Hamlet’s Vengeance And Identity Politics

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet can be derived from some literary sources; however, his genius and accomplishment are thoroughly exposed through the play. It is considered as his greatest dramatic enigma, for misunderstanding is the unavoidable condition. For over four hundred and ten years, it has attracted many scholars and readers’attention due to this play’s fascination and Hamlet’s complex character. It is notable that quite a few scholars have ignored the fact that the play implies:the late Elizabethan period is a special historical period, during which the conflicts between the new political consciousness and the old or between the new ethical thought and the old seem ceaseless. The thesis will focus on the question of identity and identification of Hamlet at the courtly life from the viewpoint of cultural politics. It is argued that Hamlet has a strong sense of identity that is constantly deconstructed and constructed. In the process of his vengeance, he seeks for his identity as a revenger and manages to understand the questions about kinship, friendship, love and courtly politics. Strictly speaking, the clash between the ideal world and the political world results in the tragic ending. In the courtly life, he is an idealized hero. Hamlet can not escape from his identity as the prince; as a result, he is doomed to an unsuccessful rebel against the courtly culture.The main body of this thesis is divided into the following three parts:The first part focuses on the deconstruction of his identities among the social relations. It is pointed out that his identities are deconstructed due to others’ estrangement. In other words, his great fear and helplessness suggest that he disavows selfhood and he rejects identification.The second part probes into Hamlet’s search for his identity as a revenger. In the play, the identity is step by step constructed through his soliloquies as well as his actions. For Hamlet, vengeance is his political responsibility. Because he is unable to take immediate action to avenge his father, his delay leads to many persons’death and the end of the royal line.The third part further goes deep into the conflict between Hamlet’s ideal world and Claudius’s courtly world. It is believed that the court of Denmark has corrupted the fundamental social relations (kinship, love and friendship). In such a case, the conflict between Hamlet and Claudius is inevitable.The last sums up the main arguments, and further points out that Hamlet is a rebel against the courtly politics. In the court full of murder, incest and plot, he is the outsider or the Other. He can not be identified; thus, he is doomed to death.