Hamlet: The Dionysian Character Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shakespeare H

Hamlet The Dionysian Character Hamlet, from Shakespeares The Tragedy of Hamlet, is the embodiment of the Dionysian man. Time and time again, Hamlet displays the traits of Frederick Nietzches Dionysian soul Hamlets inability to think rationally, his illusion between his emotional reality and true reality, his rejection of pleasurable human desires, his impotent personality prevents action, and his realization that if justice is brought to his uncle, that will not change what has already happened (The accept of Tragedy, section 7) (Dictionary.com, dionysian). Hamlet exemplifies these characteristics throughout the play, which ultimately bring about his own death. Had Hamlets character embraced physical action rather Dionysian thought, the something rotten in the state of Denmark would not have led to his own self destruction (HAMLET, 1.4, 96). Hamlets inability to think rationally plagues him through the inbuilt play. If Hamlet had not sworn to his fathers ghost to avenge his de ath, he could have instead confronted Claudius about the matter instead of thinking irrationally by plotting and examination his uncle for guilt trip (1.5, 94-114). Earlier in the play, Hamlet has the first player speak the speech that he has told him to speak in The Mouse-trap, which he uses to determine Claudiuss guilt in his fathers death. Hamlet believes that this modification to the play will incite a reaction from King Claudius, which it in fact does, but the kings words of Give me some fire up away is not adequate evidence to prove Claudiuss guilt of his fathers death nor does it appear to anyone, besides Hamlet, as a rational method for testing his guilt (3.2, 256). Shortly after the play in Hamlet, Hamlet proc... ...ented with a situation in which they need to take action, the Dionysian person is unable to take the comprise action at the necessary time in order to do justice to the situation. Thinking about the situation and not acting will do nothing for the Dionysian individual except satisfy the indulgence of thought. This is Hamlets downfall he cannot act at the necessary time and change his own fate. Sources Cited Dictionary.com Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Birth of Tragedy. New York Dover Publications, 1995. Hoy, Cyrus, ed. Hamlet An Authoritative Text, Intellectual Backgrounds, Extracts from the Sources, Essays in Criticism. New York W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1963. Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Updated Fourth Edition. Ed. David Bevington. New York Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, Inc., 1997.