Essay Example about Hamlet's Curiosity

Phillip Ball communicates Michael Foucault’s Theory on curiosity as a form of care as opposed to curiosity previously being stigmatised with reference to Christianity. However, as far as I am concerned there are certain occasions where curiosity can be advantageous and other times not, hence the idiomatic expression “Curiosity killed the cat” The original sin stemmed from curiosity and to this day did not advance anyone. Our world is crumbling before our eyes and every day we hear about devastation. Eve was enticed by the serpent to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil to gain more knowledge and power than God. For this reason, this train of thought as curiosity to gain power for oneself and not for the advancement of humankind cannot be termed as care. In the book of Deuteronomy, it is noted that “The secret things belong to our Lord.”(The Bible) When one thinks in terms of science curiosity can most certainly be deemed as beneficial to humankind.

Hamlet can be identified as a curious individual since his curiosity gets the better of him and allows him to set his fear aside and follow the ghost. “It will not speak. Then I will follow it.” (Shakespeare)Hamlet’s curiosity with regards to his father’s murder is righteous as he wants to solve and avenge his father’s murder. Here hamlet struggles not only with wrong versus right but right versus right. His understanding portrays that he believes it is right to avenge his father’s death, but he questions whether vengeance is right. If one is following what the bible, then Hamlet avenging his father’s death would be considered wrong. “Vengeance is mine”(The Bible) He welcomes the ghost as the ghost can offer insight to his father’s death. “And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.”(Shakespeare)

Hamlet uses hyperbole to demonstrate that he does not have a high regard for his own life and genuinely has nothing to lose by following the ghost. “I do not set my life at a pin’s fee.”(Shakespeare) The ghost ushers in a mysterious air of the supernatural. Consequently, Hamlet articulates that philosophy, and the most educated person cannot offer the knowledge one can acquire from the supernatural. Fundamentally he is suggesting that human knowledge is limited. Essentially Hamlet is expressing that the ghost can offer him answers that people can’t and he wants those answers.

According to Phillip Ball, Albertus Magnus wrote that curiosity is the investigation of matters which have nothing to do with the thing being investigated or which have no significance for us; prudence, on the other hand, relates only to those investigations that pertains to the thing or to us. Hamlet follows the ghost not only to acquire knowledge to avenge his father’s murder but also to throw caution to the wind. Hamlet following the ghost was to attain information with regards to the death of his father but also had plenty to do with his own psychological state of mind. He had suicidal thoughts and was therefore prone to risky behavior.

Once Hamlet has finalized his liaison with the ghost, he sets out to write and speak out loudly. I assume he wants to record his observations as well as the instructions given by the ghost of his father. “My tables, meet it is I set it down,”(Shakespeare)

I certainly get the sense that Hamlet was feeling estranged from his country and his own family. Earlier on in the play he speaks about some of the traditions of his countrymen with regards to the consumption of alcohol. He seems rather embarrassed by the behavior of his fellowman. When one takes all of this into account it is fair to assume that the people around him, like his family are no longer familiar to him and he needs to record his observations to carry out his plan to avenge the death of his father.

Hamlet and the ghost bid each other farewell and Hamlet is left with a multitude of feelings that engulf all his senses. The ghost says farewell and cautions Hamlet to keep his promise and to remember all that was discussed between them in detail. Hamlet in turn greets the ghost and reiterates that he will avenge his father’s death when the time is right.

Bibliography

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Simon and Schuster, 2012.

Ball, Philip. Curiosity. How science became interested in everything. Vintage books. London, 2014.