A Lost Lamb
Death: it is all around us. The US Census Bureau estimates that, worldwide, about 55,713,600 humans die each year. If we do not find ourselves mourning the loss of each of those real-life humans, why are the readers of Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, so greatly affected by the deaths of nine fictional characters? Perhaps the answer to that question can be found in one of the themes of the play: deceit. As the reader finds his way deeper and deeper into the heart of the plot, the characters, together with their flaws and admirable traits, become more and more real. We begin to think of these characters as human beings but we also see that with each step they take they conceive more treachery. They had a dearth of commendable attributes but honesty was not one of them. Had honesty been more prevalent in the lives of these now people, none of these deaths would have occurred. The tragedy stems not from the loss of life, but from the avoidable and futile loss thereof. Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude were only some of the people whose potential was lost in vain due to the deceit of others.
"I shall obey, my lord" (1.3.136) is Ophelia's motto in this play. She takes part in only a little treachery, and even that, under the guidance of her seemingly wise father. She is very emotionally dependent on him, yet he is an utter fool. He meddles in matters that aught not be meddled in and this gets him in quite a bit of trouble when he decides to spy on Hamlet's conversation with Gertrude. "Behind the arras I'll convey myself, / To hear the process" (3.3.29-30). Hamlet hears him cry for help from beneath the arras under which he is hidden and believing that it is Claudius doing the spying, Hamlet stabs Polonius. Hamlet's intentions were noble his father had to be avenged but Polonius's officious plotting put Polonius in the wrong place at the wrong time. With Polonius dead, Ophelia, his loyal daughter, is left to devastation and self...
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