Syed Shehzed Abdullah

1st Prof 1st SemesterGroup: B Roll: 61

Session : 2016-2021

Presented for: Mr. Jamal Ahmed

Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

William Shakespeare’s

Introduction William Shakespeare through 'Hamlet' exposes the corruption

amongst rulers both through his use of disease imagery and in Hamlets continuous comparisons between Old Hamlet and King Claudius. Shakespeare portrays Claudius as a typical Machiavellian king, in his exploration of the necessary qualities of a King, made clear in Claudius' astuteness as a politician. Shakespeare brings to question the traditional view of the King being above the law, punishment and correction, exposing Claudius' human faults, as well as pushing the audience to morally question whether Claudius' means of accession was acceptable. A Shakespearean king differs from that of the Revengers Tradegy, as unlike the Duke, Claudius still has some acknowledgment of his wrongs as seen in his prayer scene, whereas the Duke is openly lecherous and unjust seen in the delay the Youngest sons punishment despite his lack of remorse.

Biography of William Shakespeare Name : William ShakespeareOccupation : Poet, Playwright, Philosopher. Birth Date : April 23, 1564Death Date : April 23, 1616Education : King's New SchoolPlace of Birth : Stratford-upon-Avon, United KingdomPlace of Death : Stratford-upon-Avon, United KingdomNickname : "Bard of Avon“ "Swan of Avon” "The Bard“Works : Poem (154 Sonnets) & Drama: 37 Plays  

William Shakespeare( 1564-1616)

Original Identity of HAMLET DramaFull title : The Tragedy of

Hamlet, Prince of DenmarkAuthor : William

ShakespeareType of work : PlayGenre : TragedyLanguage : EnglishWritten : ( 1600 or 1601)Performed : July 1602Published : 1603 (Printed) Age : The Renaissance

A short View of Hamlet Film Hamlet is a 1990 drama film based

on the Shakespearean tragedy of the same name directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Mel Gibson as the eponymous character. The film also features Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield, Ian Holm, Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Dillane, and Nathaniel Parker. It is notable for being the first film from Icon Productions, a company co-founded by Gibson.

Plot: In Denmark, Prince Hamlet finds himself involved in a conspiracy of power to the royal palace. Cruel uncle Claudius kills his brother and takes the power of the kingdom. After an encounter with the restless ghost of his murdered father, Hamlet feigns madness and plots to take vengeance.

Cast: Mel Gibson as Prince Hamlet Glenn Close as Queen Gertrude Alan Bates as King Claudius Paul Scofield as the ghost of King Hamlet Ian Holm as Polonius Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia Stephen Dillane as Horatio Nathaniel Parker as Laertes Michael Maloney and Sean Murray as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Trevor Peacock as The Gravedigger Pete Postlethwaite as the Player King Christopher Fairbank as the Player Queen John McEnery as Osric Richard Warwick as Bernardo Christien Anholt as Marcellus

Characters Map of the Film Hamlet

The Ghost of Hamlet Claudius

Hamlet Ophelia

The Story in Brief Hamlet’s father, king of Denmark has just dead. His brother

Claudius takes the throne and married Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother.

Horatio sees king Hamlet’s ghost and tells it to Hamlet. A night king’s ghost appears to Hamlet and tells him that Claudius murdered him, so Hamlet decides to avenge him.

Hamlet pretends to be mad so Claudius and Gertrude give to Polonius the task of discovering the cause of his madness.

Polonius attributes the cause of madness to Hamlet’s love for Ophelia, Polonius daughter

Hamlet tries to stage a play with a company of actors, in order to re-enact his father’s murder and determine Claudius guilt or innocence.

Gertrude asks to Hamlet the reason of his behaviour and he tells her the truth about his father’s death

Hamlet believing to kill Claudius murders Polonius while he is hidden

Ophelia goes mad for her father’s death and drowns in a river. After this, Claudius sent Hamlet with his close friend, Horatio to

England to study there, even though the real goal is to expel Hamlet from Denmark.

At the Ophelia’s funeral procession her brother Laertes and Hamlet brave themselves

When Hamlet returned back to Denmark. There was an Ophelia’s funeral procession. Hamlet was very sad for losing her and suddenly he jumped into Ophelia’s grave when the funeral took place. Laertes, her brother was angry of what Hamlet did.

Laertes decided to kill Hamlet in revenge for his father’s death. He challenged Hamlet to a sword fight. Laertes pierces Hamlet with a poisoned blade but is wounded by it himself

Gertrude drinks a poisoned wine and dies Hamlet manages to kill Claudius and names Fortimbras as his heir Finally, the film is ended with morning song

Kingship in Hamlet Shakespeare through Hamlet puts up for the debate the rights of a

king to the throne, allowing the audience to question whether Claudius' accession to the throne was acceptable.

In 'Hamlet' Shakespeare explores the necessary qualities of a king and compares and contrasts these with the necessary qualities put forward by King James I, Machiavelli and Erasmus.

Shakespeare questions the traditional view of whether or not the king was above the law and so could do whatever he willed.

Shakespeare draws connections with the state of the court and kings land and the state, with the power of a king and his control over his people.

Shakespeare looks at whether a morally inept king is beyond punishment or correction.

Shakespeare criticizes above-humanity and the almost super-human view of kings and through Claudius reiterates the human element of Kings.

Through the violence and the way in which Claudius gained the throne, Shakespeare presumably is questioning/criticizing the conventional view that Kingship is a God-given rights.

Ideas and Themes to Notice in Hamlet

• Deception / Appearance and Reality

• Passion and Reason• Decay and Corruption • Melancholy• Madness and Sanity• Revenge • Misogyny

Conclusion: William Shakespeare is regarded by many as the greatest

dramatist of all times. An Englishman, Shakespeare was also a poet and an actor. His works such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet hold a significant place in world literature and occupy a major part of literary academics. Often referred to as England’s national poet, Shakespeare is one author whose works have been translated into every major language of the world and his plays are performed more than that of any other playwright living or dead. However, Shakespeare’s great skill is that in Hamlet he is aware not only of English concepts of kingship, but is conscious of, and adept at including, European ideas on kingship to add levels of political theory which complicates the play even further.

Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.No need for revenge, just sit back and wait.

Those who hurt you will eventually screw up themselves and if you are lucky God will let you watch.

We know what we are, but not what we may be.

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.

Thank you