Manipulation And Manipulation In Hamlet

1003 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hamlet emotions in the play

In Act III and IV of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the reader is shown an array of deception, manipulation and emotionally driven behavior. Characters such as Hamlet, King Claudius and Laertes display unusual behavior as a result. This behavior is motivated by other factors and they compliment their current situations, this behavior ends up aiding to their downfall.
One character that displays behavior leading to their downfall is Hamlet. Hamlet shows an array of behavior that does lead to his downfall but there are some that play a bigger part than others, they are vengeance and manipulation. Hamlet’s quest for vengeance is viewed as madness by everyone else because of how Hamlet goes about his revenge. In order for Hamlet to avenge his
His vengeful behavior forces Hamlet to step out of his norm, the one part of him that is hit the most are his beliefs. Hamlet is not sure about avenging his father’s death because the information he is receiving is from a ghost that appears to be his father but he is not quite sure if he should kill the King (II, ii, 585-597 & III, ii, 66-75 ). Hamlet thinks of himself as a coward because he has yet to do anything his father’s murder who is around him 24/7. Hamlet is having a hard time bringing himself to a place where he is comfortable with taking someone else’s life, as much as it causes him discomfort he is driven to avenge his father’s death. Hamlet does not want to murder the man that murdered his father, be the reason he goes to hell, Hamlet’s tug-of-war-with his beliefs and his feelings push him towards his demise (II, ii, 561-567). By Hamlet plotting to capture the king’s conscience he sets himself up, the King is aware Hamlet knows what he has done and he has now become an issue so he plots to dispose of him leading to his demise ( IV, vii,
While Hamlet is trying to avenge his father’s death Polonius is next on his list to get out of his way, Hamlet tries to shake Polonius off his tail because he knows he is spying for the King but it actually makes the King more concerned ( II,ii, 40-53). Hamlet may not be aware but by him leading Polonius on to thinking that he is mad so he go back and feed the King information will lead to his demise. With Hamlet running around acting mad Polonius wants Queen Gertrude to talk to Hamlet, Polonius spies behind the curtain so he can report to the king , ( III,iv, 1-7), while speaking to his mother Hamlet ends up killing Polonius ( III, iv, 20-25). This act only gives King Claudius ammo to get rid of Hamlet and it puts a target on his back for Laertes to shoot

Show More
Related

  • Hamlets Mental Outline: Hamlet's Mental Decline

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    They decided to invite some of his college friends to watch over him. The Queen offered many thanks for their decision to watch him. “For the supply and profit of our hope, / Your visitation shall receive such thanks / As fits a king’s remembrance.” (2.2.24-26). Claudius asked Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to get answers out of him, making them seem more like spies than helpful friends. When Hamlet shows up to Ophelia’s house, seemingly mentally disturbed, Ophelia tells her father. Polonius decides to tell the King of Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship that he thinks that may be the source of his problems. The King and Polonius set up a meeting between the two. Seeming to know he is being watched, Hamlet acts very wildly, leading them to believe Ophelia was not the cause of his insanity. The King is not impressed at Polonius. “Love! His affections do not that way tend, / Nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little, / Was not like madness. There’s something in his soul” (3.1.170-72). At this point, Hamlet has started his drastic decline in his mental stability. When he is called by the Queen for a talk, he over hears something behind the draped curtains and stabs through it, killing Polonius. His reaction is not what one would expect, as he does not feel any remorse. Hamlet simply states it was for the best and his bad luck. “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. / I took thee for thy

    Read More

  • Hamlet: Laertes As Foils In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Laertes finds out his father, Polonius, died he acted without hesitation whereas Hamlet avenged his fathers’ death by slowly plotting in a step by step manner. During Act 3 Scene 4 (1-9 pg.1), Polonius and Gertrude talk to each other and tells Gertrude to talk to Hamlet while he spies on him. “Lord Polonius: He will come straight. Look you lay home to him: Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with, And that your grace hath screen 'd and stood between Much heat and him. I 'll sconce me even here. Pray you, be round with him. Hamlet: [Within] Mother, mother, mother! Queen Gertrude: I 'll warrant you, Fear me not: withdraw, I hear him coming.” As Hamlet and his mother Gertrude talk they have a little argument and Hamlet says he is upset that she married Claudius. So Gertrude went on to say we shall talk to others as well about this. At this point Hamlet doesn’t want it to be discussed out of the room and when Gertrude tries to leave Hamlet would not let her budge. Gertrude goes on scream help and when Polonius hears he does the same behind the tapestry. Hamlet already had presumed the rat was Claudius and without hesitation killed the rat with his sword and then later finding out he accidently killed Polonius. Act 3, Scene 4 (28 pg.2) “Hamlet “Nay, I know not: Is it the king?” The news reaches Laertes and as he returned from France he assumed it was Claudius who killed his father and attempted to take revenge immediately. “Laertes: To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this point I stand That both the worlds I give to negligence. Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged Most thoroughly for my father.” Act 4, Scene 5 (105-110 pg.7). He later finds out it was Hamlet who killed Polonius. Through these points we can see how Laertes is a foil to Hamlet, because he acts without knowing reasons.

    Read More

  • An Analysis on Claudius

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Hamlet, Shakespeare developed a character, an antagonist, which produces twists and turns throughout the play. Even though in the beginning of the play, Claudius seemed to be an intelligent man, who has excellent speaking skills that helped him take the leadership of his deceased brother’s kingdom, and marry his wife. But, combining both his intelligence and excellent speaking skills, shows Claudius’s true nature: an astute, lustful conspirator. Through the different settings and situations, Claudius’s character contributes to the overall understanding of the play through psychological, biblical and philosophical methods.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Decisions in Hamlet by Shakespeare

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of course, by his delaying his revenge, the entire plot of the play goes in a different direction. Immediately after this scene Hamlet speaks with his mother, unknowing of the fact that Polonius is hiding behind a curtain in the room with them. When the Queen becomes frightened by Hamlet's irate demeanor she cries out for help, as does Polonius. Hamlet mistakes Polonius for Claudius and stabs him to death.

    Read More

  • Free Hamlet Essays: Deception in Hamlet

    1041 Words  | 3 Pages

    Deceit, misleading information, and spying on others can lead to their demise, intentionally or accidentally. The misleading and deceitful instances in the play are indirectly responsible for Hamlets’ death. Claudius misleads Hamlet when he shipped him off to England under the guise of a restful retreat and when he realizes that the new king has lied to not only him, but the people of Denmark about the death of the former king. Hamlets’ deceit comes from his mother, believing that she has betrayed his father’s love by not mourning for long enough after his death, and by marrying Claudius. Spying also causes problems for Hamlet down the line since it leads to the killing of Polonius, and the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Alienation Analysis

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet is questioning if it worth living in such misery or not because he is encumbered with trying to avenge his father’s death every day. At this setting, Hamlet is self-destructive and risks alienation from his religion as he begins to think of suicide. If he were to kill Claudius, he would violate a central religious principle against murdering another human being. Although it is easy to dislike King Claudius for his actions, we wait and hope that he confesses his crimes but he never does (Stockton & Shakespeare, 2000, p. 09). Both suicide and murder would make Hamlet feel guilt by violating his religious quota, thus representing alienation at the level of his religious consciousness (Knights, 1966, p. 14). Hamlet has the duty to avenge his father by killing the murderer, the king, risking being alienated at a religious level.

    Read More

  • Free Hamlet Essays: Little Control in Hamlet

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even though Hamlet is a prince, he has little control over the course of his life. In that time many things were decided for the princes and princesses such as their education and even who they married. This was more or less the normal way of life for a child of the monarch. But in the case of Hamlet, any of the control he thought he had, fell away with the murder of his father. Having his father, the king, be killed by his own brother, sent Hamlet into a state of feeling helpless and out of control. Cooped up in a palace with no real outlet, he tries to control at least one aspect of his life. Hamlet deliberately toys with Ophelia's emotions in order to feel in control of something since he cannot control the situation with Claudius.

    Read More

  • Free Will in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    Following the performance of “The Mousetrap”, Hamlet is summoned to his mother's chamber. Upon arguing with Gertrude over the intentions of his play, and his reasons for wanting to distress the king so openly, Hamlet kills Polonius.  “How now? A rat? Dead for a ducat, dead (III.iv.27-28)!  Perhaps Hamlet did not know whom he was killing.  “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell! / I took thee for thy better”(III.iv.38-39)!  Perhaps Hamlet thought he was killing the king.

    Read More

  • Free Hamlet Essays: Complex Hamlet

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s curiosity caused him to not only suspect his mother, but also kill poor Polonius. He believed Gertrude was an accomplice in the murder of his father.Hamlet has violent outbursts towards his mother. His anger increased as Gertrude misinterpreted the situation. She believed that she was in danger of being assaulted and therefore cries out for help. Hamlet, who was full of rage, runs his dagger through the arras and kills Polonius, mistaking him for Claudius. "O me, what hast tho done/Nay, I know not. Is it the king?" (III-iv.27-28) Hamlet's passion was furiously aroused, and his words to his mother grew increasingly bitter and sharp. His words acted like daggers that shattered Gertrude's peace of mind. "Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stewed in corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty.

    Read More

  • Polonius Tragedy In Hamlet

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    Polonius’ trite and meddlesome behavior leads to his death. Explaining that Hamlet is heading to see the queen, Polonius expresses to the king his intentions to listen in on the queen’s scolding of Hamlet. He goes to Queen Gertrude’s room,

    Read More

  • Hamlet Revenge Essay

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Hamlet, each character’s course of revenge surrounds them with corruption, obsession, and fatality. Shakespeare shows that revenge proves to be extremely problematic. Revenge causes corruption by changing an individual’s persona and nature. Obsession to revenge brings forth difficulties such as destroyed relationships. Finally, revenge can be the foundation to the ultimate sacrifice of fatality. Hamlet goes to show that revenge is never the correct route to follow, and it is always the route with a dead

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Reality

    1153 Words  | 3 Pages

    Appearance and reality have never been portrayed with such immense differences as they are seen in Hamlet. Deceit runs about freely the entire play and affects every character, creating torment and confusion for all. Three complex characters use treachery to their advantage as they create façade in order to carry out plans, yet their shrouded minds impede them from carrying them through. All Shakespearian tragedies are filled with delusive, spurious characters, but none are as deceitful as those in Hamlet. Claudius, Polonius, and Hamlet have distorted realities and unfortunately, each has a clouded conscious that leads them to make life-changing decisions.

    Read More

  • Theme of Madness Conveyed in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    All examples of madness begin and end with death. Hamlet’s madness, or feign of madness begins with the death of Old Hamlet and seeing his ghost, and Ophelia’s madness begins with the death of her father Polonius. Laertes is another example of a character within the play who demonstrates the theme of madness. Laertes’ madness is also triggered by death. His madness becomes sudden and extreme with the thought of revenge at the death of his father, Polonius, and sister, Ophelia. Laertes goes mad with revenge because of all the lies and exaggerations that Claudius feeds him.In the end, their many forms of madness get the best of them, and results in their own deaths whether by another, or by their own hand.

    Read More

  • Hamlet

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet’s behavior and actions cause readers to question his sanity. Hamlet’s character can be interpreted in many different ways. It could be said that he is indeed insane, or it can be disputed that he, as he made known, is simply putting on a good act. The complexity of knowing Hamlet’s true character derives from the fact that we, as readers, are unable to read Shakespeare’s or Hamlet’s minds. Therefore, judgments could be made solely by reading and interpreting his behavior and coming up with a satisfactory conclusion. Taking into consideration incidents such as Polonius’ murder and Hamlet’s contemplating suicide, it is natural for individuals who perform such acts to be categorized as crazy. Ignoring Hamlet’s actual actions, and paying keen attention to what altered his character, one can debate that Hamlet is not at all insane. It is important to consider the situations which triggered Hamlet’s different actions. By giving discreet thought to Hamlet’s position and what he endures, one will realize that he is not demented, but he is actually an angry, betrayed and emotionally devastated fatherless son.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Hamlet as a Tragic Hero

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the play’s tragic hero, Hamlet exhibits a combination of good and bad traits.  A complex character, he displays a variety of characteristics throughout the play’s development.  When he is first introduced in Act I- Scene 2, one sees Hamlet as a sensitive young prince who is mourning the death of his father, the King.  In addition, his mother’s immediate marriage to his uncle has left him in even greater despair.   Mixed in with this immense sense of grief, are obvious feelings of anger and frustration.  The combination of these emotions leaves one feeling sympathetic to Hamlet; he becomes a very “human” character.  One sees from the very beginning that he is a very complex and conflicted man, and that his tragedy has already begun.

    Read More

More about Manipulation And Manipulation In Hamlet

Open Document