Hamlets Destructive Humor Essay -- GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet's Destructive Humor      Ã‚   Humor can be funny and uplifting or cynical and destructive. Hamlet's humor insults every one around him and it's very cynical and leads to his downfall. When Hamlet insults people around him, his remarks are not clearly understood by the people who he is insulting. Hamlet makes Polonius look like a fool when he criticizes him with his words, and Polonius doesn't know that he is being fooled. Hamlet even makes fun of the courtiers particularly Rosencrantz and Guildernstern. Although Hamlet doesn't stop there, he even insults Claudius and his own mother, Gertrude. Hamlet's love, Ophelia, is also an unfortunate victim of these remarks. All these insulting remarks show Hamlet's lack of sympathy for other people, and this confusion leads to his downfall.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Hamlet feigns madness, Polonius is the most unfortunate victim of Hamlet's insulting and humorous words. When Polonius asks Hamlet, "Do you know me my lord?" (2.2.173) Hamlet replies by saying, "Excellent well. You are a fishmonger." (2.2.174). Hamlet says that, Polonius is sacrificing his daughter's happiness to win the trust of the king. Hamlet says to Polonius, "For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-Have you a daughter?" (2.2.182-183). Hamlet says that it is not surprising that Polonius is such a hypocrite, because the life giving sun can produce all kinds of horrible things, especially from other horrible things. Polonius asks Hamlet, "Will you walk out of the air, my lord?"(2.2.204), and Hamlets says, "Into my grave" (2.2.204). When Polonius offers Hamlet to go to a warmer room, Hamlet says he'd rather die than go anywhere with Polonius. All these insulting remarks show that Polon... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet's humor is rude and insulting to people around him; it's very cynical and leads to his downfall. Hamlet proves his cynical humor when he fools Polonius, makes fun of the courtiers and insults Claudius, Gertrude and Ophelia. Hamlet insults Polonius with his words and always finds out what the courtiers were up to. All these experiences show that humor can be joyful but on the other hand it could prove to be very fatal.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations Of Hamlet. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Brodwin, Leonora. Hamlet Character Analysis. Monarch Notes. Brodwin's Notes Scott-Hopkins, Benjamin. "Dark Humor of Hamlet" Shakespeare-Online Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Unabridged William Shakespeare. William George Clark and William Aldis Wright, ed. Running Press. 1989.