Hamlet Themes

Question 1

Revenge

Answer 1

• Hamlet’s father wants Hamlet to avenge his death
• Laertes want to avenge both Polonius’s and Ophelia’s death
• Fortinbras wants to revenge for his father’s death and for military losses

Question 2

Madness

Answer 2

• relates to Hamlet, Ophelia, and possibly Claudius
• goes hand in hand with truth vs. deception because whether Hamlet’s madness is real or feigned remains an open question throughout the play

Question 3

Action vs Inaction

Answer 3

• Hamlet seems like a man of thought through much of the play but by the end, he finds a balance between the two
• Life strikes a balance between thought and action

Question 4

Truth vs Deception

Answer 4

• The deceitful way by which Claudius came to power underpins the entire play
• Polonius willing to spread rumours of Laertes in France
• The company of players
• Claudius’s motivation in bringing R & G and their true mission
• The presence of the ghost- truth or figment of Hamlet’s imagination

Question 5

Morality

Answer 5

• Central theme of Hamlet
• Ghost of hamlet’s father
• Hamlets contemplation of suicide
• Ophelia’s suicide
• The players performance
• The gravediggers
• The numerous deaths in the final scene