◎陈月涛
（河北省唐县第四中学，河北唐县072350）
中图分类号：I106文献标识码：A文章编号：1673-0992（2011）06-113-02
Abstract：HamletisoneofShakespeare’sthefourfamoustragedies,whichrepresentsthesupremeartachievementsofShakespeare.ItisalsothesignofthematurationintheartofShakespeare’splay.ManythingsaboutHamletstillremainspuzzles,oneofwhichiswhatcausesHamlettheendoftragedy.ThisarticleaimstoanalyzethecauseoftragedyinHamlet.ThestrugglebetweenHamletandClaudiusisabouttheconflictbetweenthenewlyemergedcapitalhumanistsandthefeudalevilforce,whichreflectsthehumanists’hardshipfortheirdreamstocometrue.AstheessenceofRenaissance,humanismisanewlyemergedthoughtatthattime.Onbehalfofhumanists,Hamletconfirmshuman’svalueanddignity,andalsothewisdomandpower,butinfrontoftheevilreality,allhisdreamsaredestroyedcompletely.Hejustgetsthespiritualvictoryattheexpenseofhislife.
Keywords：tragedy;reality;humanism;ideal;contradictions
Introduction:
HamletisgenerallyregardedasShakespeare’smostpopularplayonthestage,forithasthequalityofa“bloodandthunder”thrillerandaphilosophicalexplorationoflifeanddeath.TheplayopenswithHamlet,PrinceofDenmark,appearinginamood-wearinessoccasionedbyhisfather’sdeathandhismother’shastyremarriagewithClaudius,hisfather’sbrother.Whileencounteringhisfather’sghost,HamletisinformedthatClaudiushasmurderedhisfatherandthentakenoverhisfather’sthroneandwidow.ThusHamletisurgedbytheghosttoseekrevengeforhisfather’s“foulandmostunnaturalmurder.”Thisplayalsoexposesacorruptedcourt---“anunweededgarden”inwhichthereisnothingbut“afoulandpestilentcongregationofvapors.”Asaprincess,Hamletthinkthatthetimeisoutofjointandhewasborntosetitright.ButHamlethasnoneofthesingle-mindedbloodlustoftheearlierrevengers.Itisnotbecauseheisincapableofaction,butbecausethecastofhismindissospeculative,soquestioning,andsocontemplativethataction,whenitfinallycomes,seemsalmostlikedefeat.ThisarticleaimstoanalyzethecauseoftragedyinHamlet.ThetragedyofHamletismainlycausedbybothinternalandexternalcauses.Itisnotcomprehensivetoemphasizeeitherofthem.
ChapterIExternalcauses
Thedesignandcreationofanyworksisnotfortuitousandasonepleasesbutthepresentationandembodimentoftheideologyandemotionsoftheirdayofauthors,ortheauthorwanttoachievehisgoalorconveycertainideologythroughhiswork.Therefore,whenwestudyHamlet,weshouldassociatetheworkandbreakawayfromitatthesametime.Weshouldlookatitcomprehensively.
A.HamletistheembodimentofShakespeare’semotionsandrational.ThisplayalsoembodieshumanisticideologyofShakespeareandhowtoturnitintoreality.Atthebeginningof17century,EnglandisnotaparadiseShakespearedescribesinhisearlycomedies,butthetimeoutofjoint.Shakespearehadnochoiceinthefaceofthecruelreality.Hishumanisticideologyissplendidbutnowaytorealizeit,likecolorfulfoamofsoapwhichwillbebrokenbyaslighttouch.Hehadnoearlyfullconfidenceinrealizinghisideologyandheisnolongeranoptimistthatheusedtobe,buthewasn’tcompletelydisappointed.Intheplay,Hamletistherepresentativeofhumanists.TheirideologyissuccessfullyconveyedbyHamlet.ShakespearehasclaimedthroughthemouthofHamletthat“Whatapieceofworkisaman!hownobleinreason!howinfiniteinfaculties!informandmovinghowexpressandadmirable!inactionhowlikeanangel!inapprehensionhowlikeagod!thebeautyoftheworld,theparagonofanimals!”Thoughhumanisticideologyissplendid.Theyfindnowaytosuccessinreality.Therefore,hisrationaldecidesthetragedyofHamletandsolemnlysacrificeforhisnoblebeliefsothathecangetsupportandsympathyindoctrine.
B.TheconstrictionbetweentheidealofShakespeareandtheactualimpossibilityofrealityisanotherimportantreasonforthetragedyofHamlet.What’smore,theconstrictiondoesn’tcompromise.ShakespearebasestherealizationofhishumanisticidealonHamletprincessandtheprincessacceptsthehumanisticideal.However,theconflictbetweenhishumanismandhisstatusofnobleandhisideologyofnobleclassformedinthelongtermdoesn’tcompromise.Thoughacceptinghumanisticideology,hehastotaketheinterstsofhisownclassintoconsideration.Thoughheseesthedecadenceofhisclass,heisnotwillingtooverthrowit,onlyhopingtoreformit,whichiswhatthehumanistswanttoget,includingShakespeare.Hishumanisticidealisdoomedtohavelimitationresultinginthelimitationinaction.HeregardshimselfastheSaviors.Hedoesn’tpropagandizeshumanisticideologywidely,whichcanawakethepublicsothathecanemancipatethepeoplefundamentally,butisafraidtoassociatethemassandignoretheirstrengthduringtheaction.Thoughhisidealcoincidestheidealofthemassandthestrugglealsodogoodtotheinterestofthemass,theprincesscuthimselfofffromthepeoplewholiveunderheavyburdenandhavetobeargreatsufferingsastheprincessknows.Thatisthegreatestfaultandthebarrierthathecan’tgobeyondasaprincess.ThetragedyofHamletshowshumanistsincludingShakespearebasingtheiridealonenlightenedkingisafailure,tobeatragedy.
ChapterIIInternalcauses
LayersofcontradictionsHamletwhobearstheburdenofrevengeshowsarethedirectreasonsforthetragedy.
A.Theconflictbetweenhumanisticidealandthegloomyreality.Thefeelingofhappinessresultsfromthecoincidenceofidealandreality,whilethefeelingoftragedyresultsfromdemandbutnotgain.Thegreaterthegapbetweendemandandgainis,thedeeperthepainis,whichistheportrayalofHamlet’slifepursuitandtheend.IntheeyesofHamlet,hebearstheburdenofrealizingthehumanisticidealandrevengingforhisfather.Hewantstoseekaperfectwaytoreachhisgoals.Hisfather’sfoulandmostunnaturalmurder,hismother’shastyremarriagetothebrotherofherhusband,thewicked,traitorousunclefullofwitchcraft,theabandonofhisfriendssogoagainsthishumanismthathebecomemelancholicandloseallhismirth,fallingintothedilemmabetweenactionandmind.Asahumanist,hewantstoexposethecrimesofhisuncletothepublic,lettingpeopledistinguishthedamnedvillain,nottokillhimeasily.Ifso,thatwillcausedisorderandgreaterevil,doingharmtotherealizationoftheirideal.Butheiseagertorevengeforhisfather,sohismindisfullofcontradiction.Thedirectresultsoffiercecontradictioninthemindisthatheispuzzledabouthisfuture.Trappedinanightmareworldofspying,testing,plotting,andapparentlybearingtheintolerableburdenofthedutytorevengehisfather’death,Hamletisobligedtoinhabitashadow.Apparently,helooksdoubtful,melancholic,hesitatingandhasaweakwill.Itisnotwhattodobuthowtodothathehesitatesabout.
B.Thequestionoflifeanddeath
TheactualquestionfacingHamletwhenrevengingforhisfatheris“tobeornottobe”.Hamlet,inhisyouth,hasmuchprospectofthefuture.Buthegettheburdenofrevenge,hehastothinkitover,becauserevengingmeansdeath.“Tobe,ornottobe-thatisthequestion:Whetherit'snoblerinthemindtosufferTheslingsandarrowsofoutrageousfortuneOrtotakearmsagainstaseaoftroubles,Andbyopposingendthem.”Inthefrontofthefierceandcruelfacts,Hamletisfilledwithconflictandhesitation.Becausehedoesn’tknowwhatwillhappenafterhedie.Hehastoconsidertheresultsofthecominglifebroughtbyhisaction.Notuntilhewasstabbedbythepoisonousswordhishesitationdisappearsandhekillshisenemydecisivelyattheexpenseofhisownlife.
C.Thedilemmabetweenactionandmind
Thefoulandmostunnaturalmurderofhisfatherisagreatshocktohim.Hismother’shastyremarriageandmanyfactsarecontrarytohisideology.Hehastoacceptthefactsandagainrecognizetheworld.Fromhiswords“Whatapieceofworkisaman”likethis,weknowhebeautifiestheworldandhisfather.Thesuddenunexpectedfactsmakehimtreattheworldextremelyanddenyallthepeople,allthebeautyinthelifeandallthegoodpointsoftheworld.Realitymakeshimbeinlowspiritsandloseinthought.Hedon’tknowhowtosolvethis.Hehastoexplorethequestionssuchasdeathandlife,responsibilityandcowardandsoon,thusgivinghisuncletimetomakehisplots.WealsoknowHamlethasthequalityofpoetsandlacktheboldnessofahero.Thefactdemandsimmediateactionnotthought.Hewasdestroyedbyaburdenwhichheneitherbearnorgiveup.
Conclusion:
Inaword,Hamletsacrificeshislifeforhisideals.Inhisaction,hemakeshisrevengeincreasetotheheightofthelifeanddeath.Heisnolongerasimplerevenger.Histragedyisnotaninpidualtragedy,butatragedyofhumanistsinthattimesbecauseofobjectivecircumstancesandtheirfaults.ThoughHamletalmostfails,heisimmortalintheeyesofmanypeople.