William Shakespeare's Hamlet

William Shakespeare, the author of Hamlet, was one of the most well-known and influential writers in English literature. As a playwright and an actor himself, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as a very animated character with strong opinions and a passion for solving the mystery of his father’s death. Young Hamlet is the son of late King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude, as well as nephew to Claudius and crazed lover to Ophelia. Hamlet’s growing suspicion of Claudius drives him to insanity. His disheveled look and nearly abusive behavior towards Ophelia when he visits her in her chamber, as well as his out-of-control argument with his mother lead these women and many other characters to believe that Hamlet is crazy. With nearly the entire kingdom against him, his now insane conscious forces Hamlet to contemplate committing suicide several times throughout the play. Although this is never done, Hamlet is still deemed crazy. Through Hamlet’s questionable actions, heart wrenching words, and scattered thoughts, Shakespeare characterizes Hamlet as a suicidal and insane man.

Hamlet’s use of sarcasm develops his character into someone who is very bitter about his life, and definitely has the right to be upset about his circumstances. He has lost his father in a sudden and mysterious death and he is left to mourn alone. His mother and uncle show him no sympathy, and are remarried to each other within the month of King Hamlet’s death. To himself, Hamlet says, “A little more than kin and less than kind” (I.ii.65). Hamlet is upset and cannot believe his own family would betray him and treat him this way. It is easy to understand why this upsets him because everyone else moved on so quickly. “The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage...

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...hat act afoot, even with the very comment of thy soul observe mine uncle. If his occulted guilt do not itself unkennel in one speech, it is a damned ghost that we have seen, and the imaginations are as foul as Vulcan’s stithy” (III.ii.69-77). Hamlet puts on this play to essentially watch Claudius’s reaction to the play and determine if he is guilty of his father’s murder or not. His uncle’s reaction convinces Hamlet that he did indeed kill his father, and Hamlet still does not act against Claudius. After the play, Hamlet find Claudius praying alone (a perfect opportunity to slay him) and still he puts his sword back down. Hamlet procrastinates here even farther because he claims he doesn’t want Claudius to go to Heaven as he is killed because he is praying. At this point in the story, it doesn’t seem like Hamlet will ever follow through with a plan that he makes.