Why Hamlet and Hamlet Matter
Though William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet is one of his longest plays, it is also one of his least engaging ones. Due to its lack of action is it perplexing as to why high school seniors, like myself, would find this play entertaining and at times even enlightening. Since today’s average teenagers only interest themselves in the latest action packed movie or violent video game, it seems obvious that Hamlet would not hold their attention for an extensive amount of time. Yet, Hamlet’s ethical dilemma makes his character relatable to college-bound seniors and therefore keeps them entertained with the classical revenge drama. When Hamlet learns that his father, King Hamlet, is killed by his uncle, Claudius, in order to attain the throne, Hamlet is pressured to take revenge on the new King. However, Hamlet continually delays his revenge because he is a man of great moral integrity. Murdering his uncle would be forcing him to commit an act that goes against his deepest principles, therefore leaving him in a struggle between ethics and loyalty. Similarly, . . .
In act I scene V Hamlet shows the emotional stress that the struggle is causing him: “The time is out of joint. At the end of the play Hamlet kills Claudius although it costs him his life. In the same way, I can relate to Hamlet. As a high school senior, I am able to relate to Hamlet’s moral struggle because I too am struggling to maintain my moral integrity while preparing for college. Though he believes that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (I. Hamlet chooses to defend himself from the world’s wrong making his message ultimately one of hope. With laws such as Affirmative Action it grows to be tempting for me to exaggerate on my applications knowing that someone of color may be accepted over me just so the college can fill their quota. /O cursed spite,/ That I was born to set it right” ( I. This dilemma transcends the Elizabethan period, making him a man people have been able to identify with throughout the ages. The quote illustrates Hamlet's view of the enormity of the task, and his hesitation with carrying it out. It is this that makes Hamlet’s struggle all too familiar to a high school senior. Over the years, the college admissions process has become corrupt, much like Denmark. Like Hamlet, it is a difficult struggle for me to remain an honest individual in a corrupt society, especially when it concerns my future. Hamlet’s delay in killing his uncle is affected by many emotional, ethical, and psychological factors.
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