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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help
Hamlet devotes his life to avenging his father's death (murder). He goes around getting more nd more crazy, and with it comes paranoia. He kills Polonius, which causes the madness and suicide of Ophelia, which causes Laertes to be corrupted by Claudius, which causes the deaths of Laertes, Claudius, Hamlet, Gertrude, etc... So basically, I think the theme of that would be, like, "two wrongs don't make a right", implying that revenge isn't going to help.
Then, you think about the grave-digger, who's digging up bodies that have been lying around for years, to make room for another body, and then you think that, in another few years, another grave-digger might be digging up Ophelia's bones to make room for another body, and I guess Shakespeare was just trying to make a cynical view of death to lighten the death that looms over the entire play.
I really hope this helps you!Posted by Romeo's Girl on April 08, 1997 at 19:19:45
In Reply to "theme of death & suicide in hamlet" posted by UrgentHelp on April 08, 1997 at 14:51:21
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help