Essay on Internal and External Conflict in Hamlet - 933 Words

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare conflict plays a very significant role. The play’s main protagonist, Hamlet, possesses both internal and external conflict due to the fact that he is fighting his inner conscience and suppressing his inner emotions, and he is seeking revenge on and conflicting with many other characters in the play. These internal and external conflicts this character is experiencing affect those around him. They also shape the events that occur in the drama and contribute to the overall outcome. Hamlet experiences a tremendous amount of internal conflict throughout the play. He is constantly debating whether or not he should face his troubles. This sense of uncertainty comes from a lack of self confidence,†¦show more content†¦He fights his gut feelings and suppresses his emotions until he misses his chances which he then hates himself for doing. These feelings of uncertainty stem from another inner conflict he is experiencing which has to do with how angry he really feels about his father’s death, and how his mother marries the man who Hamlet believes to have killed him. As a result of all of these inner conflicts, Hamlet shuts out the people who love him, and shuts out all feelings of love. An example of this is how Hamlet treats Ophelia. Hamlet really adores Ophelia, but the internal conflict he is experiencing has left him feeling lost and frustrated causing him to take out his anger on her. The external conflicts Hamlet experiences are a direct result of the conflict he feels within himself. Many external conflicts occur in this play. However, the main conflict is between Hamlet and Claudius. Hamlets anger towards Claudius is being driven by his intense emotions and anxiety in the event of losing his father. Hamlet believes Claudius has taken everything from him, and he is on a mission to get revenge. Claudius is being driven by two things, his naturally cynical and greedy nature, and his thirst for power. T hese are what drive him to great lengths to ensure Hamlet never gets his way. Hamlet on the other hand, is the exact opposite of Claudius in every other aspect except one. Hamlet, like Claudius possesses the ability to be cold and calculative. Both characters canShow MoreRelatedInternal And External Conflicts In Hamlet959 Words   |  4 Pages Conflict is indispensable to drama. Show that the inward conflicts are equally important as the outward conflict in the play. Hamlet faces both internal and external conflicts from the beginning of the play. In the play, the inner and outer conflicts of Hamlet seem to arise from the death of his father, King Hamlet, by his uncle, now King Claudius. Since Hamlets’ life pervades with conflicts as the confusion he faces essentially becomes the main focus of the play. However, Hamlet contains a diverseRead MoreInternal Conflict And External Conflict In Shakespeares Hamlet711 Words   |  3 PagesConflict is indispensable to drama and is necessary to interest the reader on the receiving end of the dramatic work. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet, exhibits certain responses to external conflicts, which provoke internal conflicts and assert his character. The central inward conflict and the principal motive that this character experience is the delay in his revenge against Claudius which is caused by his conscience. The mental and emotional complications experienced byRead Mor eExternal and Internal Conflict in Hamlet Essay779 Words   |  4 Pagesreactions to situations of external or internal conflict are reflected in much of literature. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character of Hamlet must deal with both external and internal conflict. He faces the death of his father, the knowledge that his uncle Claudius is his fathers murderer and the knowledge that he must take revenge. Hamlets responses to these external conflicts and his own internal views proclaim his nature and character. Hamlet is very distraught and griefRead MoreInternal and External Conflict in Hamlet Essay516 Words   |  3 Pagesscript ‘Hamlet’, written by William Shakespeare, conflict, both internal and external, was important to the text in a variety of ways. Internal conflict enabled the character development of Hamlet to take place, showing his nature rich in procrastination as he developed from a cowardly griever to a confident man no longer fearful of the unknown. This character development illustrates the main themes of revenge, good vs. evil, and more. Conflict in this text provides the main protagonist (Hamlet) withRead MoreShakespeare s Hamlet - External And Internal Conflict1738 Words   |  7 Pages In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the character Hamlet must deal with both external and internal conflict. Hamlet encounters many struggles and does not know how to cope with all of them. By having so many corrupt people in his life, he feels isolated from everyone because he does not know who to trust anymore. A result from this isolation leads Hamlet into depression and forces more issues to occur. Both inward and outward conflicts are displayed in the play when, Hamlet struggles withRead MoreMental Conflict In Hamlet741 Words   |  3 Pagesfighting. However, in his play, Hamlet, he focuses more on mental conflict and thought, which he gives excitement by mimicking and creating parallels between(and switching between†¦?) different aspects of external actions. As the play begins, Shakespeare creates multiple conflicts wrapped together, which are internally contemplated, but externally connected. Hamlet’s most painful conflict is presented as he discovers that his Uncle Claudius has committed regicide, killing Hamlet Senior. Suddenly, Hamlet’sRead MoreHamlet And Laertes By William Shakespeare1469 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s characters Hamlet and Laertes, in the play Hamlet, attempt to attain revenge for their fathers, but contrast in their approaches to achieving revenge, and their view of life as a whole, their failures revealing the inevitability of fate. Just as Hamlet’s inaction hinders him from achieving his goal of killing Claudius, Laertes’s impetuosity similarly leads him astray from his goal their inability to achieve these goals. The power of fate is thereby revealed through the futility of humanRead MoreHamlet by William Shakespeare788 Words   |  3 Pagesthe tragedy, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the audience is presented with a character who suffers inner and external conflicts. Hamlet, the young prince, continues to mourn his father’s death from the beginning of the play until the end. Hamlet’s inner conflict is that he discovers Claudius, his uncle, has committed the murder of his father. Hamlet does not analyze how he will seek revenge and murder his Uncle Claudius without his conscience interfering. The external conflict that Hamlet endures isRead MoreEssay On Internal Conflicts In Hamlet1083 Words   |  5 PagesThe internal conflicts prevalent in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet are the reason why the play is viewed as a classic. Conflicts are imperative in tragic plays as conflicts are the stimulus for catastrophe in the end. The characters in Hamlet face inward conflicts that are equally important as their outward conflicts. Three characters who especially exhibit this are Hamlet, Claudius, and Ophelia. The conflicts that these charac ters face play a major role in their downfalls and, ultimately, their deathsRead MoreHamlets Inner and Outer Conflict in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay542 Words   |  3 PagesConflict, in literary context, can be defined as â€Å"the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction.† Conflicts can be external, between two or more persons, or internal, within one’s self. In most literature the conflict adds to the execution of the plot itself. Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet† makes use of both forms of conflict as an essential element of the play. I will show how â€Å"Hamlet† presents inner and outer conflicts with examples of each and how