The Enigmatic Hamlet

During the beginning of the 17th century, William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. Today, four hundred years later in the 21st century, the intricacies and complexities of the play are still being examined and analyzed by readers around the world. One of the most discussed topics is Hamlet, the tragic hero and the loved Prince of Denmark. In scene 3, act 2, lines 395-396 Hamlet says to Guildenstern, “You would pluck out the heart of my mystery.” This is exactly what many readers and characters in the play are trying to do, determine who Hamlet is. His enigmatic aura is what draws us to his character. He is practical and emotional, thoughtful and impulsive, and insane and intelligent all at the same time; his character itself is enigmatic and Shakespeare shows us this with every one of Hamlet’s actions.

As the play begins, Hamlet is informed that the ghost of his dead father is wandering through the castle. When confronted by the ghost, he immediately decides to follow it, forgoing the risk that he faces; he let his emotions take a hold of him. Hamlet says, “It will not speak. Then I will follow it” (1.4.70). This impulsive decision gives the reader the mental image that Hamlet is immature and rash. However when he returns to Horatio and Marcellus, he acts prudently and makes them swear to keep silent about the incident with the ghost, wanting to keep it a secret. Hamlet now acts wisely and this contradicts his earlier actions of following the ghost. He shows this paradoxical behavior again at the end of Act 3. Hamlet walks in on King Claudius while is back is turned to him and Hamlet decides not to kill him because he is praying. The soliloquy in Act 3, scene 3, lines 77-101, shows this long and practical thought process...

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...rsonality traits; bold, courageous, cunning, emotional, insane, etc. However none of these traits truly define him. Hamlet’s character is not bounded by a few adjectives but is instead enigmatic. He is inscrutable, and this mysterious personality is what sets Hamlet apart from many other well known flat literary characters such as Romeo or Odysseus. This personality is also similar to the stereotype of the modern misunderstood teenager. Hamlet is labeled as insane and is treated as such by everyone except for his peer, Horatio. The same could be said for teenagers today; they are labeled as rebellious and disrespectful and are rarely understood by others outside of their age group. If Hamlet was understood more then maybe the cornucopia of death at the end of the play might not have occurred. If teenagers were understood more …the possibilities are endless.