Final Assignment: Hamlet Collage
By Tyler Cabral
Every image in the collage I created has a purpose in illustrating the complexity and the many thoughts that run through Hamlet’s mind in Shakespeare’s play. The maze illustrates how lost and confused Hamlet is through out the play. In many occasions he must choose between tough decisions, therefore, choosing his path. The different coloured paths in the maze represent the very fact that Hamlet faces many tough decisions. The picture of the red clenched fist represents Hamlet’s anger and thoughts for revenge. The fist is tied up as if someone is controlling it. Hamlet feels this way about Claudius in the play. Claudius keeps Hamlet from going back to Wittenburg at the beginning of the play and he also sends Hamlet to England to execute him. The fist looks like it is trying to break free of the rope as Hamlet tries to break free from Claudius by planning to murder him. The skull represents Hamlet’s fascination for death. It also represents the many people in Hamlet’s life- Gertrude, Old King Hamlet, Laertes, and Ophelia- who die from unnatural deaths such as poison or suicide. The picture with the sad smiley face surrounded by happy smiley faces illustrates how Hamlet felt especially at the beginning of the play. Hamlet felt that everyone had stopped mourning and gotten over Old King Hamlet’s death and that they were happily carrying on with their lives, while he was the only sad one still mourning. The black and white checkered optical illusion represents the deceptive part of Hamlet, specifically when he pretends to be mad. The characters are not sure whether Hamlet is putting on an act or truly insane, just as the viewer is not sure if the rows in the illusion are the same width. Hamlet and the optical illusion prove to be deceiving. The black and white boxes also represent right verses wrong and how Hamlet contemplates on killing Claudius or not and committing suicide. The All-Seeing-Eye represents Hamlet’s ability to see through the acts of the characters in the play. For example, he is able to see through Rosencrantz’ and Guildenstern’s false sympathy and realize their true intentions. The dog with the paper bag over its head represents Hamlet’s guilt, shame, and cowardliness. As the dog has a master, Hamlet also has a master in a sense, his father. Hamlet feels ashamed and guilty because he feels he is coward for not being able to kill Claudius in the early opportunities in the play. He feels he has ashamed his father. Both the fish and lone man on the bench picture illustrates how Hamlet feels alone and helpless through out the play. Hamlet is the only one who can avenge his father and he seems to be the only troubled character in the play. This makes Hamlet feel isolated and alone. The dark picture of a person with “LOVE” written on the hand represents Hamlet’s love for Ophelia. Through out the play Hamlet seems afraid to show his love for Ophelia and therefore denies his love and acts rudely towards her in many occasions. When Ophelia dies he feels regret that he hadn’t confessed to her that he indeed truly loved her and that is why the image is dark. The last image in the collage is a “CAUTION” tape. This represents Hamlet’s negative quality of thinking too much about the future and the outcome of events. All these images successfully portray the complex mind and personality of Hamlet.
Word Count: 589
By Tyler Cabral
Every image in the collage I created has a purpose in illustrating the complexity and the many thoughts that run through Hamlet’s mind in Shakespeare’s play. The maze illustrates how lost and confused Hamlet is through out the play. In many occasions he must choose between tough decisions, therefore, choosing his path. The different coloured paths in the maze represent the very fact that Hamlet faces many tough decisions. The picture of the red clenched fist represents Hamlet’s anger and thoughts for revenge. The fist is tied up as if someone is controlling it. Hamlet feels this way about Claudius in the play. Claudius keeps Hamlet from going back to Wittenburg at the beginning of the play and he also sends Hamlet to England to execute him. The fist looks like it is trying to break free of the rope as Hamlet tries to break free from Claudius by planning to murder him. The skull represents Hamlet’s fascination for death. It also represents the many people in Hamlet’s life- Gertrude, Old King Hamlet, Laertes, and Ophelia- who die from unnatural deaths such as poison or suicide. The picture with the sad smiley face surrounded by happy smiley faces illustrates how Hamlet felt especially at the beginning of the play. Hamlet felt that everyone had stopped mourning and gotten over Old King Hamlet’s death and that they were happily carrying on with their lives, while he was the only sad one still mourning. The black and white checkered optical illusion represents the deceptive part of Hamlet, specifically when he pretends to be mad. The characters are not sure whether Hamlet is putting on an act or truly insane, just as the viewer is not sure if the rows in the illusion are the same width. Hamlet and the optical illusion prove to be deceiving. The black and white boxes also represent right verses wrong and how Hamlet contemplates on killing Claudius or not and committing suicide. The All-Seeing-Eye represents Hamlet’s ability to see through the acts of the characters in the play. For example, he is able to see through Rosencrantz’ and Guildenstern’s false sympathy and realize their true intentions. The dog with the paper bag over its head represents Hamlet’s guilt, shame, and cowardliness. As the dog has a master, Hamlet also has a master in a sense, his father. Hamlet feels ashamed and guilty because he feels he is coward for not being able to kill Claudius in the early opportunities in the play. He feels he has ashamed his father. Both the fish and lone man on the bench picture illustrates how Hamlet feels alone and helpless through out the play. Hamlet is the only one who can avenge his father and he seems to be the only troubled character in the play. This makes Hamlet feel isolated and alone. The dark picture of a person with “LOVE” written on the hand represents Hamlet’s love for Ophelia. Through out the play Hamlet seems afraid to show his love for Ophelia and therefore denies his love and acts rudely towards her in many occasions. When Ophelia dies he feels regret that he hadn’t confessed to her that he indeed truly loved her and that is why the image is dark. The last image in the collage is a “CAUTION” tape. This represents Hamlet’s negative quality of thinking too much about the future and the outcome of events. All these images successfully portray the complex mind and personality of Hamlet.
Word Count: 589
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