Blog 9

It’s a “both way right” answer whether Hamlet’s fate is played by a divinity or other factors. I could imagine Hamlet as a jolly-merry-good fellow studying in the University of Wittenberg and all of sudden he is back to home for sudden and unexpected death of his father. To his surprise his mother has just married to his Uncle Claudius within a month of his father’s death. Danish throne which might have handed to him after he finishes his studies, or when his father retires is occupied by his Uncle now. Is not it a fate?
On the other hand, even after Hamlet could have executed his Uncle after knowing the truth from his father’s ghost. But instead he is absorbed by his own thoughts and philosophy of over time thinking. His extreme passion of hatred to send his Uncle to hell after he dies prevents Hamlet from killing his Uncle while he was praying. He meditates too much here while he kills Polonius who was hiding behind the curtain, guessing as his Uncle without no thinking at all. I wonder why the thought of sending his Uncle to hell came to Hamlet mind when his sword was over Claudius head and on the other hand nothing at all while killing Polonius.
Hamlet’s dilemmas to trust his father’s ghost, scheduling “The Mousetrap” play making similar pseudo scenario as his father was killed to study Claudius psychology, accidental execution of Claudius death etc are few of other thing that determined Hamlet’s fate. However, again at last Hamlets admits to his friend Horatio that everything in determined by providence. As Horatio suggests him to deny fencing with Laertes saying he is not fit if he has already felt some vibe of misfortune when Hamlet says, But though wouldst not think how ill all’s here about my heart- but it is no matter. (5.2.85-86), Hamlet is not making a practical decision here. He sounds too much of fatalist when he declares, There’s a special providence in the fall of sparrow. If it be now, ‘tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come – the readiness is all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is’t to leave? Let be.(5.2.192-96). Even saying so he appreciates human struggle for attainment of their goal emphasizing one’s preparation and planning. If it be not now, yet it will come – the readiness is all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is’t to leave? Let be.(5.2.192-95) . The lines echo to me when Hemingway’s code hero Santiago saying , “It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready”in his Magnus opus, The Old man and the Sea. But even he says so I would say Hamlet was not ready as per the situation in many times. It’s clear from Claudius saying and Horatio conversion that Laertes is better with sword than Hamlet.
Assume that if Hamlet has killed his Uncle and now is throne to kingdom of Denmark, even he could not escape the chance of brawl with Fortinbras. If Hamlet had won he could have king of Norway as well or lost his life or kingdom or both in brief time.
I believe that “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, / Rough-hew them how we will” but not to that extreme point that we should do nothing and expect some miracle will always happen. Trying to be exact to grip the luck when it comes, is the best policy. All a human can do is just give her/is hundred percent commitment, hope for the best, prepare for the worst and leave everything to providence, chance, luck, destiny, Almighty, God, Creator or whatever other names we could say.
Further more, it spite of all, it was Shakespeare’s mind who provide Hamlet such destiny or create such so and so situations. It was “the bard’s” idea to create globally renowned saying, “- the rest is silence”(5.2.337) as the final words from Hamlet’s mouth right before he dies. Perhaps it should also have been a Hamlet and Ophelia – they lived happily ever after type of story if Hamlet had killed Claudius when he got chance and defeated Fortinbras. Might be we should get Horatio as new Counselor to the Danish throne in place of Polonius or even to both kingdom of Denmark and Norway. But the world would not had got what it is so popularly known as HAMLET or HAMLETIC MIND.