Hamlet: Characters Rendition of Honour

Hamlet: Characters Rendition of Honour

  • Submitted By: miklepikle10
  • Date Submitted: 01/19/2009 7:39 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 1723
  • Page: 7
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“Honour has not to be won; it must only not be lost.” – Arthur Schopenhauer (1851). [1]

This above quote is one of Arthur Schopenhauer’s many quotes regarding honour. In this statement, Schopenhauer is relaying the theme that humankind should not worry about how to gain honour, but rather they should focus on how to maintain the honour that they have already respectfully gained. This notion is relevant in William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. In Hamlet, the main characters and the essential plot is propelled by the characters’ struggle to gain honour not for the benefit of others, but rather for the benefit of themselves. This pursuit of honour, fuelled by greed and selfishness, has ill-fated outcomes in Hamlet. As a result of the selfish attempts made by these characters, their justice is rightly served. Firstly, an example of the greedy nature of the characters in Hamlet is illustrated by the character Polonius. Polonius’ countless attempts to win the approval of King Claudius are morally misguided. Polonius seeks to please King Claudius not for the benefit of the king, but rather to engulf himself in the treasures and luxuries that accompany his relationship with the King. However, the rules of karma are applied and justice is served to Polonius mid-way through the play. Also, Ophelia, under the influence of her father and brother, is misled in her own decisions in life. Had she not listened to the advice and suggestions of her father and brother, she might have been better off, but as a result of the expectations to “honour thy father” she becomes a pawn in Polonius’ game to honour and respect the King. Ironically, Ophelia, in an attempt to keep what little honour she does have, eventually meets her tragic end. Secondly, Gertrude, the widow of King Hamlet Sr. and wife of King Claudius, maintains her hierarchy and title of Queen despite the initial King dying. She does so without much thought to her actions in the plot, but despite this, her actions...

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