Motifs in "Hamlet"

Hamlet

By: William Shakespeare

Disclaimer: I've slowly have been moving all of my stuff from my mural.ly to this blog. I decided to switch because I find the other site to hard to work, and I prefer this one. In the process of moving this blog post I ended up deleting it (go me! she say's sarcastically), so now I have to re-write it. Please bear with me. Thank you.

Our assignment was to select three motifs from a list, and track them throughout the play. I chose the motifs: incest, guilt and confession, and Hamlet's flaw - his inability to act.

Let's start with, what is a motif? A motif is: "a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motif).

Incest (definition provided) is mentioned a bit in the throughout play.  The most memorable moments being when Hamlet is says: "...With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!..." (Act I, Scene II, 162). He is talking about Claudius marrying his mother, as it was his brother's (King Hamlet) wife. It is also mentioned by the ghost of King Hamlet in the same manner in this following quote: "Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,..." (Act I, Scene V, 49). It is again mentioned by the ghost in the same scene when he says: "A couch for luxury and damnèd incest." (Act I, Scene V, 90). The ghost is talking about what had happened to him (how Claudius murdered him). Incest is then again mentioned when Hamlet sees Claudius praying (after he watched the play): "...Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed,..." Hamlet is discussing how Claudius should not go to Heaven. The last time it being mentioned was when Hamlet forced Claudius to also take the poison to make sure he would die: "Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damnèd Dane,/Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?" (Act V, Scene II, 356-357).
 
Guilt and Confession is also used quite a bit in Hamlet. It is first seen when Hamlet get's actors to reenact his fathers death in hopes that it would lead Claudius to confess. When in the end, it just lead to him being upset with Hamlet and Hamlet killing Polonius. Another example of guilt and confession in the play would be when Hamlet batters his mother for a reason to why she married Claudius. You can see she feels guilty as she says:

 "O Hamlet, speak no more!
Thou turn’st my eyes into my very soul,
And there I see such black and grainèd spots
As will not leave their tinct." (Act III, Scene IV, 99-102).

And she continues to plead Hamlet to stop. Guilt and confession can also be shown when Hamlet apologize: 

"Give me your pardon, sir. I’ve done you wrong.

But pardon ’t, as you are a gentleman.

This presence knows,

And you must needs have heard, how I am punished

With sore distraction. What I have done,

That might your nature, honor, and exception

Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness.

Was ’t Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet.

If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,

And when he’s not himself does wrong Laertes,

Then Hamlet does it not. Hamlet denies it.

Who does it, then? His madness. If’t be so,

Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged.

His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy.

Sir, in this audience," (Act V, Scene II, 212-227)

Laertes accepted the apology, as Hamlet was really sincere. 

Finally, Hamlet has a fatal flaw - his inability to act. It is very controversal to the subject of "is Hamlet crazy or just acting crazy?" For one, I believe Hamlet has gone crazy. Although, it is normal to feel betrayed when two of your friends begin to spy on you, I think it is much more than that. When Hamlet tells his friends that he will begin to act like a madman, I believe this is not only an act but what Hamlet is truly like. Hamlet also talks about his madness to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: “I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw” (II.ii.361–362). he is describing that he is only mad in certain situations. I believe that Hamlet is not only acting mad, but is also a madman as well. (Going between being "crazy and crazy like a fox".  Hamlet also displays an act of madness in his mothers chambers is where he stab's Polonius: "How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead! (He kills Polonius by thrusting a rapier through the arras.)" (III, IV. 29.) in thought that he was stabbing Claudius. I do not believe a sane man would stab somebody, even if it was to get revenge for their father's death. The reason I believe Hamlet is mad is because not only does he act like a madman, but he does have control over his actions, and most "normal" people would not result to murder as compensation for a death of a loved one.

 

He demonstrates his inability to act when he is faced with the threat of killing Claudius when he was praying. He second guessed himself because he didn't want Claudius to go to Heaven. HE COULD HAVE KILLED HIM RIGHT THEN AND THERE! This, to me, shows signs of a real madman. When one is trying to act crazy, they try to keep up the act, but suddenly, things change and when you have the opportunity you waste it! Acting crazy, and being crazy are two very different things. Hamlet was (in my opinion) crazy.