Sacrifice of Values to Please Authority in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay

Sacrifice of Values to Please Authority in Shakespeares settlement It seems that it is human nature to want to please others, but compromising ones determine in state to do so can result in people getting hurt emotionally or physically. In William Shakespeares Hamlet, the commit to please those in authority overweighs the judgment of many characters. These characters are more(prenominal) interested in pleasing those in power than doing what is in their silk hat interest. This is seen in Polonious eager attempt to use Ophelia, in Rosencrantz and Guildensterns being coerced into catching on a good friend, and finally in Laertes all besides easy manipulation by Claudius to take revenge on his fathers death. In all these instances, the characters put their better judgment diversion in order to do something to please a monarch. The bond between father and lady friend is something that some consider sacred. Polonious uses this bond with Ophelia to please Claudius and Gertrude in finding our what is ravish with Hamlet. The King and Queen were very upset at Hamlets seeming insanity. They advertise Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that finding out what is wrong with Hamlet would be the supply and moolah of their hope (P.34). They are obviously disenchanted at his behavior, and Polonious knows this, and tries to use his miss to prove his theory. When Ophelia came and described to him her meeting with Hamlet in Act I, Polonious promptly took her to the King. Polonious, acting on his duty to both his God and to his gracious power (P. 34) took Ophelia to Claudius to see if he could be any help in try to find out what is wrong with Hamlet. He quickly tells the king that he will .loose his daughter to Hamlet (p. 38) and concocts an elaborate plan t... ...how others perceived them, especially those in power, than doing what was really in the best interest for everyone. These characters were manipulated by brutal puppet-masters that toyed with their draw to get t he response that they wanted, knowing full well that all would jibe to anything in order to please them. This urge to do what was wanted by those in ascendancy was so great a weight, that values were pushed aside for a chance to glimmer in the light of attention from in-chief(postnominal) figures in society.Works Cited and ConsultedLong, Michael. A Study of Values in Shakespearian Tragedy. London Methuen and Company, 1976. Mirrior, Ivor. Hamlet. The Role of Authority in the Tragedies. London George Allen and Unwin, 1972. 369-430.Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston St. Martins, 1994.