Literary Criticisms of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay

This essay will discuss several literary criticisms of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. After skimming through several articles, I ended up with four peer-reviewed journal articles, each a different critical perspectives of the play: feminist, psychoanalytical/freudian, moral, and new historicism. My previous studies of Hamlet, as well as my rereading of the play this semester, has collectively given me a general knowledge of the text. My familiarity of the play made it easier for me to decipher the academic journals and see the connections each critic made with the play. I found it interesting, that after reading Hamlet so many times, that there were connections I never made on my own. For instance, the character Francisco only†¦show more content†¦I enjoyed this moral critique, and, assuming Shakespeare intended for his audience to make the connection, gives me a better understanding of the playwrights own morality. Looking at the play through this moralistic perspective, Cla udius’s actions would be defined as immoral: he violates a general moral principle by killing his brother and then again by taking what belonged to the King and made it his without permission. The murdered king does reappear, however, as a a ghost. The ghost in Hamlet is the subject of many literary critiques; in my research I came across two articles in particular about this topic that caught my interest. In particular, Zimmerman’s article explores Kristeva theory of abjection. The reaction from a threatening breakdown in meaning caused by the loss of the ability to distinguish between subject/self and object/other. The human corpse is one of the most common causes of this reaction because it reminds the living of their own materiality. Upon reading this I was able to relate it to Hamlet as Zimmerman did, â€Å"When the ghost first appears, he comes encased in armor, a portentous figure, a fair and warlike form (1.1.112, 50). What lies behind the armor is of course a corpse: if what makes Hamlet Sr. seem alive is his battle-ready fierceness, then what makes him an illusion is the mystery within. no/thing, an apprehensible outside enclosing andShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Revenge Tragedy In Hamlet1033 Words   |  5 PagesA lot of Shakespeare’s plays allude to revenge and revenge tragedy. Revenge tragedy is seeking revenge for wrongdoings done against someone in a literary work. Usually, the person seeking this revenge is the protagonist and the plot is usually developed throughout their journey to get their rightful revenge. Revenge tragedy is also the central conflict within a literary work. In the play, Hamlet,Young Fortinbras, and Laertes are all examples of revenge tragedy. 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