hamlet英语点评

TheImpossibilityofCertainty

WhatseparatesHamletfromotherrevengeplays(andmaybefromeveryplaywrittenbeforeit)isthattheactionweexpecttosee,particularlyfromHamlethimself,iscontinuallypostponedwhileHamlettriestoobtainmorecertainknowledgeaboutwhatheisdoing.Thisplayposesmanyquestionsthatotherplayswouldsimplytakeforgranted.Canwehavecertainknowledgeaboutghosts?Istheghostwhatitappearstobe,orisitreallyamisleadingfiend?Doestheghosthavereliableknowledgeaboutitsowndeath,oristheghostitselfdeluded?Movingtomoreearthlymatters:Howcanweknowforcertainthefactsaboutacrimethathasnowitnesses?CanHamletknowthestateofClaudius’ssoulbywatchinghisbehavior?Ifso,canheknowthefactsofwhatClaudiusdidbyobservingthestateofhissoul?CanClaudius(ortheaudience)knowthestateofHamlet’smindbyobservinghisbehaviorandlisteningtohisspeech?Canweknowwhetherouractionswillhavetheconsequenceswewantthemtohave?Canweknowanythingabouttheafterlife?

ManypeoplehaveseenHamletasaplayaboutindecisiveness,andthusaboutHamlet’sfailuretoactappropriately.Itmightbemoreinterestingtoconsiderthattheplayshowsushowmanyuncertaintiesourlivesarebuiltupon,howmanyunknownquantitiesaretakenforgrantedwhenpeopleactorwhentheyevaluateoneanother’sactions.

TheComplexityofAction

Directlyrelatedtothethemeofcertaintyisthethemeofaction.Howisitpossibletotakereasonable,effective,purposefulaction?InHamlet,thequestionofhowtoactisaffectednotonlybyrationalconsiderations,suchastheneedforcertainty,butalsobyemotional,ethical,andpsychologicalfactors.Hamlethimselfappearstodistrusttheideathatit’sevenpossibletoactinacontrolled,purposefulway.Whenhedoesact,hepreferstodoitblindly,recklessly,andviolently.Theothercharactersobviouslythinkmuchlessabout“action”intheabstractthanHamletdoes,andarethereforelesstroubledaboutthepossibilityofactingeffectively.Theysimplyactastheyfeelisappropriate.ButinsomesensetheyprovethatHamletisright,becausealloftheiractionsmiscarry.Claudiuspossesseshimselfofqueenandcrownthroughboldaction,buthisconsciencetormentshim,andheisbesetbythreatstohisauthority(and,ofcourse,hedies).Laertesresolvesthatnothingwilldistracthimfromactingouthisrevenge,butheiseasilyinfluencedandmanipulatedintoservingClaudius’sends,andhispoisonedrapieristurnedbackuponhimself.

TheMysteryofDeath

Intheaftermathofhisfather’smurder,Hamletisobsessedwiththeideaofdeath,andoverthecourseoftheplayheconsidersdeathfromagreatmanyperspectives.Hepondersboththespiritualaftermathofdeath,embodiedintheghost,andthephysicalremaindersofthedead,suchasbyYorick’sskullandthedecayingcorpsesinthecemetery.Throughout,theideaofdeathiscloselytiedtothethemesofspirituality,truth,anduncertaintyinthatdeathmaybringtheanswerstoHamlet’sdeepestquestions,endingonceandforalltheproblemoftryingtodeterminetruthinanambiguousworld.And,sincedeathisboththecauseandtheconsequenceofrevenge,itisintimatelytiedtothethemeofrevengeandjustice—Claudius’smurderofKingHamletinitiatesHamlet’squestforrevenge,andClaudius’sdeathistheendofthatquest.

ThequestionofhisowndeathplaguesHamletaswell,asherepeatedlycontemplateswhetherornotsuicideisamorallylegitimateactioninanunbearablypainfulworld.Hamlet’sgriefandmiseryissuchthathefrequentlylongsfordeathtoendhissuffering,buthefearsthatifhecommitssuicide,hewillbeconsignedtoeternalsufferinginhellbecauseoftheChristianreligion’sprohibitionofsuicide.Inhisfamous“Tobeornottobe”soliloquy(III.i),Hamletphilosophicallyconcludesthatnoonewouldchoosetoendurethepainoflifeifheorshewerenotafraidofwhatwillcomeafterdeath,andthatitisthisfearwhichcausescomplexmoralconsiderationstointerferewiththecapacityforaction.

TheNationasaDiseasedBody

EverythingisconnectedinHamlet,includingthewelfareoftheroyalfamilyandthehealthofthestateasawhole.Theplay’searlyscenesexplorethesenseofanxietyanddreadthatsurroundsthetransferofpowerfromonerulertothenext.Throughouttheplay,charactersdrawexplicitconnectionsbetweenthemorallegitimacyofarulerandthehealthofthenation.DenmarkisfrequentlydescribedasaphysicalbodymadeillbythemoralcorruptionofClaudiusandGertrude,andmanyobserversinterpretthepresenceoftheghostasasupernaturalomenindicatingthat“[s]omethingisrotteninthestateofDenmark”(I.iv.67).ThedeadKingHamletisportrayedasastrong,forthrightrulerunderwhoseguardthestatewasingoodhealth,whileClaudius,awickedpolitician,hascorruptedandcompromisedDenmarktosatisfyhisownappetites.Attheendoftheplay,therisetopoweroftheuprightFortinbrassuggeststhatDenmarkwillbestrengthenedonceagain.