Discuss Hamlet as a Savior of Denmark?

Answer 1

Hamlet's role in Denmark's future is that he leads to the dissolving of the current governing by the deceptive murderer Claudius and his being replaced by Fortinbras who brings peace and stability back to Denmark.

Answer 2

At the beginning of the play, Denmark is ruled by the crafty and somewhat unscrupulous Claudius. He has prudently called the country's military forces to the alert due to the threat posed by young Fortinbras, an adventurer who "here and there in the skirts of Norway hath sharked up a band of lawless resolutes" with a view to stealing back territory which his father had legally lost to Hamlet Sr. At the same time, he is able to defuse the situation diplomatically by calling on the "impotent and bed-rid" King of Norway. In other words, Claudius may have murdered his way to the throne, but he is an effective king. He also seems to be well-liked by the Danish people at the beginning of the play.

Claudius tries to be kind to his stepson. He names him heir; when Hamlet feigns madness, Claudius watches him but does not interfere. Unfortunately Hamlet then proceeds to kill Polonius. Claudius comments, "Alas! How shall this bloody deed be answered? It will be laid to us, whose providence should have kept him short, restrain'd and out of haunt, this mad young man." He's dead right. Laertes comes vowing to revenge himself upon Claudius, supported by a crowd of people, "muddied, thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers for good Polonius's death" who want to proclaim him king. As Claudius says, "when sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions": Polonius is dead, Hamlet sent out of the country as a result, Ophelia is crazy, Laertes in revolt, the populace rebellious, and although he doesn't say it, he must sense a coolness in Gertrude that was not so before. And who brought all this about? Hamlet.

Accordingly Claudius tries to have him killed. (As he explains to Laertes he cannot do it openly because Gertrude and the people would protest, but Hamlet has certainly committed the murder of Polonius and yet goes unpunished.) But Hamlet proves to be extremely difficult to kill, and everyone involved in trying to kill him, with the addition of Gertrude, who gets caught in the crossfire, dies in the process. The result is that there are no Danes left to govern, and Fortinbras takes over. This is the same Fortinbras, remember, who was planning to steal Danish territory earlier on: an adventurer and military leader. We cannot believe that, as a king, he would be an improvement on Claudius. Nevertheless he has Hamlet's "dying voice"--thanks again, Hamlet.

Has Hamlet saved Denmark? On the contrary, he has destroyed it.