Kingship, the Nature of Humankind, the Human Condition, Tragedy

"The time is out of joint. O cursèd spite, / That ever I was born to set it right!" (1.5.196-197)

• Hamlet laments the corruption in Denmark under Claudius’ rule, reflecting the burden of restoring rightful kingship.

• Could discuss the theme of divine right vs. usurpation and Hamlet’s reluctance as a ruler-in-waiting.

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." (1.4.90)

• Marcellus speaks of Denmark’s corruption under Claudius.

• Can be analysed in relation to the Elizabethan Chain of Being, legitimacy, and kingship’s moral responsibility.

"A king of shreds and patches." (3.4.105)

• Hamlet ridicules Claudius’ rule, highlighting his unworthiness and illegitimacy.

• Strong imagery suggests a broken, patched-up ruler rather than a divinely appointed king.

"What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties" (2.2.303-308)

• Hamlet oscillates between admiration and disillusionment with humanity.

• The contrast between Renaissance humanism and existential despair is crucial for analysis.

"Use every man after his desert, and who shall 'scape whipping?" (2.2.529-530)

• Hamlet implies that if everyone were treated as they deserved, no one would be spared punishment.

• Can be analysed in terms of justice, morality, and human fallibility.

"To be, or not to be, that is the question." (3.1.56)

• The ultimate existential meditation on life and death.

• Can be explored in relation to suicide, suffering, and the fear of the unknown.

"There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow." (5.2.219-220)

• Hamlet accepts fate, referencing Christian providence.

• Reflects the tension between free will and determinism.

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." (5.1.184-185)

• Hamlet’s meditation on mortality as he holds a jester’s skull.

• A great example of memento mori and the inevitability of death.

"Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!" (5.2.397-398)

• Horatio’s farewell to Hamlet, reinforcing his tragic nobility.

• Could analyse the Shakespearean tragic hero and redemption.

Stephen Greenblatt argues that Hamlet reflects anxieties about illegitimate rule:

"Shakespeare’s plays register deep unease about the stability of political power and the legitimacy of succession."

A.C. Bradley highlights Hamlet’s hesitation regarding kingship:

"Hamlet is disgusted by the world, but he does not seek to rule it."

Samuel Johnson (18th-century critic) praised Hamlet’s reflections on human nature:

"Shakespeare makes Hamlet an instrument of profound moral truths, expressing the perplexities of man’s condition."

T.S. Eliot critiques Hamlet’s emotional complexity:

"Hamlet is dominated by an emotion which is inexpressible, because it is in excess of the facts as they appear."

Ernest Jones (Freudian critic) sees Hamlet as trapped in his psyche:

"Hamlet’s hesitation is rooted in the repression of his own unconscious desires."

A.C. Bradley defines Hamlet as a tragedy of thought:

"Hamlet’s downfall is the result of his reflective nature overpowering his ability to act."