to thine own self be true: The Conflict between Son and Self in Hamlet :: Shakespeare, Hamlet

to thine avow self be true The Conflict amidst Son and Self in settlement A promise is a very of the essence(predicate) aspect of a per boy. It helps to set who that person is and what is important to that person. In William Shakespeares juncture, the use of the same names for fathers and sons creates a dilemma that is not easily overcome. Laertes does not have the same name as his father, only he is controlled by his father all the same. Not only does this run apply to characters in the play, but also to the play itself. Shakespeares Hamlet was preceded by Thomas Kyds play Ur-Hamlet and Shakespeare had to work hard to differentiate his play from the original. Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, shares his name with his father, Hamlet, the former King of Denmark. This sharing of names blurs the identity of the Prince with the King. Since the King precedes the Prince, he is able to develop his own distinct identity. He is a intelligent king (1.2.186), a noble, brave, and self- assured man. Thus it falls on Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, to define himself beyond the confines of his fathers name. Abraham Fraunce suggests the definition of someone consists of two parts, the generall and the difference A man is a sensible creature endued with curtilage, where sensible creature is the generall, and endued with reason is the difference (Qtd. in Calderwood 10). Hamlet is genetically related to to his father as are all sons to their fathers. However, Hamlet is even more closely related due to their common name. Hamlet also inherits the act of filial pledge when the ghost returns and demands revenge for his murder. When he swears to avenge his fathers death, he is promising to abjure his personal identity and to unite with his father not merely in name but in actional fact (Calderwood 10). Hamlet adopts his fathers cause- to make his fathers oppositeness his own enemy, to assume his fathers motives, goals, and pains- is to adopt his fathers identity (Calderwo od 10). Prior to the ghosts appearance Hamlet is beginning to define himself as an individual person instead of as the son of his father. He has been away at school forging his own path in life. When his fathers ghost demands him to exact revenge on Claudius, Hamlet struggles trying to decide if he will take the role of son and blend with his father or to become the self and breakaway from his father.