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What message does William Shakespeare want the reader to get from Hamlet?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
None. First of all because Shakespeare did not write Hamlet to be read. He wrote it to be watched. He never intended that Hamlet should have any readers.
But secondly because it's a play, not a sermon. Plays just show you people doing things, and the audience finds itself empathizing with the imaginary people being portrayed. When bad things happen to them, as they always do in tragedies, the audience feels shock, Horror, sympathy and pain. As an audience member, what do you feel when Hamlet kills Polonius? It depends on what you feel about the other characters: you might feel sorry for Ophelia and Laertes who have lost a father, or Polonius who was only spying which should not be a capital offence, or Hamlet who did not intend to kill him and meant to kill Claudius, or Gertrude who has had this happen in her bedroom, or even Claudius, who has lost his advisor. Because Shakespeare was a great playwright and not a writer of hack melodrama, there is something about all of the characters you can empathise with. Every event is a kaleidoscope of possible emotional reactions and intellectual conclusions.
To be sure, there are a lot of great lines which sound like Shakespeare is sending us a message. But he's not. What the characters say expresses where they are at that moment. We like to quote "this above all, to thine own self be true" and forget that it is being said by a pompous windbag, who will, a couple of scenes later, send an agent to France for the express purpose of unjustly blackening his son's reputation. Hamlet says "now I could drink hot blood" but he's not sending us a message to become vampires.
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∙ 12y ago
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What was William Shakespeare's favorie author?
Shakespeare must have been a voracious reader, as he stole his plots from a wide variety of sources. His favourite source to steal from was probably Holinshed's Chronicle, a history and geography of Great Britain. Shakespeare used this not only for the history plays but also for Macbeth and King Lear.
What is the purpose of including the subplot of Hamlet and Ophelia's romance?
The degree of relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is quite unknown to the reader, although it is somewhat suggested in the text that they were, in fact, together. This subplot shows that when Hamlet pretends to be - or actually does become - insane that it effects Ophelia on a very deep level. The rejection Ophelia is given by Hamlet sends her into insanity - and in the end suicide. This is an aspect of irony, something Shakespeare liked to use in his work. By pretending to be insane, Hamlet causes Ophelia to actually become insane - a type of casualty caused by Hamlet's need to know the truth about his father's death.
Who also wrote when shakespeare wrote?
People who could write at the time Shakespeare wrote most likely wrote. I assume at least one of your (the reader or who the reader is reading to) ancestors wrote unless I'm wrong somehow.
Was William Shakespeare insane?
This cannot be fully proved. He had a great deal of insight into different forms of madness, and this was distinct in the characters in his plays (Ophelia, King Lear, and Hamlet were all mad in their specific ways). He was much inclined toward weaving the concept of madness into his work.
What often undermines the authors credibility and distracts the reader from the intended written message?
Grammatical errors in writing can undermine an author's credibility and distract the reader from the intended written message. Therefore it is important that the author take steps to proofread and edit there work if necessary.
What message does William Shakespeare want the reader to get from Midsummer Night's Dream?
The message is that doing drugs is a terrible decision and may lead to hyperrealistic delusions, particularly during the summer.
How does Shakespeare create a atmosphere of mystery in act1 scene1 of hamlet?
by keeping the reader off balance
How does the figurative language in Hamlet help to tell the story?
Figurative language helps Shakespare connect to the reader. Hamlet, along with Shakespeare's other pieces are considered timeless because of there ability to connect with the reader. Figurative language is just one mode that Shakespeare can connect with any reader from any era.
What actors and actresses appeared in William Shakespeare - 2000?
The cast of William Shakespeare - 2000 includes: Harold Bloom as Himself - Author, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human Germaine Greer as Reader Glenda Jackson as M.P. Ian McKellen as Richard III Jonathan Miller as Theatre Director Edward Petherbridge as Reader
What is William Shakespeare's first novel he read?
It is unlikely that William Shakespeare read a novel. The novel form had not really been developed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and there were not very many works around which you might call novels. Shakespeare was a voracious reader, but he read history books, poetry and stories.
What is the effect of using soliloquy to convey the thoughts of Hamlet who must murder his uncle in order to avenge his father's death?
Shakespeare uses soliloquy to allow readers to get into the characters mind and thoughts. This would allow the reader to know the intimate thoughts when Hamlet murdered his uncle in order to get justice for his father's death.
What was William Shakespeare's favorie author?
Shakespeare must have been a voracious reader, as he stole his plots from a wide variety of sources. His favourite source to steal from was probably Holinshed's Chronicle, a history and geography of Great Britain. Shakespeare used this not only for the history plays but also for Macbeth and King Lear.
What is the purpose of including the subplot of Hamlet and Ophelia's romance?
The degree of relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is quite unknown to the reader, although it is somewhat suggested in the text that they were, in fact, together. This subplot shows that when Hamlet pretends to be - or actually does become - insane that it effects Ophelia on a very deep level. The rejection Ophelia is given by Hamlet sends her into insanity - and in the end suicide. This is an aspect of irony, something Shakespeare liked to use in his work. By pretending to be insane, Hamlet causes Ophelia to actually become insane - a type of casualty caused by Hamlet's need to know the truth about his father's death.
What is overt and covert message in the advertisement?
about overt message, it is the message that the 'reader' can totally understand what means about the advertising, and the message is very obvious.
What is the heart of the message a writer is sending his reader?
The heart of a writer's message is that portion of his writing that is most meaningful to him and his reader. Of course, the theme, spirit and lesson of the writing will differ from reader to reader. But the heart will always be the part that is most important and meaningful for a writer to convey.
Who also wrote when shakespeare wrote?
People who could write at the time Shakespeare wrote most likely wrote. I assume at least one of your (the reader or who the reader is reading to) ancestors wrote unless I'm wrong somehow.
What can the reader study for most directly determine the theme of a poem?
The reader can study the tone, imagery, symbols, and overall message of the poem to determine its theme. These elements can help the reader identify the underlying message or main idea that the poet is trying to convey.
