Hamlet's Immaturity in Shakespeare's Hamlet

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Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is an immature child who craves attention. Throughout the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, Hamlet creates difficulty for himself because of his inability to handle the situations life throws at him. There are many aspects of life that become easier with maturity. Hamlet’s lack of maturity makes his entire life that much more difficult and, in the end, his immaturity kills him.

Hamlet is given reason to believe that his Father was murdered. A ghost bearing the “…same figure like the king that’s dead.” (Bernardo 1:1) informed him that the old King’s death was “Murder most foul…” (Ghost 1:5). When Hamlet eagerly inquires as to the meaning of the Ghost’s words he is told that “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears his crown.” Upon hearing this Hamlet immediately knows that his Uncle Claudius, the new king and his new step-father, is the guilty party. A mature person upon hearing news like this would, most likely, also have gone slightly insane with anger. How ever a mature person, upon regaining some control of his or her faculties, would have taken steps to punish the murderer in a just fashion. These steps would have included informing to populace and the Queen of the New King’s treachery against the old. Hamlet does not do this, instead he schemes and plots ways to kill his Uncle as opposed to giving him the opportunity to exculpate himself. Had Hamlet acted with maturity and expressed his concerns about his uncle the lives of many people would have been spared.

A second example of Hamlet’s immaturity, which stems from his plotting against Claudius, can be seen in his treatment of Ophelia, the daughter of a court advisor. Hamlet himself gives cause for belief that he is in love with Ophelia. He writes to her informing her that she is his “…soul’s idol…” (Polonius 2:2). How ever when Hamlet affects insanity he treats Ophelia in a very ribald manner. After a litany of insults directed at Ophelia because of Hamlet’s belief that she is in league with Polonius in trying to trap him he goes so far as to proclaim “I loved you not.” (Hamlet 3:1) Hamlet used Ophelia quite cruelly in order to strike a blow at her father and Claudius. Instead of acting like a man and telling them directly what he thought of them he abused a trusting, loving, girl in order to deliver his message of loathing.

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