Hamlet Activity Visual & Performing Arts Essay Paper

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Hamlet Activity
Scenes in act 1 depict the tragedy that befalls Prince Hamlet, son of the recently deceased King, Hamlet. In the play, scenes which unfold illustrate how Prince Hamlet wants to seek revenge against his uncle, now the King of Demark Claudius, who murdered his father. Since the reign of the late King Hamlet, there has been a battle that prevailed between Norway and Demark. The sour relationship between the two countries was clear when King Hamlet fought with Norway’s King Fortinbras years ago during the war. Since then, Denmark leaves in fear of invasion from the revenge of the battle by Prince Fortinbras. Threats from the neighbors and attacks are eminent, and Prince Hamlet was aware of the situation. On one cold night in the Danish royal castle, two characters are revealed, friends of Prince Hamlet, Bernardo, and Marcellus. They had encountered a ghost that they believed resembled the late King Hamlet and were ready to bring Horatio to witness and confirm what they had just met. When the same spirit appeared to them, they vowed to tell Hamlet what they had just seen. Prince Hamlet should know what caused the death of his father and what his wishes are to the people of Denmark.
The next day was full of activities, and the royalty was scheduled to discuss the state affairs, together with the experienced advisor, Polonius. On that day, Hamlet was gloomy, since he had learned of the ghost from Horatio, and resolved to see it later during the day. During the court proceedings, King Claudius scolds Hamlet for his never-ending grief over his father and forbids him to return to his schooling in Wittenberg. By marrying his mother, Gertrude, Hamlet was angry at the King for committing incest. Incest was an unforgivable sin, and King Claudius is more concerned about his appearance to the public than making things right between him and Hamlet. Gertrude, on the other hand, is a weak woman led by frailty to follow the King to his bed. In the darkness, a ghost, which is the spirit of Hamlet’s father, speaks to Hamlet, and the revelations of the ghost shock Hamlet. The demon, which claims to be the late King Hamlets’ spirit, reveals that his brother killed him to dethrone him ad commit lewd acts of marrying his wife, Gertrude. The ghost demands revenge for his death and pleads sympathy for Gertrude. Together with his friends, the events that occurred remained a secret, and Hamlet decides to feign madness to complete his mission.
While Prince Hamlet fits in the broad genre of tragedy and revenge, the styles are unlike the usual disaster and attack events since it is more concerned with moral questions and thoughts than with actions. One of the dilemmas that Hamlet finds himself in is the inability to see certain noble truths while he is working on his way to seek revenge. Hamlet was doubtful of the existence of the ghost ever since he was told. When he first encountered the spirit, he questioned the appearance of things around him and was worried if he could trust his perceptions. Prince Hamlet was also doubtful of the authenticity of the tragic claim of the ghost. He feigns madness to keep other characters in the play from guessing the motive o...