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Analysis of the Character Hamlet in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark
First performed in 1603, Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark is probably the best
known of William Shakespeare's works, and may well be the most famous English
language play ever written. The character, Hamlet, is one of the most compelling
characters to ever emerge from the pages of English literature. Hamlet has been the
center of admiring critical commentaries. It has also developed a reputation as a difficult
work to analyze. Hamlet features a very complicated character, with many complex
themes, and presents the reader with a multi-layered text, which defies easy reading.
He has been subjected to numerous interpretations and studies over the centuries,
his actions and thoughts analyzed again and again. Probably more than anything else is
the reason for Hamlet's charismatic appeal. In the first scene Hamlets father, the king,
dies mysteriously just two months prior. Claudius, has taken the throne and has married
the dead king's wife, Queen Gertrude. The members of the watch, including Prince
Hamlet's loyal friend Horatio, are alarmed over the recent appearance of a ghost who
resembles Hamlet's late father, and they plan to tell Hamlet about this eerie visitations.
The Ghost of Hamlet's father speaks to his son directly and urges him to follow
him to a one-on-one encounter. There he explains in detail of his horrid death and tells
Hamlet that this heinous crime must be avenged and that it is up to his son to justify this
by killing Claudius.
“I am thy father's spirit;
Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,
And for the day confin'd to wastein fires,
Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature
Are burnt and purg'd away.” Hamlet (Act I, Sc. V)
Hamlet has trouble depicting truth from fantasy in this scene, whether or not to believe
the ghost who assumes the form of his deceased father. The death of his father leads
Hamlet down the road to insanity. With his mother marrying his uncle only a month after
King Hamlets death, makes the road a one way street.
To confirm the truth Hamlet puts on a play, inspired by his father’s unfortunate, to
get an reaction from his Uncle. After witnessing his Uncle’s expression towards the play
father's death. He is forced to act insane in order to find out the truth
Originally titled The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, this tragedy has been reproduced more times than any other play written by William Shakespeare (en.wikipedia.org 1 of 9). Prince Hamlet also has the lengthiest appearance of any character in all of Shakespeare's plays (en.wikpedia.org 6 of 9). In the play, Prince Hamlet is caught between balancing his need to avenge his father's death, dealing with the disgust he felt for Gertrude and Claudius' love affair, and maintaining the relationship he has with Ophelia without exposing his plans to kill his uncle Claudius for the murder of King Hamlet.
The plays the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King". (55) Towards the end of the play, Claudius hastily removes himself from the crowd, verifying Hamlet's suspicions. Now, Hamlet not only possesses every reason to believe the ghost, but entrusts his faith in the ghost as well. However, Hamlet's faith does not lie solely in the ghost. He has another kind of faith faith in himself. Hamlet's belief that he can see through his revenge blatantly exemplifies his faith in himself.
In the play, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the main character struggles to avenge the death of his father. Fear paralyzes him as he holds off on getting revenge on the new King Claudius, who stole the royal throne by murdering Hamlet’s father. However, it isn’t just fear that makes him hesitant as he reasons the situation. Hamlet hesitates to take action because he struggles with making his own choices, just like his weak-minded mother, Gertrude.
Reason from him to seek justice on his very own uncle. Hamlet had every reason to have justice
In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, we observe Hamlet as an incredibly complex and bewildering character that upon first glance, seems to undergo a plethora of predicaments. Upon identification of such obstacles, we begin to wonder about whether his entirely fictitious existence in the play classifies him as sane while the world around him is in a way, insane or vise-versa. In addition, one of the main problems that superficially seems to be at the root of his conflicts is his melancholy. This is a condition that has always identified with him throughout the entire play, even still presenting itself up until the very end of Act V. In conclusion, the cause of his affliction is generally simplistic but drawn-out, serving to impact his actions significantly.
Many people have seen Hamlet as a play about uncertainty and about Hamlet's failure to act appropriately. It is very interesting to consider that the play shows many uncertainties that lives are built upon, or how many unknown quantities are taken for granted when people act or when they evaluate one another's actions. Hamlet is an especially intriguing production, both on the set and on the screen because of its uniqueness to be different from what most people expect to be in a revenge themed play. Hamlet's cynicism and insane like behavior cause him to seem indecisive, but in reality he is always judging and contemplating his actions in the back of his mind in order to seek revenge for the murder of his father.
Hamlet wishes to avenge the murder of his father and rectify this great injustice. The conflict between his desire to seek revenge and his own thoughts of incompetence is the cause of his initial unrest. "Haste me to know't , that I , with wings as swift / As meditation or thoughts of love , / may sweep to my revenge (1.5.29-31). Here Hamlet pleads to the Ghost of King Hamlet to reveal the name of his murderer.
Hamlet grants himself the opportunity to momentarily direct himself, yet it remains unknown as to whether he directs a representation of truth or a falsity. He exemplifies madness so well, as the sight of "a damned ghost" (77) insanely induces his imagination and comfortably transforms his identity to one of lunacy. This role he acquires is one he portrays so explicitly well as an actor that he easily utilizes it as the foundation for his players. He instructs the players:
Throughout the play Hamlet is in constant conflict with himself. An appearance of a ghost claiming to be his father, “I am thy father’s spirit”(I.v.14) aggravates his grief, nearly causing him to commit suicide and leaving him deeply disgusted and angered. Upon speaking with his ghost-father, Hamlet learns that his uncle-stepfather killed Hamlet the King. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown”(I.v.45-46) Hamlet is beside himself and becomes obsessed with plotting and planning revenge for the death of his father.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet presents a hero who hesitates to avenge his dead father when given the opportunity – what should be his judgment? This paper examines the decision from various points of view.
Similar to the “mote” which is very small compared to what the rest of the eye is seeing. The issue of the ghost of Hamlet’s father is very small, in the perspective of Hamlet, compared to the relationship between Claudius and Gertrude or the speed of which the revenge on Claudius(for killing his father) which is the main theme throughout most of the play; Hamlet’s procrastination. Another interpretation is that Hamlet’s father, just like a mote, is invisible so heacts as an invisible driving force throughout the whole play without anyone noticing him. This links with the Hamlet’s earlier response to the ghost, (Scene 3) “Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damned/ Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts
As the play’s tragic hero, Hamlet’s background is terrible, his dad was killed by his uncle and his mom married his uncle which is shame and incestuous.
The situations where Hamlet unexpectedly acts were not relevant to his task, such as the murder of Polonius. During the play rehearsal, Hamlet is shocked by the emotion poured out by the actor over Hecuba, whom doesn’t even exist. Hamlet, whose father was murdered, does not have as near the passion that actor had. Hamlet criticizes himself, saying, “A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak/ Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,/ And can say nothing” (Shakespeare 2.2 578-580). Hamlet calls himself a coward for not doing anything to avenge his father, but rather just staying depressed and weep all day. According to Bradley, “Hamlet was restrained by conscience or a mural scruple; he could not satisfy himself that it was right to avenge his father” (Bradley 4). Hamlet is aware of his constant delays, but still cannot ready himself to kill Claudius because of the excuses he continuously makes up. After criticizing himself, Hamlet sets up a plan that only prolongs his chance of killing Claudius. Hamlet says, “The play’s the thing/ Wherin I’ll catch the conscience of the King” (Shakespeare 2.2 616-617). Hamlet creates a play that reenacts a specific scene, which resembles Claudius murdering his father. Hamlet wants to see Claudius’s reaction to the scene, and confirm his guilty reaction. According to Eliot, “The delay in revenge is unexplained on grounds of necessity or expediency;
The perfection of Hamlet’s character has been called in question - perhaps by those who do not understand it. The character of Hamlet stands by itself. It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment. Hamlet is as little of the hero as a man can be. He is a young and princely novice, full of high enthusiasm and quick sensibility - the sport of circumstances, questioning with fortune and refining on his own feelings, and forced from his natural disposition by the strangeness of his situation.