The Beyond

Hamlet. The name itself is infamous to the English language, not to mention the vast depths of literature that lay behind the play and prince. Perhaps the most recognized character of all time, Prince Hamlet, has blossomed for hundreds of year, somehow managing to resonate with every new generation he comes in contact with. Why is this? He's certainly not the most likable character, with stints of great sorrow and flashes of madness. He's not the most comic, as his feigned madness at times becomes dark and rage filled. He's not the most heroic, although admirably he seeks to avenge his father there are equally as many times when he self-loathes and becomes entrenched in himself. What, besides "To be or not to be," could have launched this prince into literature stardom? The answer in most simplistic forms, is that Hamlet has a level of similarity with any reader that comes across his tale. ANYONE. This is due to Hamlet's primary fascination: death.

All humans have one great thing in common, they exist in life and will inevitably meet their end in death. There's no way around it. The play Hamlet acknowledges this, and Shakespeare created a character driven by this great bond. The entire plot of the play is spurred by Hamlet encountering the ghost of his father, who was allegedly murdered by Claudius, and King Hamlet's request for revenge. This supernatural dialogue ignites in Hamlet his struggled passion with the unknown of what lays beyond death. His greatest soliloquy, "To be or not to be," centers around his torture of living in a world of great pain combatted with the possibility of suicide and perceived ease of suffering. Never is he able to set him self free of his living world, as his fear and uncertainty of what waits beyond death always trumps his temptation.

This struggle with death and the difficulty of uncertainty produces a universal character that appeals to all, and solidified Shakespeare as one of the greatest English writers to ever live.