Essay, Research Paper: Tennenhouse And Hamlet

Leonard Tennenhouse s Power in Hamlet properly states the stalemate force between two,grappling competitors in British law. The balance of the royal family is decided through the bloodline, and Claudius helped himself to a vile of Hamlets family s, DNA. An easy way to acquire abit of wealth, power, and prestige Claudius took his simple move. This move placed him in thetug-of-war position to grab the other end of the rope Hamlet was supposed to easily pull his way. Hamlet whose blood is shared with the late king, uses his ability to shift all action onto a mentalplane (Tennenhouse line11). The mental plane supports itself of life with talk of suicide, and hisweakness to act out his fathers ghostly will. Tennehouse uses the two portrayals of blood andforce to properly wrestle the authority of two figures, desiring to acquire one(Tennenhouse line23). In response to Tennenhouse s Power in Hamlet , the country torn between these two menis unnaturally acquired, and Claudius used force to gain his position. I feel Leonard is correct incomparing the relation of being born into royal blood, the patriarchal system, and the ability toacquire what Claudius could through marriage. Both men, have the bloodline and authority tobecome rulers of Denmark(Tennenhouse 25), but neither have the authority to end another saggression. Tennenhouse states in accordance to my opinion that Claudius may be king, but doesnot have the (lawful)ability to end the life of Hamlet to clear up things(Tennenhouse 5). Speakingof the popular support of Hamlet s followers, Tennenhouse states It is the support whichClaudius consistently lacks and which, at the same time, prevents him from moving openly againstHamlet (Tennenhouse line5). Claudius used his force of marriage, and he used his use of force toend the life of the king and acquire the position. Unnaturally acquired, Clauidius s dirty deeds areabout dirty moves. Stating his ambition to Alerts Claudius states as Hamlet leaves a discussion,

















 







and then the room, Strengthen your patience in our last night s speech; We ll put the matter tothe present push.- then the following line, This grave shall have a living monument (Hamletline264). As if becoming rich from the scratch of a lottery ticket, Claudius stole the winningticket. Like one of the successful courtiers in a romantic comedy, he married into the aristocraticcommunity states Tennenhouse( Tennenhouse line 20), and he becomes hilariously powerful. Hamlet does not naturally posses the ability to commit force against Claudius. AsTennenhouse states, Hamlet is not by nature capable of exercising force (Tennenhouse line9). Iagree, Hamlet s madness at times is only a front to the true madness he could not carry out. Withthe help Shakespeare s gift of speech of Stoical writing (Tennenhouse line10), Hamlet canexercise his use of force by releasing words of power, authority, and the disturbing desire tocommit suicide. His self-assault (Tennenhouse line 13) creates a natural instinct to commit hisdesire of revenge upon Claudius. With the help of his bloodline and popular support (Teen line4), Hamlet is protected from immediate death or abolishment. Though desired by the will ofHamlet s dead father(the ghost), Hamlet can not pull through what is needed to revenge hisfather s death. Unnatural achievements in authority as king were acquired through weak force, and thinbloodline. The ability to achieve wealth, or in this case force to carry through is an inheritancelike an act of old money, and like Hamlet he was born into such wealth. Provided for him, he willachieve the position of king at some point in the future. The bloodline helped him acquire hisfuture position, but not included in the bloodline is the force that would settle the revenge of hisfather s death. Hamlet s ability to create madness, is his inability to carry out madness as an act. Claudius, weak from the dirty play of acquiring his position of king through murder, is thestalemate that Hamlet and him share.