1973. An effective literary work does not merely stop
or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not
provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic
fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense;
significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity
and uncertainty. In an essay, discuss the ending of a novel or play of
acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately
or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Shakespeare’s
Hamlet demonstrates an appropriate ending and provides significant
closure. First of all, every Shakespearean tragedy ends in death, so the four
deaths that occur in Act V of the play are justified, in a literary sense. The
first person to die is Queen Gertrude, who mistakenly drinks the poison that is
intended to kill Hamlet. Gertrude is seen to side with her new husband,
Claudius, in opposition to Hamlet. She truly believes that Hamlet has turned
crazy and reprimands him for mourning the death of his father for too long. She
betrays Hamlet and her deceased husband, so her incestuous tendencies validate
her death. Shakespeare discretely adds purpose to Gertrude’s death, as it is
not meant to be ironic. Gertrude dies mistakenly, as she is deceived and misled
into thinking that the drink is safe, just as her duplicitous actions betray
Hamlet throughout the play.
Laertes is
a man of action whose decisions are led by his strong emotions. After hearing
of his father’s death, Laertes storms the castle enraged and ready to kill his
father’s murderer. He ends up dying at the hands of Hamlet during a fencing
match. Laertes’s death is appropriate because it is a punishment for not being
able to control his emotions. He is so infuriated that he plots with Claudius
to kill Hamlet before thinking over the plan. Although is it good that he takes
action, Laertes is too quick to jump into battle with Hamlet. The lack of
rational thinking contributes to Laertes’s downfall. King Claudius dies shortly
after Laertes. Hamlet forces Claudius to drink the poison that was intended for
Hamlet’s death. Claudius is the classic Shakespearean villain; he steals the
crown and manipulates his way into power. Hamlet is completely justified for
killing Claudius because Claudius not only steals the crown, but he also steals
Gertrude as his wife. Both Claudius’s and Laertes’s plans to kill Hamlet
backfire on them. In the end, karma gets both of them and their deaths are
appropriate because they never earned their power in the first place.
Lastly,
Hamlet’s hamartia is what gets him killed. He spends the entire play finding
excuses not to kill Claudius, when there are actually many opportunities to
easily complete the act. Hamlet tends to over think everything and cannot come
to conclusions. On the rare occasion that he does make a decision to take
action, he never follows through. He hesitates and contemplates for too long,
and when he finally acknowledges his own cowardly uncertainty, Hamlet still
cannot do the deed. Hamlet’s lack of assertiveness and inability to take action
ultimately lead to his own death. Shakespeare concludes the play appropriately
by having Fortinbras take over. At the end of each tragedy when all of the main
characters die, someone unexpected and previously insignificant always leaps in
to take over. It is fitting that Fortinbras becomes the new king because he
portrays the polar opposite of Hamlet; Fortinbras knows what he wants and will
do whatever it takes to get it.
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