Originally Posted by
shadman
The topic is on: "Write an essay demonstrating how Shakespeare reveals that a character's experiences, beliefs, morals, and/or needs affect his/her behaviour and choices."
I would like some opinions on the essay in general, as well as some ideas on what else to write. So far this paper is ~600 words, I need to get it up to 1000. I realize that the conclusion isn't done yet, so I'm assuming that's going to bump it about 150 words.
If i could get some ideas on what else I should add it would be greatly appreciated.
Enjoy!
Society and the interactions that take place are all built on decisions. These choices, no matter how significant, materialize thousands of times throughout the day, and while the majority of them are minor in significance, there are rare occasions where the resulting conclusion can have life-altering results. Some of these results may have been foreseen whereas others may have been more unpredictable, but the basic problem solving for each decision remains the same. The needs of a person are at the utmost priority, such as one’s life -- including the fundamental needs of food, water and shelter. From there it branches off into many different ways that is all determined by one’s personality and the circumstance they are in. Morals, beliefs, past-experiences, and needs all fuel a person’s decision, which has ultimately not changed since the beginning of mankind’s existence. In Shakespeare’s writings, his depiction of characters his plays are well thought out and are almost given a life of their own. In Hamlet there is no exception
Mahatma Gandhi once said "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." It's known that revenge causes one to act through anger, rather than reason. In a world like the one we live in today, revenge is thought as being barbaric and adolescent. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare Young Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet were all looking to avenge the deaths of their fathers. Every one of the three eldest sons had one thing in common, they all wanted revenge for a slaughtered father. In the time in which this play is set, avenging the murder of a father was part of one's honor, and had to be done. All of the three sons swore vengeance, and then acted towards getting revenge for the deaths of their fathers. They all acted on emotion, this was the main reason that lead to their downfall. They let revenge poison their minds and didn't give justice a chance to deal with their problems. Shakespeare attempts to show how one's state of mind can become corrupted when they allow emotions to take over.
In the play Hamlet, fear was a major motivating factor in the character’s decisions and actions. Namely Hamlet was fearful of being caught and forced to pay the consequences for the crimes he has committed. Hamlet debates whether or not suicide can be a good decision when life is so filled with pain and suffering. He wonders and seems to think that death may be the most peaceful decision. However, he is kept on the path of life by his fear of what lies beyond the grave.
Throughout the play Hamlet thinks about the moral aspect of revenge, and as a result his goal to avenge his father's death is delayed. Morality is defined as a set of ideas or actions that are considered right and wrong, and this becomes a factor in Hamlet's revenge. When Hamlet sees King Claudius praying he is held back by his moral considerations. This is seen when he goes to kill King Claudius and says, "Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;...That should be scanned" ( ). Here Hamlet shows how he wants revenge, but also shows how he is thinking too much about the consequences and the morality of killing while one is in the face of god.