HAMLET

Shakespeare put the human being at the first place. Hamlet is an example of some features of it. Death is an important thing in the mentality of the human being. Hamlet is about a mind in pain, so thinking and reflection are strictly connected to pain: emotional and existential (what is the sense of life?) suffering.

The title of the play is “the tragedy of Hamlet” so it presupposed that the hero has to die. The play is setting in Denmark (northern  Europe).

“there is something rotten in the state of Denmark” à the situation is no good in Denmark, so when in a state there is something rotten a tragedy will come on. The king should be positive for a state but in Denmark it was corrupted. The stability is broken, the king is murdered. 

The inability to do anything depends of Hamlet’s conflict, he can’t act. He can’t decide, paralysis.
Ghost: metaphor/stands for the workings of hamlet’s mind. in line with the concept of magic, in line with the culture of the renaissance.

Dictionary

Rotten: state of decay, morally corruption à putrido

To Mourn: lamentarsi

Father in Law: suocero

Stepfather: patrigno

Put somebody to test: mettere alla prova

Brood/ ruminate: rimuginare

To talk in riddles: parlare con indovinelli