Hamlet: Themes
The main themes in Hamlet – click for detailed analysis.
-
Revenge
The driving force of the plot, exploring the moral and psychological consequences of vengeance.
-
Madness
The line between feigned insanity (Hamlet) and genuine breakdown (Ophelia) in a high-pressure world.
-
Deception
The pervasive spying, performance, and hypocrisy that masks the truth in Elsinore.
-
Mortality
The obsession with death, the inevitability of physical decay, and the uncertainty of the afterlife.
-
Hesitation
The famous delay in action, analysing the paralysis caused by excessive contemplation and doubt.
-
Corruption
The moral and political sickness of Denmark, symbolised by imagery of poison, disease, and rot.
-
Gender
The restrictive roles of women, exploring patriarchal control, misogyny, and the lack of female agency.