Shakespeare's Hamlet is comprised of many themes and varying points of view. While Hamlet is chiefly a play of revenge, it goes beyond this simple theme and concentrates on the unique and thoughtful nature of the prince. It is a philosophical not an active Hamlet we are treated to, who does not so much pursue his revenge against his father as he is swept to it from the events occurring throughout the play. For example, when Hamlet kills Claudius and Laertes it is because he accidentally came to have the poisoned tip sword, not because he planned it that way. Hamlets' preoccupation with nature and the consequences of man's actions has led some critics to call him the "first modern man." This paper will explore Hamlet's vacillation, his motivations, lack of action and character. A conclusion will discuss why the play's theme is still relevant to today's audiences.
There are many subplots within the main plot of Hamlet. Old Hamlet, king of Denmark, has been murdered by his brother, Hamlet's uncle Claudius. Claudius has taken the throne and married Gertrude, the murdered Hamlet's wife. When young Hamlet returns from school and discovers his father has been murdered from an apparition, he sets about to avenge the death. He informs two guards and his friend Horatio what he is going to do, and that he will be playing mad. He repudiates his love Ophelia and then arranges for a play to be performed which concerns fratricide. The play is called "The Mousetrap." Mousetrap it is, for it exposes Claudius' guilt to Hamlet, when after seeing the player Lucianus murder his uncle by pouring poison into his ear, Claudius stops the performance in fear and anxiety. Claudius killed his brother in the same manner. Hamlet then kills Polonius in Gertrude's chamber and then berates his mother for her relationship with Claudius. After this Claudius fears Hamlet and sends him off to England with Gildenstern and Rosencrantz, who carry a sealed...