Hamlet- The Review

Shakespeare is known for his plays in theater history. The sense of drama and comedy ties into these stories, along with the confusing wordings that would be hard to understand until someone or something would translate into modern sayings. Shakespeare's "Hamlet" released in 1603, is one of the readings being discussed today. His intentions while writing this play is how he would take on different sources from other works at the same time, also there's no telling how Shakespeare would write the story in the first place, mostly having to do with making money. While reading it myself from back in high school and now, one thing that comes to mind is “Betrayal” since throughout the play Hamlet has been through a lot and most of them has to do losing trust in his family members, mostly his uncle, Claudine and how he's been running the kingdom for himself. Mentioning how we know this from this, 

Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet
1880-1885

Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts, — O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce! — won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen…With all my imperfections on my head: O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible! If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not; Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and damned incest...(Act 1, Scene 5, 42-83)

How it relates to this is how it all starts with a conversation between Hamlet and his deceased father and how he was killed at the time. Which is a sign of betrayal in the family. 

Continuing on, how Shakespeare would theme around the term, "betrayal" would likely come from who the characters are and how they interact with each other. Hamlet is the main character, having to deal with the passing of his father until was told that his uncle killed him and sought revenge on that matter. Claudius being the antagonist who ruled the kingdom, does not want to deal with Hamlet and does everything he can to take over the royalty power. Another thing to mention is how the later acts mention, “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do ’t: and so he goes to heaven; And so am I reveng’d. That would be scann’d: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge…” (Act 3, Scene 3, 74-80) It's a continuation of the theme itself since Shakespeare was known for these types in his plays, along with the comedy and suspension. That being said, the theme that Shakespeare learned from reading it overall is the sense of betrayal because what other ways to have the antagonist and protagonist in a play is part of the family.

David Tennant and Patrick Stewart
as Hamlet and Claudius
2009

At the end of the story, Hamlet would take on the revenge of his father resulting in killing both him and Claudius. With the dialogue mentioning,

Hamlet: The point envenom’d too! — Then, venom, to thy work. [Stabs the KING] 

All: Treason! treason! 

King: O! yet defend me, friends; I am but hurt. 

Hamlet: Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion; — is thy union here? Follow my mother. [KING dies]

(Act 5, Scene 2, 325-331)

This is one of the many ways Shakespeare's stories have to kill the main character. Honestly, it's sort of convincing since it makes the reader think if they did the right thing or have the readers wonder about another alternative to the narrative if they wrote the story. Do I recommend this? It depends on if you are up with the challenge to read it and understand what's going on, and having a few suggestions of having CliffNotes or SparkNotes alongside that would make perfect sense when reading the plays in the future. Some of the points in the play I would agree with are how the characters would do so, and the overall setting into the narrative.

Also, I added a video that talks about why you should read Hamlet 

Work Cited

Lowers, James K. Cliffsnotes, Shakespeare's Hamlet. Cliffs Notes, 1990.