Philosophy Unit 5 Hamlet Exam Study Guide
Solve the Case of the Melancholy Dane
What should Hamlet do? Explain the moral theories of each philosopher: Plato, Aristotle and Augustine. For each, determine the right thing for Hamlet to do. Then, assess the prince's actions from the perspective of each recommendation.
Plato
Plato’s moral theory consisted of the concept of the soul and the concept of virtue as function. To Plato, the soul has three parts; reason, spirit, and appetite. The reason we do things is to reach a goal or value, our spirit drives us to accomplish our goal, and our desire for things is our appetite. The three virtues that must be fulfilled to reach the fourth, general virtue are temperance, courage, and wisdom,
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In order to achieve this final, we need to live a virtuous life according to the Golden mean, which is finding the middle grounds of the virtues we live by. Aristotle explains that we should continuously act in accordance with virtues, which are acquired from our upbringing and experiences. Because Aristotle believed in teleology, he said that by aiming our actions toward an end (happiness), our souls need to work in the way of excellence.
Like Plato, Aristotle also gears toward reaching a goal. In order for Hamlet to achieve the goal of happiness, he needs to follow the golden mean to live the ideal life. Hamlet and Aristotle had the same question; what does it mean to be? Hamlet’s famous statement “to be or not to be” meant he did not know exactly how to put his feelings into action. Is it better to live with the knowing of the murder of his father, or is it better to die in the act of revenge. Aristotle would have Hamlet evaluate how he can fulfill the function of being a good person. To do this, Hamlet needs to act on the rational part of his soul and make the right choice in dealing with his knowledge of his father’s murder. Hamlet needs to live by the virtues of courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. If Hamlet makes rational decisions based on these virtues, he will understand that he needs to be able to communicate to Claudius and let him know that he will not get away with what he has done.
murder in a rash mood. It is not seen by Gertrude. It tries to urge
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play about murder, betrayal, revenge, madness, and moral corruption. It touches upon philosophical ideas such as existentialism and relativism. Prince Hamlet frequently questions the meaning of life and the degrading of morals as he agonizes over his father’s murder, his mother’s incestuous infidelity, and what he should or shouldn’t do about it. At first, he is just depressed; still mourning the loss of his father as his mother marries his uncle. After he learns about the treachery of his uncle and the adultery of his mother, his already negative countenance declines further. He struggles with the task of killing Claudius, feeling burdened about having been asked to find a solution to a situation that was
The tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare brilliantly recounts the tale of feigned and true madness as it delves into themes of betrayal, incest, revenge, moral corruption, and death. The play, set in the kingdom of Denmark, gives an account of how Prince Hamlet seeks exact revenge on his uncle Claudius, for murdering his own brother and Prince Hamlet’s father. After assassinating King Hamlet, Claudius succeeds the throne and becomes joined in holy matrimony to King Hamlet’s widow and Prince Hamlet’s mother, Queen
In “Act 5” the listener get to seen into the growing theatre program in a prison. These prison inmates were putting on an intimate production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, a story of a man arguing with the idea of murdering his uncle and avenging his father. While this story itself is not something the inmates related to directly, they related to that struggle and those ideas in a way many, if not most, actors could not. The purpose of “Act 5” was to show the heavy influence of an actor on a character and as a result the effects of specific characters and stories on us on humans. Experiences shape how we see the characters and the story but, not just our personal experiences this includes the experiences of the creatives working on the
Hamlet decides to get more information / prove what the ghost was saying before doing
Act 4 Scenes 7. Gertrude enters the room running and panting. Gertrude: “What bad luck do we have, that has one bad news after the other, following each other very quickly!
This scene is a dramatic peak in which both Claudius and Hamlet acknowledge their respective dilemmas. The King faces the question of how to repent and so save himself, at least, from spiritual damnation. Hamlet’s theological problem with killing Claudius becomes yet another hurdle and he becomes increasingly trapped by his own indecision.
Every person lives by a set of values which predict one’s actions and give reason to the way one thinks. Additionally, each individual has a unique way of arriving at and believing in their principles. Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern all live by separate morals and different reasons for them, but as seen in Hamlet and in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, none of their ideas of truth pursues the biblical truth; the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate why their principles are not adequate.
Thematic Essay Hamlet Within Hamlet, Shakespeare explores many thematic concepts regarding society that are applicable to the world outside of the play. The exploration of disease, in terms of the human condition, is particularly noteworthy in the work due to its slow but fatal spread in the mind, heart, and body of characters, as well as its eventual impact on the state of Denmark. The frequent inclusion of the use of poison into the plot, as well as frequent images of sickness portrayed by Shakespeare, reflect on the theme that death is always potent and near, and all it takes is a small action to upset the balance and to bring oneself into death’s embrace. Shakespeare’s message is to allow the audience to be aware of the various
Appearance can be defined as a superficial aspect; a semblance; or pretending something is the case in order to make a good impression. Reality on the other hand can be defined as the state of being actual or real; the state of the world as it really is rather than as you might want it to be. It is undeniably noticeable that throughout Shakespeare’s Hamlet many characters are playing roles: acting rather than being. This unquestionably reminds the reader of reality, where a person can play various roles. In reality, as well as in the play, it is not always easy to distinguish what is true from what only appears to be true. Throughout Hamlet, Shakespeare illuminates the theme of appearance versus reality by portraying principal characters.
A new dimension is added when one considers Hamlet’s status as a prince and Claudius’ status as king. Hamlet is caught in a moral dilemma: society demands vengeance for his father, yet to do so also constitutes as treason. But princes are also expected to be the paragons of manliness, meaning that Hamlet is held to an even higher standard than typical of the age. He is expected to be the ideal of manhood and this translates to his honor as well. If Hamlet’s father was murdered, he must avenge him not only as a duty to his father, but also as a duty to his country. These complications with his revenge leave Hamlet conflicted to the point of insanity, either genuine or feigned.
Often, the rising action of a play takes place in the second act. A rising action may include all the decisions a character makes, character development, intensification of conflicts and of relationships. All of these create the drama and tension that is needed to build up the climax of the story. In the Shakespearean tragedy, Hamlet, Act II sets the scene for possible actions and conflicts in the future. The transition from Act I to Act II helps the reader to identify development in important characters, conflicts, and in relationships that will appropriately create the tension necessary before the climax of the play.
Throughout the first three acts of “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, Hamlet faces many challenges. “Hamlet” is one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. “Of the many remarkable things about Hamlet, Perhaps the most extraordinary is its length.”(Shapiro) William Shakespeare is well known for s the soliloquies that take place in his plays. A soliloquy is when one of the actors is alone on the stage speaking their thoughts aloud to the people watching the performance. Soliloquies were Shakespeare’s way of getting the audience involved in the performance emotionally. In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” Hamlet faces challenges throughout Acts I, II, and III and discusses those challenges
Hamlet, and an argumentative essay as well as a summary and response essay on the need
Due to Hamlet’s disposition, he is a person who needs to attain certainty before going forth with a plan. This shows that Hamlet is a rational man, at first, by keeping in check