In Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” the protagonist Hamlet boards a pirate ship due to a series of events that unfold in the plot. After encountering his father’s ghost and learning of his uncle Claudius’s treachery in murdering Hamlet’s father and marrying Hamlet’s mother Gertrude, Hamlet feigns madness and contemplates how to enact his revenge. In a turn of events, Hamlet is sent to England by Claudius, who has secretly arranged for Hamlet to be killed. However, Hamlet discovers the plot and, during the journey, boards a pirate ship, ultimately returning to Denmark to continue his quest for justice and vengeance.
As Hamlet reflects on his circumstances, he recounts how he “grop’d” in the dark to find the letters Claudius had sent to the King of England, which ordered Hamlet’s execution. Undeterred, Hamlet “devis’d a new commission” and “wrote it fair,” effectively circumventing the original plot against him. This decisive action demonstrates Hamlet’s resourcefulness and determination to take control of his own fate, even in the face of such “villanies” that “benetted” him. Hamlet’s willingness to board the pirate ship and alter the course of events highlights his refusal to passively accept the machinations of others, underscoring his agency and the central role he plays in shaping the narrative of the play.
Relevant Passages:
Act iv, Scene vii
Horatio is visited by sailors who have letters for him from Lord Hamlet. The letters reveal that Hamlet has been taken prisoner by pirates and Horatio is instructed to give the letters to the King and come to Hamlet as soon as possible.
Act v, Scene ii
In this passage, Hamlet and Horatio discuss Hamlet’s discovery of a secret commission that reveals a plot against him. Hamlet explains how he was able to uncover and thwart the plot.
Act iv, Scene i
In this passage, Hamlet urges his mother to reject the advances of Claudius and not to reveal his plan to pretend to be mad. He also tells her that he must go to England, and she promises to keep his secret.
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