Abstract
This paper illustrates the specific idea that appears to be evident in a majority, if not all, of Shakespeare's works - that the works are mainly concerned with the concept of the disruption and restoration of order at various levels. Examples are provided of this "breakdown" at various different or parallel levels, including personal, intimate, political and spiritual. The paper examines several Shakespearean tragedies including "Hamlet", "King Lear" and "Macbeth".

From the Paper
"Hamlet at the very moment of killing Claudius and thus restoring both personal and political order himself dies. He then cannot take his rightful place on the throne, nor as head of his family. This has been denied him as the price for its very restoration. This also holds true for Lear. His kingdom is restored and those who sought to destroy him are no more. Yet it is Albany who now rules. In addition at the personal level, Lear finally discovers his love for Cordelia only just before her death. Having finally found her, she is now lost to him for eternity. Lear has also paid the ultimate price for restoration."

Tags:Claudius, Cordelia, Antony, Cleopatra

Abstract
The paper posits that, although Hamlet's inability to act rapidly makes many consider him as being of a weak nature, in reality, he displays the qualities of a hero. The paper analyzes Hamlet's cause to delay, the type of revenge he is seeking and his actions and attempts to prove that Hamlet is indeed a powerful hero.

From the Paper
"With the revelation of his father's murderer, Hamlet is pushed into a world of revenge. He must avenge King Claudius, the one accused of killing his father. In addition, Hamlet must kill in a justified way in order to refrain from being immoral. His indecisiveness proves to be what delays his actions in the sense that he seems unable to act and is therefore viewed as weak. However, one may argue whether this indecisiveness truly confirms Hamlet to be a weak avenger. In analyzing Hamlet's cause to delay, the type of revenge he is seeking, and his actions in act 3, scene 3, one can rightly say that Hamlet is far from a weak avenger and that of a powerful hero."

Tags:revenge, ethics, uncertainty, Claudius

Abstract
This paper examines the question of whether Hamlet from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" was mad or if he was simply feigning insanity. The paper looks at the Freudian nuances in Hamlet's insanity and also examines how madness was treated and confronted in Elizabethan England as to better understand this problem. Specifically, the paper places the many representations of madness in Hamlet in a historical as well as a psychological perspective.

From the Paper
"And says all men, including himself, are "arrant knaves" (3.1.127). Hamlet's hatred of women which manifested after his mothers unfaithfulness, seems to have made him self-destructively insane. Hamlet detests that women veil the reality of their faces behind makeup: it makes beauty deceitful, hiding age (and death) behind a pleasing but dishonest mask. He then goes on to state that there would be no more marriages--and that one person who's married already will die and storms off, leaving Ophelia heartbroken. Toward the end of the play, Hamlet comes around and regains his composure in time for the great final scene where he will die."

Tags:insanity, Elizabethan, fate, character

Abstract
This paper discusses the anxiety and uncertainty of Hamlet and Claudius regarding their own sense of identity in Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark." The writer explains that this anxiety is directly linked to the political world, and to the questions of succession that surround the Danish throne. Shakespeare presents these anxieties both explicitly and implicitly. The writer analyzes Act 1.1-1.2, describing the anxieties of legitimacy, succession, and personal identity in both Hamlet and Claudius, and arguing that the play works toward its tragic outcome through personal anxieties and confusions over self-hood, as instigated by illegitimate political manoeuvrings. The paper concludes that one of its purposes is to open dialogue on the notion of political instability as a means for undermining the self.

From the Paper
"A topic of central concern to Hamlet is the notion of succession in the political world. In 1.1 the audience learns that succession in the Danish throne, and its necessarily related anxieties, are mirrored in the Norwegian throne with the death of Fortinbras. Thus, Shakespeare makes it clear that issues of both succession and patriarchy are at the heart of this tragedy. In such a world of shifting power models, it is easy to lose one's sense of self, especially since one's relation to power centres mediates that sense of self."

Tags:intrigue, ritual, uncanny, unnatural, turmoil, military, deception, undermine

Abstract
This paper discusses Hamlet's mental health that fluctuates greatly throughout the play. The author concludes that Hamlet's madness was genuine and was the consequence of a prolonged exposure to an unstable environment. The author believes Hamlet's fall from sanity was the result of his hesitation, indecision, the stress put on him by the constant caution and imitation of madness and by the loss of Ophelia.

From the Paper
"Hamlet's uncertainty as to Claudius' guilt in the murder of the King, Hamlet's father, was what originally started Hamlet on the path to madness. He spend a great deal of time hesitating and wondering whether killing Claudius to avenge the King's death was indeed the right thing to do. Hamlet was unsure as to the authenticity of the ghost and the validity of its statements."

Tags:madness, genuine, environment, hesitation, uncertainty, indecision, stress, imitation, loss

Abstract
This essay exemplifies how tragedy through deceit and corruption occurred in both Shakespearean plays, "Othello" and "Hamlet". The arguments prove the contributions of the protagonists, antagonists, and the innocent characters to the evil and corruption, which creates a tragedy in both plays.

From the Paper
"Lies, deceit, and false appearances are everywhere in one's life and these negative aspects of people contribute to sorrow, pain, and tragedy. In all of Shakespeare's tragic plays, the protagonist dies, along with many other characters due to a problematic theme occurring in the plot. This is obvious in both Hamlet and Othello. In Hamlet, Claudius kills his brother, Old Hamlet, so he can become King. Old Hamlet's son discovers his secret and attempts to avenge his father's death, which he does at the end of the play when he kills Claudius along with others, and dies himself. In Othello, Iago, the Moor's assistant sabotages Cassio, the first lieutenant in order to get his job. When this works, he attempts to split Othello, the Moor of Venice and his wife using jealousy and murder, and gets killed when is discovered for his scheming. Both plays touch upon common human problems and desires such as greed, jealousy, and revenge."

Tags:comparison, contrast, desdemona, evil, iago, jealousy, moor, murder, ophelia, othello, revenge, shakespeare, venice

Abstract
This essay compares and contrasts the behaviors and actions of Hamlet and Othello. In particular, the two characters' handling of love, grief and revenge are examined.

From the Paper
"Chance, coincidence, and circumstance influence the actions one takes when dealing with highly emotional situations. Everyone has their own way of dealing with these emotional situations, but the actions one chooses to carry out portray an image of the character they have become. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Othello, Hamlet and Othello, respectively, are similar in ways of handling their emotional states, but are very unalike in some aspects also. Hamlet and Othello's handling of love, grief, and revenge can be compared and contrasted in their respective plays. The love of their women, the grief of their losses, and the revenge that consumed them, have different, yet similar approaches by Hamlet and Othello."

Tags:comparative, essay, comparison, contrast, desdemona, evil, iago, jealousy, moor, murder, ophelia, othello, revenge, shakespeare, venice

Abstract
This paper looks at the characters of Hamlet and Laertes explains why they are so similar. By doing so, this paper compares and contrasts Hamlet's and Laertes' love for Ophelia, the avenging their fathers' deaths and their attitudes and actions.

From the Paper
"In Shakespeare's play Hamlet many similarities are created between Hamlet and Laertes which clearly define Laertes as Hamlets foil. These two characters are mirrors of each other which act in opposite manners when confronted with similar circumstances. They are very contrasting characters, one being outward and the other inward; where Hamlet is verbal, Laertes is physical and where Hamlet is private, Laertes is overly confronting. They are both confronted with emotions such as love and hate along with situations of betrayal which lead to the ultimate tragedies in the play. Due to the sequence of events which occur within Shakespeare's play Hamlet it is evident that Hamlet and Laertes are two very comparative characters which is demonstrated through the love they share for Ophelia and their actions to avenge the death of their fathers."

Tags:death, foil, hamlet, laertes, love, ophelia

Abstract
In this essay, the character of Claudius from Hamlet is shown as a quintessential Machiavellian character. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote the book entitled The Prince, and is known by some for making the guidelines on how to become the best prince through lies, corruption, evil, and murder. This essay examines how Claudius, the King of Denmark fulfills these guidelines. Claudius' Machavellian character is shown through the way he deceives others about his virtue, his development of schemes, and his belief that rules can easily be broken.

From the Paper
" A Machiavellian character is not hard to come by, and ample exist around us today. A person of this characteristic will break rules, pretend to be virtuous, plan schemes, and do anything they must, in order to receive what they strive for. In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, a perfect example of such a character is displayed in Claudius, the New King of Denmark. Claudius performs many deceptive, and horrifying acts, which make him the quintessential Machiavellian character. Developing schemes, pretending to be virtuous, and proving his belief, through his actions, that rules may be broken, are the deeds he executes, which prove his true character."

Tags:deception, downfall, evil, gertrude, hamlet, laertes, prince, shakespeare, survival, tragedy, virtue

Abstract
This paper deals with the protagonist Hamlet, and his inability to complete his task of revenge. Although Hamlet does kill Claudius, who is his uncle and the man who killed his father, the plan for revenge is not properly fulfilled due to elements that cause Hamlet's downfall and his unfortunate demise. The essay discusses how the factors of procrastination, melancholic behavior, and constant indecision stop Hamlet from properly fulfilling the task assigned by the ghost of Old Hamlet.

From the Paper
"Hamlet observes how Fortinbras is willing to go blindly to Poland, to fight for a piece of land, which is worthless, all in the name of honor. When he looks at himself, he sees that he is not a man of action. The prince has had months of time to fulfill his act of revenge, which he has all the reason for, but he has not gotten any closer to his goal than the first day. Fortinbras, on the other hand, appears as a foil to Hamlet, highlighting his own quick-acting ability, and contrasting Hamlet's continuing procrastination. The extensive delay of Hamlet's revenge is what creates a tragedy and contributes to his downfall at the end of the play. As well as the stretching of time, Hamlet is also not up to the task assigned to him by the ghost because he is melancholic and too overwhelmed by other surrounding situations."

Tags:claudius, death, downfall, ghost, hamlet, hero, procrastination, shakespeare, tragedy