William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A rasa Reading

Abstract

William Shakespeare occupies a unique place in India. Indians have been reading his works and admiring them for decades. His comedies appealed and won our heart immediately. His tragedies also, though they seemed complex and difficult to make aesthetic appeal initially, became very popular later. Among his most popular tragedies in India, Hamlet has a unique position due to its story and the protagonist. Hamlet, in comparison to other protagonists like Macbeth, Othello and King Lear, comes very close to the idea of a hero in Indian drama, both classical and popular. He is intelligent, sensible, humane and free from selfishness. He is liked, because he faces bravely one misfortune after another. He loses his father at an early age. The murderer of his father is his own uncle who not only usurps the throne but marries his mother also. His own beloved meets a very sad end and dies getting drowned. Before her death, he happens to kill her father in one rash moment of his life. Later, he happens to kill her brother also in a duel. Hamlet would never have liked to do these things. The circumstances lead him to do these things. In spite of all these, Hamlet continues to be is a well-meaning and well intentioned youth. He remains very upright, noble, brave, fearless, and considerate. He has sincere aversion for anything   wrong, immoral, indecent and indecorous. He is never after comforts and power, in spite of his being a prince. He doesn’t run away from his duties, be it as a prince or a son. He shows strong sense of commitment. He would stick to his vows under any circumstances and won’t mind making any sacrifice for them. Further, he shows high maturity at an early age. These things make Hamlet very dear to Indians because we find these characteristics in the heroes of Indian drama. Hamlet echoes Indian value system to a very great extent.