Shakespeare said there is more to this world than what we “see.” What do you think he meant?
Week 8 Discussion
This quote indirectly indicates one of the most famous lines of the greatest Shakespearian play “Hamlet” and the line suggests more theories about observation and the actual thing. In the play “Hamlet”, the protagonist of the play Hamlet tells his friend Horatio that he believes there are more things in heaven and earth than the facts of philosophy and this quote highlights two sides of human nature. In that story, Horatio represents a figure of a scholar who believes in the practical things that can only be seen through the eyes, but on the other side, Hamlet raises a question of vision which suggests we look beyond the visible things (Shakespeare et al. 2018, p.169). One side of human nature always makes us believe in those facts that have been seen by the eyes but the other side of psychological thoughts of human nature suggests looking beyond the fact of visible entities. According to the book, the insightful nature of Shakespeare urges the question of observation through the conversation even many other references of his dramas ask the same question to ourselves. We often believe whatever we see and our constructed thoughts lead us according to those insights. Furthermore, our thoughts often create conflicts on the basis of observation but we often forget to ask ourselves the reality of our observation.
The quote also was influenced by the contemporary scientific discovery of the telescope by Galileo Galilei and the unchanging form of the cosmos and these facts create conflicts about the existence of god. Furthermore, his writings raise the question of philosophical insights into human nature and the physical world (Shakespeare et al. 2018, p.169). We often believe in those facts whatever we see and think that as the ultimate question. Another important question Shakespeare asks through all his plays is the real identity of truth and the facts of observances as here, Hamlet does not want to stop his limitations within the scholarly facts of Horatio, even the human mind also wants to explore more about the beyond and reach the beyond. This theory also can be applied to human appearances which suggest us to look beyond the actual fact and discover the ultimate truth.
Reference
Shakespeare, T., Stöckl, A., & Porter, T. (2018). Metaphors to work by the meaning of personal assistance in England. International Journal of Care and Caring, 2(2), 165-179.
