Hamlet Response

Throughout the play, Hamlet, most characters are acting as if they are someone that they are not, but, they are all seeking the truth- including Hamlet.  This type of play is called meta-theatre and is a challenge to claim to be simply realistic.  It refers to the self consciousness of performing in the play itself.  Here, meta-theatre refers to Hamlet directly.  Hamlet is always performing and is under surveillance.  In fact, by viewing the online clips (the surveillance camera soliloquy- also seen in class), it was clear that when Hamlet walks into the conversation with Ophelia and Polonius, he realizes that he is in a play within a play.  Hamlet is an actor within an actor.  He takes on several different roles throughout the play.  Similarly, people take on different role in life and sometimes without control.  This can include family or a place where we are born into and how these things affect us.  Hamlet is born into royalty and must uphold a certain standard.  He must make sovereign decisions for his kingdom and act as a ruler.  Yet, he also takes on the role of revenge-seeker for his fathers death.  He feels this is his duty of being the King’s son and is called to do it.  Furthermore, he takes on the role of being crazy versus normal which is influenced by culture.  Hamlet tries to escape these roles several times and just be alone, yet he finds that someone is always watching.  This was seen in one of the clips where Hamlet tries to smash a surveillance camera in order to be alone.  Yet, even though it seems he is alone, he holds a one-sided conversation, rather than simply talking to himself.  It is as if he is still addressing the audience because he knows he is not alone.  The audience is always watching.  Hamlet decides that the only way to actually escape all these roles is death.  As one can see, this is an interesting factor because it adds more thought to the play and with more thought and interpretation from the audience or reader.