Hamlet Flashcards
Who is Hamlet?
- Prince of Denmark
- Son of the recently murdered King Hamlet
- Intelligent, philosophical, and emotionally turbulent. His deep moral conscience and tendency to overthink delay his revenge.
Key quotes for Hamlet
“To be, or not to be: that is the question” – Reflects Hamlet’s inner conflict over life and death, showing his existential crisis.
“O, that this too too solid flesh would melt” – Expresses Hamlet’s despair and desire to escape the corrupt world.
“The time is out of joint: O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right!” – Hamlet feels burdened by fate and duty in a broken world.
Main themes for Hamlet
Madness – His “antic disposition” raises debate over whether he’s truly mad or acting.
Revenge – Torn between duty and morality; central to the play.
Death/Dying/Afterlife – His soliloquies show obsession with mortality and what comes after.
Religion – Fear of damnation influences his hesitation to kill.
Corruption/Power – Denmark is described as diseased and rotting; Hamlet sees the throne as poisoned.
Context for Hamlet
Shakespeare draws on the Renaissance humanist focus on introspection and moral reasoning. Hamlet also critiques the Senecan revenge tradition by questioning the justice of revenge. His reflections on death mirror Reformation-era concerns about the afterlife and the soul.
