by Jacqueline Bartelmo

Created on: April 04, 2009   Last Updated: April 05, 2009

Hamlet Hamlet is without a doubt Shakespeare's finest work. Aside from being a true romantic and a captivating poet, Shakespeare could also pass as being a psychological genius. Though there are numerous characters in this play, (as in most of Shakespeare's works), Hamlet is the main focus of the play and it is seen that his internal struggles often overshadow many of the other subplots throughout the story (though in no way does it leave the reader oblivious to the other happenings in the story).

The story is about the prince of Denmark whose father who was killed by Hamlet's malicious Uncle Claudius who has seized control of the throne after his brother's death. Afterwards, Hamlet undergoes a series of internal conflicts, questions the validity of his father's ghost, which is ultimately thought to be insane by those around him who witness his unorthodox actions and bizarre comments. After he is ordered to be sent away and returns, killing Rozencrantz and Guildenstern aboard the England-bound ship, Hamlet is pushed further into his own realm of "insanity" and soon after helps catapult one of the greatest climatic endings of Shakespeare's works.

The final scene of this play is appropriate as it puts an end to the spiral downfall of Hamlet and those around him. I love how Shakespeare was able to take a drama and I actually bring out the humor rather than something so depressing it hurts to read. Although I have read this, play millions of time I still found myself literally laughing aloud at the wry humor of the main character Hamlet, every time I read it. However, I am not a person who usually enjoys stories that are super dramatic and depressing. I mean dramas are dramatic for a reason, but sometimes it is best to add a little humor to it just so the reader does not to bum out and bored with the story. Therefore, because he added the right amount of humor mixed in with the dramatics of the story, just shows how fantastic this story truly is.

I must say though, whenever I am in the mood for a good read by Shakespeare, I always find myself going back to this story. This is a story that when you read it is like you become the story and he [Hamlet], yes the character himself, cannot help but arouse our sympathy. Which draw us into his sphere, cheering for him, rooting for him, praying for his eventual conquest of lechers for we all at one time or another have experienced similar ideas floating in our cosmos. Yet when he fails life's omnipresent hazard strikes us in greater preponderant thus causing us think more deeply on our own existence.

I think Hamlet was a great choice to study in class because it is not the most taught and sometimes I think people forget how well written it truly is and the brilliance the story truly has. Most people when they think Shakespeare, they think "Romeo and Juliet." Not that there is anything wrong with that story, but it is just a bit overrated and overly taught in Literature classes. It was nice to read something that most people sort of know, but do not truly know (if that makes any sense). I feel it is better to expose people to the unknown rather than the known and bore them with stories they have heard repeatedly; unless it is just one of those stories, they can read repeatedly. To me Hamlet is that way it is a good story that is not always recognized even though it would be more so than it is, but I suppose that is one quality I like about the story.

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