Welcome to the World of Hamlet!
Welcome to your study of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This play is often considered the "king" of tragedies. It is a story about a prince, a ghost, a murder, and a very difficult choice. Because this is part of your Unit 1 Section A: Elizabethan and Jacobean tragedy, we will focus on how the play fits the "rules" of tragedy and how Shakespeare uses the stage to make us feel pity and fear.
Don't worry if the language seems a bit "old" at first. By the end of these notes, you’ll see that Hamlet’s problems—like feeling lonely, dealing with family drama, and wondering what the point of life is—are things people still feel today!
Note: For other plays in this section, such as Othello or King Lear, please refer to their specific chapters.
1. What Makes Hamlet a Tragedy?
In the OxfordAQA syllabus, a tragedy isn't just a "sad story." It follows a specific pattern. Let’s look at the "Aspects of Tragedy" found in Hamlet:
The Tragic Hero
Hamlet is our tragic hero. To fit this role, he must be:
• A Public Figure: He is the Prince of Denmark. When he falls, the whole country suffers.
• Flawed: This is called hamartia. Hamlet’s flaw is often seen as his "procrastination" (waiting too long to take action) or his tendency to overthink everything.
• Blind but gaining Insight: At the start, Hamlet is blinded by grief. By the end, he gains a deep understanding of life and fate.
The Tragic Villain
Every hero needs an opponent. Claudius is the tragic villain. He represents the contest of power. He has killed the rightful King (Hamlet’s father) to take the throne. His presence creates the disorder that drives the play toward a catastrophe (the tragic ending).
The Journey from Order to Disorder
The play starts with disorder—a King is dead, and a ghost is haunting the castle. The complication arises when the Ghost tells Hamlet to seek revenge. The climax (the turning point) is often seen as the "Mousetrap" play or the scene where Hamlet kills Polonius. Finally, the resolution brings a bloody catastrophe where almost everyone dies, but order is eventually restored when a new leader (Fortinbras) takes over.
Quick Review:
• Hamartia: The hero's fatal flaw.
• Hubris: Excessive pride (though in Hamlet, it's more about his intellect).
• Catharsis: The "emotional wash" the audience feels at the end.
2. Key Methods: How Shakespeare Tells the Story
To get top marks in AO2 (Authorial Methods), you need to talk about how the play is built. Remember, this is a script meant to be performed, not just a book to be read!
Soliloquies and Monologues
A soliloquy is when a character speaks their inner thoughts out loud while alone on stage. Hamlet has several famous ones. These are vital because they show his tragic isolation. He can’t trust anyone in the royal court, so he can only be honest with the audience.
Verse vs. Prose
• Verse: This is "poetry" talk. It usually has a rhythm. Noble characters like Hamlet and Claudius use verse for serious or formal moments.
• Prose: This is "normal" speech. Shakespeare often uses prose for characters who are "mad" (like Ophelia later on) or for lower-class characters (like the Gravediggers). When Hamlet acts "mad," he often switches from verse to prose to show his mind is fragmented.
The Use of the Stage
Think about physical presence. For example, in the scene where Claudius is praying, Hamlet is standing behind him with a sword. The audience can see Hamlet, but Claudius cannot. This creates dramatic irony and tension.
Did you know?
The Ghost is a classic Elizabethan dramatic device. To an audience in 1600, a ghost wasn't just a "movie monster"—it was a terrifying sign that the "natural order" of the world had been broken by a secret sin.
3. Important Themes (Aspects of Tragedy)
Revenge and Violence
Hamlet is a "Revenge Tragedy." However, unlike most heroes, Hamlet stops and asks: "Is revenge actually moral?" The significance of violence in the play is that it usually results in the death of innocent people (like Ophelia or Polonius), showing how tragedy spreads like a disease.
The Significance of the Past
Everything in Hamlet is caused by the past. The dead King's ghost represents a past that won't stay buried. Hamlet is obsessed with his mother’s past choices and his father’s legacy. This "weight of the past" is what makes his journey towards death feel inevitable.
Fate and Inevitability
Is Hamlet’s end his own fault, or was it Fate? By the final act, Hamlet says, "There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow." This shows he has accepted that he cannot control everything. This shift from fighting fate to accepting it is a key part of his discovery and learning.
Common Mistake to Avoid:
Don't just say Hamlet is "sad." Use the term Melancholy. In Elizabethan times, melancholy was seen as a physical illness of the mind that made people cynical and indecisive.
4. Working with the Exam (Unit 1 Section A)
In your exam, you will be given a passage from the play. You must analyze that specific passage while also talking about the play as a whole. Use the Assessment Objectives (AOs) as your guide:
• AO1: Use clear terms (like soliloquy, blank verse, foil). Make a clear argument.
• AO2: Focus on how Shakespeare writes. Mention stage directions, metaphors, or the way a character enters the scene.
• AO3: Show your personal response. Do you pity Hamlet? Do you think Claudius is purely evil or a man struggling with guilt? There is no one "right" answer, as long as you use evidence!
Summary: Key Takeaways
• Hamlet’s Hamartia: His inability to act (procrastination) and his over-analytical mind.
• The Setting: Elsinore Castle—a place of spying, secrets, and "rotten" politics.
• Dramatic Language: Use of soliloquies to show internal conflict and tragic isolation.
• The Tragic Pattern: Moves from a secret murder (disorder) to a mass death scene (catastrophe) and finally a new King (restoration of order).
Keep practicing by looking at short scenes and asking yourself: "What aspect of tragedy is shown here?" and "How does the language reflect Hamlet's state of mind?" You've got this!