Hamlet 4

Hamlet claims that the world, Denmark in particular, is a jail: "there are many con- / fines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o' / the' worst" (II.ii.264-266).  In his current position, he feels trapped, like he has no freedom, similar to how a prisoner has no rights and decisions in his life.  He says that he would not feel trapped if it were not for his "bad dreams" (II.ii.275).  His use of the word dreams implies a distorted reality.  Had he used a different word such as "life" or "events," he would have implied that his life was bad, and that would have been the cause for his feeling trapped.  Instead, he uses the word "dream."  Dreams are not reality, and dreams do not truly happen.  They are either ideas to strive for or ideas to fear.  In this case, Hamlet fears his dreams.  They distort his reality and are causing him unhappiness.  The audience is forced to wonder what these dreams are that are causing his life to be miserable.  Maybe the dream is his father's ghost, whom Hamlet is unsure as to whether the ghost is real or imaginary, his father or the devil.  Maybe the dream is the claim that the ghost told him.  Hamlet does not know for certain that his uncle killed his father or that he had an affair with his mother.  That whole idea is a dream implanted by the ghost that Hamlet cannot even trust.  Aside from the few facts in his life that Hamlet is certain about, such as his father's death and his mother's marrying his uncle, Hamlet's life is almost one, big, uncertain dream that is trapping him in a miserable life.