Hamlet Character Analysis

His mother and his uncle have married after only 2 months of Hamlet’s father’s death. This has caused Hamlet to be in a heavy state of anger, mixed with his already deep state of mourning. According to Theodore Lidz, these two states can lead to one thinking back on all the negative wishes one may have had in the past. Considering Hamlet’s relatively young age, death wishes upon a parent are not serious but they are common among children. “…and as most, if not all, children have sometimes had death wishes toward a parent, guilt over such wishes can become intense when the parent dies.” (Lidz 48) All of these emotions mixed together so early in the play could lead to a sense of depression.

murder in a rash mood. It is not seen by Gertrude. It tries to urge

The final way that Laertes acts as a foil to Hamlet occurs once again when Claudius and Laertes are discussing Laertes’ actions to achieve his vengeance. Claudius gives Laertes advice saying, “That we would do/ we should do when we would; for this ‘would’/ changes” (4.7.134-136). Claudius is warning Laertes that if he waits long enough, he will probably end up not doing anything at all and will not achieve his goal of vengeance. This quote spoken by Claudius is quite similar to when King Hamlet’s ghost meets with Hamlet earlier in the play to warn him about how he was killed by Claudius and that he must get revenge. King Hamlet’s ghost also warns Hamlet saying, “Taint not thy mind” (1.5.92), telling him to not over think his plan because otherwise he will not pursue his vengeance. After Claudius warns Laertes to not get side tracked, the audience is reminded of King Hamlet’s ghost telling Hamlet to not over think because then their plans will not be pursued. This scene acts as a foil towards Hamlet because soon after the conversation, Laertes does pursue his plan of seeking vengeance, whereas Hamlet has been working on his plan the whole play, and has still not started to execute it.

Hamlet proves himself a temperamental, twisted character in William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. The Prince of Denmark conveys his facetious demeanor with his behavior and sharp tongue, especially in scenes with Ophelia and Gertrude. Although Hamlet’s situation is difficult and easily sympathized by viewers, his aggression should ultimately be focused on his murderous uncle.

Like any other human Hamlet has experienced the loss of his father. Although the loss of a loved one is a very common feeling that every person will experience, Hamlet had lost his father and his mother even though she was still alive. She betrayed his by marrying Hamlet’s father within the same week as his father, her husband, passing. Also Hamlet had to watch his uncle become the new King. Hamlet despite all the negative surrounding him experienced some of the same feelings that anyone going through a normal loss of a parent or loved one would experience, Hamlet experienced pain, sadness and numbness, frustration from being broken hearted, anger and confusion and depression, to name just a few. Over the course of Hamlet’s seven soliloquies, the audience can see the slow transgression of Hamlet’s growth; however, Hamlet was pretty much stayed in the same mind frame.

When advice is given it is sometimes given as a comfort or a closure for the one who has lost a loved one. Richard Fly wrote the article Accommodating Death: The Ending of Hamlet, which states that Gertrude tries to use her words as a comfort to her son by explaining that it is simply part of life. Gertrude explains, “Thou know’st tis common: All that lives must die passing through nature to eternity” (257). Gertrude does not seem to show much sympathy for King Hamlet being dead because she thinks it is something that is supposed to happen eventually. Gertrude also hopes her words will be a comfort her son to make him feel at ease with his father’s death.

After the passing of his father, Hamlet instinctively reacts by claiming, “Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, or that the everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God!” (1.2.133-136). After King Hamlet’s death, Hamlet is in a period of grief in which he feels hopeless and is unable to find his purpose in life. As seen through the diction of death, Hamlet begins to question whether he should commit the sin of self-slaughter to escape from the miseries that has arrived after his father’s death or to continue to bare living his unpleasant life. Furthermore, the death of Hamlet’s father results in Hamlet to become distant from his friends, kingdom, and even his own mother in which he isolates himself from her. In the play, Gertrude urges Hamlet to “cast thy nighted color off, and let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not forever with thy vailed lids seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ’tis common. All that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity” (1.2.70-75). Because Hamlet is obsessed with his father’s death, Hamlet doesn’t care about his looks or the way others perceive him. Hamlet chooses to wear black as a mean of expressing his sorrow. Furthermore, Hamlet responds to his mother with

But I have that within which passeth show, These the trappings and the suits that woe.” (Shakespeare ACT I Scene II line 76-86 ) This is the time when Hamlet is supposed to be grieving the death of his late father and yet Gertrude is making him feel as if he is overacting and needs to get over. Thus, disregarding any coping strategies that may have come as a convenience to him, will now make him feel as if he is reacting childlike and not pursue those issues that still arise when losing a loved one. Leading to trying to handle it on your own.

Hamlet begins his soliloquy by reflecting on how his father’s unjust end taints the peace and finality that death brings. He bluntly states that “no more” could death be an end to suffering and “heartache” endured by mankind (3. 1. 68, 3. 1. 69.). Hamlet’s father endured the torture of purgatory even though he was a righteous man, solely due to the nature of his death. To Hamlet, not only is this an insult to his father but the corruption of death as well. Death should allow individuals to “dream” and give “respect” to those who had past (3. 1. 72, 3. 1. 75.). Hamlet scoffs at such an idea, calling it a “rub”, as the exact opposite had befallen his father (3. 1. 72.). The quintessential nature of death was so entirely damaged that Hamlet’s father remained walking on earth as a restless spirit. At this point, Hamlet was so hopeless in his situation that he desired death himself. However, he refrained from committing suicide simply because of how unsure of death he was. What once had been a solstice from “a weary life” turned to “dread of something after death” (3. 1. 84, 3. 1. 85). Since Hamlet constantly thoughtfully analysis his situation, he would rather “bear those ills [he has]/ than fly to others that [he knows] not of” (3. 1. 88-89.). In other words, he would prefer to suffer through life than face the new, unknown woes of death that his father suffers from. Since there’s ultimately no escape from death, the shift from peaceful dreams to unrest and pain spoils the most definite occurrence of human existence, causing Hamlet to question the value of life and death itself.

This is one of the very few occurrences where Hamlet displays his true emotions and is not just exhibiting craziness in order to fool the people surrounding him. The revelation made by this isn’t just a rare time where insight is given into his character, it shows how much he truly loved his father and that the impact of his death has left a gaping emotional hole. One in which is filled with thoughts detrimental to Hamlet’s well-being, such as his remark, “Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed” (1.2.129-131). As if anyone had said this, it would make one contemplate if the person who had said this was mentally stable, something that is questioned all throughout Hamlet. Throughout the entire play, he alternates between the thought of suicide and the consequences of doing so, showing how that although he is disordered that he can still logically think and is just experiencing a traumatic time in his life.

To start with, it is important to acknowledge Hamlet’s mental state in the beginning of the play. It is clear that Hamlet is in great despair due to the death of his beloved father and his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle. This becomes evident in Hamlet’s first soliloquy when he expresses his desire to disappear by contemplating suicide; “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, / Or that the Everlasting has not fixed / His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter” (1.2.129-132). The death of Hamlet’s father was the first tragic event that Hamlet had to deal with and the fact that Hamlet thought so highly of his father (“So excellent a King...(1.2.139)) goes to show how greatly his death had impacted Hamlet.

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are many events and characters that are ambiguous to the audience. They are interpreted in several ways as there are different view points on why a character decided to act like they did. Such examples in the play are Hamlet’s use of language is equivocal as he uses his words to confuse and insult other characters in the play. Moreover, the decisions that Hamlet makes to delay Claudius’ murder in the play can be interpreted to have various explanations. Hamlet’s personality is quite enigmatic as a result of his “antic disposition” and quick transitions to a different mood. Considering this, Hamlet seems to possess ambiguous traits that results in complexion in his motives.

Not to mention, even before the play itself starts a death has already taken place and from this, the whole plot makes its own development. We are introduced to our main character, Hamlet, and in the first act, we can see that the death of his father has brought so much controversy and confusion to his life. Behind his own thoughts of sorrow there’s other feelings as well that he struggles to identify, as he expresses this by telling his mother that “….Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, […] Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly…” With this dialog and especially the last sentence, he delivers a message explaining that his outside appearance does not fully describe his inside sense. Eventually, these feelings can be related to a “psychological type of death” where according to authors Kivistö and Hakola, after an abrupt physical death occurs, there’s an another extended and even more painful form of death that takes place in the mind of the survivor (in this case Hamlet) who has lost his loved one.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is a famous English playwright and poet. He is widely believed to be not only the greatest writer of England but also one of the best authors in the world. He is honored as the writer of Avon. (Avon is his hometown) Shakespeare’s talent is unique and his plays are so excellent that they are still performed and watched by thousands of audience until now. Of all his literatures, Hamlet is one of the finest ones. Foakes (1993) states that Hamlet is one of the most popular dramas of the world. In this brilliant play, Shakespeare has reflected the tragic life of the main character: Hamlet – the prince of Denmark with a series of problem after his father’s death. First, Hamlet is lonely because the reality of the society does not live up to his idealism. Next, his scholarly side as well as his moral side hinders Hamlet from taking actions immediately since they make him think “ too precisely on the event” (4.4.3). It is notable that Hamlet’s melancholy also leads to his delay.

The play Hamlet demonstrates the complexities of what it means to be human by showing us love hate and betrayal Because Hamlet has been confused about love by his mother’s actions, he rejects the thought that romantic love is an important part of human relationships. He is consumed by the way his mother moves on to his uncle, and he rejects Ophelia’s love for him, though he admitted once to loving her. Although Hamlet is justified to feeling disgust towards his mother and her actions, his negative view of love makes it bad for others and him.