Themes of Death and Mortality in “Hamlet” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”

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Themes of Death and Mortality in “Hamlet” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Introduction

One thing about literature, is that two pieces of work can combine and support the same idea. This is especially true when speaking in regard to the works Hamlet by William Shakespeare and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. In both of these works, the line between life and Death is constantly alluded to. The themes of both of these pieces are surrounded by the dark settings in which the works are written. Death is a constant theme in both Hamlet and The Tell-Tale Heart. They share other themes as well, but they all fall short of the idea of Death and mortality.

Body

Death as a Central Motif

The Tell-Tale Heart is a dark-written literary work by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe’s work is usually supported by dark themes such as Death, revenge, and guilt. The Tell-Tale Heart is no different in this sense. A proper analysis of the tale will induce one to make claims that the narrator kills the old man and confesses due to his own fear of Death or being mortal. The manner in which he describes the “vulture-eye” and the elderly gentleman suggests his fixation on the man’s age and frailty. He hears “dying beetles” inside the walls and appears to be ecstatic about time.

Once he murders the older man, time seems to freeze for him as he loses touch with it. He sits for hours and only focuses on the ticking of clocks. Then, the narrator starts to experience physical signs and symptoms of the disorder. He grows weak and infirm. At this time in the story, the police come to the residence, and the sound of the pulse fills his head. This heartbeat can be interpreted now not as guilt, however, as the narrator’s heightened awareness of his mortality and terror that he will, in the end, die just because the elderly guy did.

Symbolism and Imagery

As aforementioned, the personal intent to emphasize Death is what brings these stories to life. In Shakespeare’s piece Hamlet, morality makes itself known as a guest without a welcome that in no way cares to depart, from the beginning scene with the ominous ghost to the bloodbath of the very last scene. However, the arrival of the tortured spirit of Old King Hamlet and the deaths of all the vast characters within the play are more obvious demonstrations of Death in its “deadliest” shape.

Conclusion

However, there should be some further, deeper meaning and cause to which Death is made so apparent within the play (physically and spiritually) from its beginning. This more profound perspective and investigation of mortality is manifested through the thoughts of Hamlet, which the audience follows throughout the play.

References

Shakespeare, W. (n.d.). Hamlet. Retrieved from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1112
Poe, E. A. (n.d.). The Tell-Tale Heart. Retrieved from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2148