Hamlet Theme Analysis

6 Pages 1429 Words

The tragedy of Hamlet is a tragedy of losses. A son’s loss of his father. A child’s abandonment by his mother. A man’s rejection by his lover. A loss of friendship. The loss of lives, and finally the loss of a country. All of these losses are tragic within themselves but the ultimate tragedy is that each one contained within itself the seeds of its own making. The seeds of destruction are sown and grow to produce the tragedies of loss that lie scattered through the play like the flowers on Ophelia’s coffin.

Early on in the play we learn that forces are gathering around the country of Denmark. These forces are led by the young Fortinbras, son of the late King of Norway. He is hoping to regain the lands that his father “did forfeit with his life” (Ii.88) when King Hamlet “did slay this Fortinbras” (Ii.86) and seized parts of Norway. Also “now sir, young Fortinbras, of unimprovèd mettle hot and full” (Ii.95-96) seeks revenge for his father’s death. At the end of the play young Fortinbras has more than succeeded in his plans. He sits upon Denmark’s throne with the kingship handed to him by young Hamlet who proclaims:
“But I do prophesy th’election lights on Fortinbras; he has my dying voice” (Vii.334-335).

While young Fortinbras has his revenge it was not to be against King Hamlet. He is already dead at the hands of his brother, Claudius “the serpent that did sting thy fathers life now wears his crown” (Iv.38-39). The ghost of “Hamlet, King, father, royal Dane” (Iiv.45) tells the young Prince that poison was poured into his ear such that the “whole ear of Denmark is by a forged process of my death rankly abused” (Iv.36-37). Prince Hamlet is charged to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (Iv.25). It is not however just a murder, it is a loss “of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched” (Iv.75). Even though Hamlet has taken on this promise of revenge he has some doubts a...