Hamlet Essay

Self-Preservation in Hamlet

By: Randi Reader

            In Shakespeare's Hamlet self-preservation plays a strong roll. The roles of Jealousy, pain, fear, love, hate and death have strong roles in this play. People act on what they feel selfishly. Claudius kills his brother out of jealousy of his life, Claudius wants to keep a watchful eye over Hamlet is fear that he may try to overthrow him. Hamlet  wants to kill his Uncle because he hates him for killing his father. Laertes wants revenge for the murder of his father and wants to kill hamlet as well. Fortinbras wants to overthrow the kingdom as a revengeful act for the death of his father. Ophelia goes crazy over the death over her father who she loved more than anything, and winds up killing herself. In all of these motives they are still trying to ensure their own self-preservation also.

            Claudius shows the most need for self-preservation by letting his jealousy overcome him and murder his brother so that he can lead his life. "The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown." Act 1, Scene 5, Line 39. He wants to make sure that he can have the best of the best, which is what the king would get. He shows great fear that Hamlet could overthrow him, by wanting to keep him close so he can keep a watchful eye on him. "It is most retrograde to our desire: And, we beseech you, bend you to remain Here, in the cheer and comfort of our eye," Act 1, Scene 1, Line 114. The moment the king knew that he couldn't stop Hamlet from attempting to kill him he sent him off to England to be murdered upon arrival. "The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England; For like the hectic in my blood rages, And thou must cure me: till I know 'tis done, Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun." Act 4, Scene 3, Line 65

            Fortinbras forming an army to bring to Denmark to overthrow the kingdom is an act of revenge and pain. Fortinbras father was killed by former king Hamlet Sr. and he wants revenge. He gathers a large army in Norway and travels to Denmark as to take it over. In taking over Denmark, he would also gain more power, which is also an act of self-preservation by making sure that his way of life is stronger by eliminating any possible threat. In any case, no one would build an army of  two thousand people if you were not planning on overthrowing them and taking revenge for what they have done. "Two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats will not debate the question of this straw: This is the imposthume of much wealth and peace, that inward breaks, and shows no cause without why the man dies." Act 4, scene 4, Line 24. The self-preservation clearly shows here because Hamlet who wants revenge for his father's death does it discreetly, whereas Fortinbras makes an army to take over Denmark.

            For Ophelia, self-preservation doesn't see so important to her. She acts as a lady and does as her father says as she loves him more than anyone, but in any case she also loves Hamlet and wishes that her father and brother had not disapproved. When Ophelia's father dies, she simply goes mad. She talks of her father. "She speaks much of her father, says she hears there's tricks i' the worlds, and hems and beats her heart." Act 4, Scene 5, Line 3. She also sings as such a crazy person, and speaks about Hamlet and the things he had said to her. "To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, All in the morning bedtime, And I a maid at your window, To be your valentine. Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes, and dupp'd the chamber-door; Let in the maid, that out a maid never departed more." Act 4, Scene 5, Line 47. She ended up killing herself by drowning. A total opposite act of self-preservation, she had not cared for it at all. In the beginning maybe, but after all she loved was taken from her she started to doubt that living was even worth it and in the end decided it wasn't.

            When it comes to self-preservation some people may have more than others. It's a part of life in any case and we have to deal with. If you want to make sure you survive in this world, you have to do what you need to- or what you think you need to. Claudius believed he needed to take over his brother's life, Fortinbras believed he needed to take drastic measures for revenge and Ophelia believed she needed to kill herself because this wasn't a life worth living. Every reaction was due to jealousy, hurt, love or hate. An act of simple emotions we can't control. But we can control how we act on them. the characters in Hamlet acted poorly and selfishly. They didn't handle their lives in the right way and they took bad actions. Whether or not they felt bad shouldn't matter. Whether it be  taking a life out of jealousy, gathering an army out of revengeful rage, or taking your own life due to sadness; they all have something to do with self-preservation. Shakespeare has presented the consequences and emotion very well in Hamlet.