Play Review: The Tragedy of Prince Hamlet

“To be or not to be.”

   Hamlet is a tragedy play made by the well known writer, William Shakespeare. The play was written between 1599 to 1602and is the longest play that Shakespeare has written. It is about the son of the late king, Hamlet, wanting to avenge his father’s death by killing his own uncle. The play starts with the guards on duty, namely: Barnardo, Horatio, Marcellus, and Francisco seeing a ghost that resembles the late King Hamlet. Meanwhile, after the king dies, Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius becomes the kin and marries Queen Gertude, the mother of Hamlet. The ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his uncle, Claudius. Hamlet swears revenge.

   But it is in Hamlet’s character that delays him. He enters melancholy and sudden madness; which leads to the king and queen to ponder on it and give him Ophelia as his wife, but Hamlet refuses it and sends her to a nunnery.

   Madness and confusion are two of the most prominent themes of the play. And it is in this very theme that the quote arises; “To be or not to be”. A confused Hamlet ponders on the thoughts on killing the king and in life and death. He feels that he needs to kill the king as if it was his duty.  It means ‘To live or to die’. It is said that Hamlet does not fear death but he fears damnation; for ending a person’s life is a sin. But he is confused for he feels that killing Claudius is a sin, but he feels that it is a filial duty that he must complete.

   What made me notice this beautiful play was because of its theme: confusion.

   I am a teenager, which means that it is in this stage that we often find ourselves pondering on the question of which we should be, or how should we act in order not to be judges by the cruel eyes of the society. We are confused on what the ‘jury’ tells us to do and on what we want to do and what we want to be.  And the quote, ‘To be or not to be’ just made my eyes widen and relate to it. It is a question that every living soul that walks the earth has asked their selves. It is like asking to choose between dream and duty, between heart and mind, and between rational reason and impulse. It is like being an heiress or an heir, being confused on whom to choose – the one you love or the one that will make your business flourish. And in relation to being a college student, it is also like choosing your course; would you choose your dream, or would you choose the one that our parents told you to take and be practical?

   All these things made me like Hamlet. It is an excellent play. And it makes you ponder and think deep on how deep a sin can be, on how confusion can drive you mad, and on what life means.

Written by Marie Chriselle C. Tangonan
Photo credits: http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.607992452727574127&pid=15.1&P=0