The dedication reflects Shackleton's wish to publicize the daring expedition and the spirit of cooperation that helped the crew members meet their challenges. In the face of some of the men's deaths in war not long after overcoming their Antarctic ordeal, Shackleton probably felt an even stronger desire to celebrate their triumph against adversity.
<span>The dedication: "To my comrades who fell in the white warfare of the south and on the red fields of France and Flanders" should alert the reader that the author is someone who lost friends and comrades in battle. The "red fields of France and Flanders" refers to the blood spilled in those places...specifically the blood of his friends.
When reading the memoir, then, a reader should remember the deep connection the author feels toward his fallen friends. Understanding the memoir in human terms should help the reader to relate to the author's feelings about the war itself, his experiences, his loss, and the experiences of other soldiers in other wars.</span>
Hamlet does accept the duel however, for two reasons: firstly, it offers him an opportunity to resolve his conflict with Laertes, whose forgiveness he craves (a fencing duel with foils - blunted blades - is a courtly sport after all, and chiefly an exercise in male bonding).
Secondly, and more significantly, Hamlet is world-weary and ready to succumb to any outside agency.
