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VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF HAMLET
The Approach of Wilson Knight
Until the 1930s, the evaluation of Hamlet was mostly a continuation of the nineteenth century approach to the character of its tragic hero. ... They never acknowledged the basic premise that Hamlet was a sweet and
noble prince, that Claudius was a treacherous villain, and that the tragedy of Hamlet lay in the fact that a "good" character was destroyed because of
an "evil" usurper. ... Instead, Knight described the story of Hamlet as an "Embassy of Death" with the
Ghost being a true devil, setting all the evil doings within the plot in motion. ... He referred
to the image of Claudius at prayer, repenting of his crimes, while Hamlet refuses to kill him, not wanting his soul to go to heaven. Further, Knight stated
that Hamlet was a very unpleasant person -- rude, callous, and sometimes ruthless -- to his mother, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. ... Many critics do agree that Hamlet embodies both good and evil. ...
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Hamlet Seen Solely as the Victim of External Difficulties
To see Hamlet solely as the victim of external problems is the simplest approach to the play.
Approximate Word count = 991
Approximate Pages = 4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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