In the journal article "Black Hamlet: Battening on the Moor" (2003) in Shakespeare Studies, author Patricia Parker centered on blackness' as one of the emergent symbolism's in William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." Parker used blackness as the symbolical representation of important themes that were underscored in the play. Synonymously associating blackness with impurity, malice, death, deviltry, vengeance, and melancholy, the analysis showed how blackness as both a symbol and a concept led to the creation of conflict among the characters in the play, specifically that of Hamlet, Old Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, and even Ophelia. Moreover, Parker illustrates how, through the persistence of blackness and its associated themes, "Hamlet" can be truly considered a tragedy.

             This paper looks into the use of blackness and themes associated with it as the catalysts that led to tragic end of the characters in "Hamlet." Centering on the main characters of the play, Parker demonstrates how blackness created a distinction between goodness and evil between the characters of Old Hamlet and Claudius, and in Gertrude, Hamlet, and Ophelia. More specifically, this paper posits than blackness was utilized in various ways in order to illustrate (1) the Moor-ness' of Claudius against Old Hamlet's angel-like' character; (2) the stained' or impure characters of Gertrude and Ophelia; and (3) the vengeful, grieving, and melancholic nature of Hamlet. This paper also analyzes how, with these illustrations between blackness and the play's characters, blackness brings together the characteristics that made the play a tragedy, what with the presence of death, vengeance, malice, and impurity.

             One of the dominant themes discussed in Parker's article was the conflict between and the contrasting natures of the characters of Old Hamlet and King Claudius, Hamlet's father and uncle, respectively. Blackness surrounds the Old Hamlet-Claudius relationship because it is filled with malice: malice for Claudius' killing of Old Hamlet and consequently, malice was also present when Queen Gertrude, Old Hamlet's wife, decided to marry Claudius right after her husband's death.