Hamlet Essay Questions

Hamlet Essay Question 1

The Player King uses his speech about fortune and love as a bait for Laertes. The clincher in the speech is King’s question, “for it is a question left us yet to prove, whether love lead fortune, or else fortune love” (Shakespeare and Ann 91). The King used this question as a bait to acquire Laertes’s position on whether love leads to success or whether the reverse is factual. The King was suspicious of Laertes and his intentions. It is of consideration to note that Laertes sought to revenge his father’s death. After his return from France, he led a mob to conquer the castle. He also confronted the King because he thought that the King had a role in Polonius’s death. The King wanted to use Laertes to kill Hamlet. In order to pull Laertes to his side, the King thought of evoking his emotions about love and friendship. Laertes believed that his father was killed by Hamlet, who was also responsible for making his sister lose her mind. In this case, the King is trying to convey a message to Laertes that he needs to know his friends and enemies.

Hamlet Essay Question 2

The first speech in Act 1, scene ii is a speech given by the central character. The speech is intended to focus audiences towards the differences between real and seeming grief. The speech covers the complex elements and articulates the differences between appearance and reality. Shakespeare satisfactorily express different intentions using the tone in his speeches. This is possible through the use of wordplay. Shakespeare systematically exhibits mastery of language. Tone is well conveyed using different language elements such as similes, metaphors, metonymy, synecdoche, allusions, personification, and puns. The use of these literary elements in speech helps in conveying different intentions (Shakespeare et al 74). Shakespeare uses additional devices such as metonymy and synecdoche to express thoughts. The tone in the speeches helps in creating an environment for understanding the intentions of the speaker. The tone allows the speech to unfold information and build an environment that will help in the production of a riveting drama. Additionally, it is used to enhance character development and narrate a state of affairs. The differences in tone throughout the speeches also tax the attentiveness of a reader.

Hamlet Essay Question 3

In my opinion, Claudius’ intentions are not in accordance with the ghost’s charge on Hamlet. Claudius is seen as the play’s villain, in addition to being an ambitious and calculating politician. He is adroit at manipulating others to his achievement. Besides, he is willing to murder other people to stay in power. Claudius does not understand the motives of Hamlet. He is quick to consider Hamlet as a threat. The ghost claims that Claudius killed him. As a result, he asks Hamlet to revenge on his behalf. Hamlet does not believe the ghost because he thinks that the ghost must have been a devil that has been sent to deceive him to kill. Claudius’s intentions are not in agreement with the ghost because the ghost wanted him dead. Additionally, the ghost claims that Claudius killed him, which means that their intentions diverge (Shakespeare et al 112). Claudius thinks that he can get away with his actions. This is not the ghost’s intentions because the ghost seeks revenge. Hamlet’s actions are in accordance with the ghost’s intentions because the ghost chose him to carry out his revenge.

Work Cited
Shakespeare, William, Neil Taylor, and Ann Thompson. Hamlet. London: AS, 2007. Print.