Theme+Analysis

=Theme Analysis=

toc //Hamlet// and //Macbeth// share similar themes. //Hamlet//'s major theme is "revenge driven by hatred will lead to one's downfall;" //Macbeth//'s major theme is "unrestrained ambition will lead to one's downfall." Although both themes deal with human vices that can ultimately result in one's downfall, //Macbeth//'s theme is much more relevant to the 21st century. Where the extreme notions of revenge in //Hamlet// are frowned upon in modern society, the overbearing ambition found in //Macbeth// is still present, only in a modern context. Instead of thanes killing kings to take the throne, in modern society, politicians bribe their way into office and students cheat to obtain good grades. In contrast, revenge killings such as those found in //Hamlet// are categorized as homicides and are punishable by law. In addition, the notion of personal revenge itself is not taken as seriously now as it was in the Elizabethan Era. Where "an eye for an eye" was perfectly acceptable in Shakespeare's time, modern society depends on the law to deliver justice. Vigilante justice is looked down upon as a crime in itself.



Theme in Hamlet
The overarching theme of Hamlet is that revenge motivated by hatred will lead to one's downfall. Laertes’ revenge, driven by hatred for his father’s murder, backfires and Laertes dies as a direct result. Hamlet’s revenge, driven by hatred for both Claudius, also ends up coming full circle and Hamlet dies as a result. Out of the characters in Hamlet seeking revenge, only Fortinbras, whose “revenge” is driven solely by the desire to reclaim lost land and lost honor, survives at the end of the play. The ultimate fate of the characters with respect to their desire for revenge suggests that hatred-driven revenge can only lead to calamity.

**Revenge as a Poison**
"Revenge driven by hatred is a poison" is an extended metaphor that develops primarily in the last Act when Claudius and Laertes plan to kill Hamlet with a poisoned drink and a poison-tipped sword. However, the extended metaphor begins to surface earlier on in the play. In feigning insanity, Hamlet begins to isolate himself from those around him. The effects of his continued isolation begin to show especially in his contemplation of suicide in his famous soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 1 and in his contemplation of the meaning of life itself in Act 5 Scene 1.

code To be, or not to be? That is the question— Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep— No more—and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There’s the respect That makes calamity of so long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action... code -Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 1 In his famous soliloquy, Hamlet describes life as "the whips and scorns of time, th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, the pangs of despised love, the law's delay, the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of th' unworthy takes." Hamlet's rather depressing outlook on life arises from his loathing for Claudius, compounded by the knowledge that Claudius killed King Hamlet. Hamlet's desire for revenge prolongs his hatred and resentment and "poisons" not only his relationship with those around him, but also his outlook on life. This soliloquy shows that although revenge does not directly "poison" Hamlet's outlook on life, revenge "poisons" it through inner conflict and strife.

The effects of the "poison" are even more apparent in Act 5 Scene 1, when Hamlet addresses Yorick's skull. He asks it "Where are your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now to mock your own grinning? Quite chapfallen?" In questioning the value of Yorick's life after death, Hamlet indirectly questions //everyone//'s worth after death. As the effects of the "poison" spread, Hamlet falls from contemplating the worth of his own life (suicide) to contemplating the worth of life in general.

**Revenge in Relation to Consequence**
Hamlet's revenge, in essence, drives the entire plot of the play. The play begins with Hamlet's meeting with the ghost of King Hamlet and ends with the deaths of Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude. The ghost of Hamlet's father is the harbinger of revenge, and he is the ultimate cause of the deaths of Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, and Ophelia. In //Hamlet//, those who seek revenge ultimately meet their untimely end (with the sole exception of Fortinbras). 

**Hamlet and Laertes vs. Fortinbras**
Although Fortinbras, like Hamlet and Laertes, seeks revenge for lost lands, he is the only one who remains unscathed at the end of the play, with new territory and titles to boot. While this may seem to contradict the play's theme, one important point to notice is the motivation behind Fortinbras' revenge. Where both Hamlet and Laertes are driven by hatred and spite, Fortinbras is driven simply by the desire to reclaim lost honor and lost territory, tying back to the theme of "revenge driven by hatred will lead to one's downfall."



Theme in Macbeth
The overarching theme of Macbeth is that unrestrained ambition will to one’s downfall. Macbeth yearned to be king, and because of this desire, he takes drastic action and killed King Duncan. Unable to escape the paranoia that someone will discover his murder of King Duncan, Macbeth hires murderers to kill those he deems a threat to his reign. Macbeth’s murder of Macduff’s family motivates Macduff to gather support to overthrow Macbeth. Macbeth's downfall comes when Macduff slays Macbeth in battle.

**Macbeth and Ambition**
Macbeth has an unquenchable thirst for power; his desire to become king proves to be his only motivation for killing King Duncan. Macbeth admits that he “[has] no spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself/And falls on th’ other.” Macbeth realizes that he will never be as great a king as King Duncan, yet his ambition drives him to kill King Duncan regardless. An interesting point with Macbeth is that unlike Lady Macbeth, he allows his conscious to torment him. The juxtaposition of Macbeth's acknowledgement of right and wrong with his actions shows just how high his ambitions are and emphasizes the fact that Macbeth only killed King Duncan so that he may have the position himself.



**Lady Macbeth and Ambition**
Although Macbeth seems unsure of his plot to kill the King, Lady Macbeth lacks any qualms about murdering King Duncan. Ironically, she is more determined to kill King Duncan than Macbeth, even though Macbeth stands to gain more. The exact cause of Lady Macbeth’s ambition is subject to debate. The play does not have any lines which indicate that Lady Macbeth would gain from Duncan’s death, so it may be that she wishes for her husband to have what he so strongly desires. She convinces Macbeth to go through with their plan to kill Duncan by challenging his manhood. She asks Macbeth, “Art thou afeard/To be the same in thine own act and valor/As thou art in desire?”

**Ambition in Relation to Consequence**
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s ambition leads to the deaths of many characters. They conspire to kill King Duncan solely because Macbeth wants to become king. Ambition motivates Macbeth to have threats to his throne killed, such as Banquo, Duncan’s guards, and Macduff’s family. Ultimately their treachery leads to Lady Macbeth’s suicide, and an infuriated Macduff slays Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth, just like her husband, dies as a result of her ambition. The guilt of her involvement in the murders of King Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family drive her to insanity. She constantly sleepwalks, and imagines that there is a blood stain on her hand which she cannot cleanse. As Macbeth is preparing for battle, she commits suicide.

Theme Comparison
Both Macbeth and Hamlet have powerful themes. They both warn against emotions that will harm the person who harbors them. Hamlet warns against excessive hatred and a vendetta aimed at one person. Macbeth cautions against excessive ambition. Both plays’ themes are established through violent plots that feature the deaths of many characters. Therefore, both plays’ themes are equally convincing and powerful.

Although the themes of both plays are both extremely powerful, one theme is more applicable to the twenty-first century than the other. While Hamlet provides excellent proof that revenge aimed at one person will lead to the avenger’s downfall, it does not apply to the twenty-first century as much as it applied to the Shakespearean era. Nowadays, people are much more likely to allow authorities and the legal system to punish wrongdoers instead of personally hunting down their enemy and taking vengeance on him or her. Furthermore, modern society frowns upon vigilantes who take revenge on their enemies. If one kills the convicted murderer of his family, he will be sentenced to jail time. On the other hand, in the Shakespearean era, one who killed a convicted murderer would not have received nearly as much punishment. The theme of Hamlet is not as applicable to modern society as it was to society in Shakespeare’s time.

The theme of Macbeth applies more to modern times. Even though kings are not killed very often by ambitious thanes today, the theme is still just as relevant today as it was when Macbeth was written. No matter the time period, there will always be ambitious people looking to get ahead. Nowadays, we hear about cheating scandals at schools fairly often. The reason students cheat is ultimately that they wish to move up in society and believe that cheating will help them. When students are caught cheating, they do not die a bloody death like Macbeth did, but they do suffer consequences that can hinder them when they apply for a position. Politicians often break the law in attempts to win elections by using illegal funding to aid their campaigns and lying. If a politician is caught using illegal funds, his or her political aspirations die because the public will never vote for him or her. A prime example of a politician breaking the law is Richard Nixon, who covered up the Watergate scandal despite having no involvement in it, did not tell the authorities about the scandal because he feared that the scandal would ruin his political career. However, his decision to cover up the scandal ultimately cost him his career, as he was impeached and forced to resign his presidency. Macbeth features a more applicable theme to the twenty-first century than Hamlet.

**Picture Sources**

 * 1) http://shakespeare2006.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/shakespeare.gif
 * 2) http://www.savagechickens.com/images/chickenhamlet2.jpg
 * 3) http://madshakespeare.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/chickenhamlet.jpg
 * 4) http://rlv.zcache.com/lady_macbeth_tshirt-p235129401032148950a0g7f_500.jpg