, we can
better understand Hamlet's future actions. Hamlet says and does some rather odd things later on in the play, but the audience knows that he is not
really mad, but merely deceiving his enemies.
Hamlet's true condition and state of mind becomes clearer to the audience when he uses wit to express his deepest feelings. Hamlet's sarcastic
remarks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reveal how he truly feels about them. Rosencrantz, clearly acting in behalf of the king, attempts to persuade
Hamlet into telling him the reason he is acting so strangely: "Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper?"(3.2.317). Hamlet responds to
Rosencrantz by asking him to play a pipe: "Will you play upon this / pipe?"(330–1). When

The Comedy of Hamlet
The Comedy of Hamlet
Shakespearean plays are often known for their outstanding entertainment and classic comic conflict. In his masterwork, Hamlet, Shakespeare uses these
aspects to serve his thematic purpose. He has used comedy throughout many of his historic plays, but in this play, comedy is the drawing point that
makes it fun and entertaining, yet clear and intuitive. Generally, his tragedies are not seen as comical, but in reality, they are full of humor. However,
these comic elements don't simply serve to relieve tension; they have much significance to the play itself. The characters of Hamlet, Polonius, Osric,
and the Gravediggers, prove to be very influential characters, and throughout the play, they are the individuals that...show more content...
Osric's role during the play was to enlighten the intensity in the room and use humor to create a positive atmosphere. As courtier to the king, Osric
was not necessarily one of the most influential characters, but he did play an important role as a servant and "braggart soldier" (Draudt, 2002). His
character allowed a more powerful character (Hamlet), to "not only make fun of [his] diction, but also deliberately baffle and confuse [him] and thus
expose [his] slow wits" (Draudt, 2002). Throughout Act V, Osric isn't usually the one to offer the humor, but the humor is revolved around him. This
type of comedy reflects the meaning of his social class, and as Hamlet ridicules him, it only weakens his reputation. Nonetheless, Hamlet uses this
humor to poke fun at Osric and is therefore viewed as comedy. The importance of this action is to show the ignorance of Osric's character and how
easily he can be manipulated by his fellow men and because it highlights his function in society and his class rank.
In addition to being mocked, Osric also "serves as [a] foil to the hero (Hamlet), contrasting with [his] genuine wit... [and] honesty" (Draudt, 2002). As
a foil, Osric is the complete opposite of Hamlet, and that can be seen by the way Hamlet treats Osric. This reveals to the audience the differences

Hamlet And The Limits Of Narrative

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Hamlet And The Limits Of Narrative