How tragic

Thank goodness for the witty banter between Hamlet and Claudius otherwise this play would certainly depress me! We have a brother who murdered his brother, a ghost who is stuck in purgatory, a son who is mourning the loss of his father, a girl who loses her mind, and a step-father who is trying to murder his dead brother's son, too! Whew! That's a lot all at once! And underlying all of this is the theme of revenge. I don't believe in revenge; it never makes a person feel better, and yet it's the theme of so many characters' lives in this play. Hamlet wants revenge for his father's murder; Fortinbras wants to avenge his father by gaining his land back; Laertes wants to seek revenge for his father and sister...and Claudius is there stirring it all up and playing on everyone's emotions yet trying to act innocent. Revenge is not the stuff of comedies...but of tragedies so we already know that this play isn't go to end well...and to be honest it seems quite depressing from the very beginning. If it wasn't for the ghost being interesting, I'm not so sure how I would feel about the rest of the play...

I'm really not a fan of Hamlet's acting crazy. The play could be just as successful with him acting like a normal, philosophical person. It wouldn't mean that the witty banter would need to be removed. I especially love the part where he is telling King Claudius that Polonius is not where he eats but where he is eaten. It is true, we all become something's dinner at one point or another, but the way Hamlet words it is so beautiful and eloquent and somehow the prospect of being eaten by worms when we die doesn't sound so absolutely horrible. If he was acting like a sane person he could still have this same conversation. No one says he has to like the King or even be civilized to him when no one else is around (i.e.: the public) and that alone would make for an interesting play. Hamlet has the Mousetrap play, so really, does he need to do all of this crazy stuff to get his point across? If the people really loved Hamlet that much, wouldn't they back him? I find myself having no sympathy left for Hamlet toward the end of the play even though it is disturbing that his stepfather and "friends" are supposed to kill him. Maybe if I liked Hamlet more in the beginning, I would feel bad that Hamlet dies...but I don't.

The only person I really feel for in the play is Ophelia. I think her death is the most tragic death of all. She was in love, wasn't seeking revenge, wasn't hurting anyone, and she dies. It is possible she lost her virginity, but it is only speculative...she may still be a virgin. Regardless, she meets a tragic end which I suppose is also the way of life sometimes. They say that only the good die young so maybe that's why. Who knows. It is still completely unjust...and I suppose that is just another part of the tragedy...the death of someone who doesn't deserve to die. I also wonder what they are saying about womanhood...what she loses her dad and her virginity and she dies? There's no male control over her at that point and she can't live? Would a Shakespearean audience even feel bad about Ophelia's death or would they just chalk it off to the fact that she is not a virgin and that's what happens? I liked Ophelia...she brought something interesting to the play especially with the flower scene. She certainly handed out truthful flowers, and played a bit of the wise fool telling people exactly what they were, did, or should do. To me, her death is the only actual tragedy in the play. If you want to seek revenge on someone, you should be prepared for it to end poorly just like the men in the play...but poor Ophelia...