Hamlet Character Analysis

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.

“To be, or not to be, that is the question,” (3.1.64). This famous line in William Shakespeare's Hamlet perfectly encapsulates Hamlet’s internal struggle throughout the play. Hamlet tells the story of the young prince of Denmark and his desire for revenge on the uncle, Claudius, who murdered his father. As is the case in many works of literature, Hamlet changes greatly throughout the play. However, because of his attempts to act insane, it can be difficult to precisely map the changes in Hamlet’s character. By carefully investigating his seven soliloquies, where he is alone and has no need to “put on an antic disposition,” one can understand and interpret how Hamlet’s character develops throughout the play.

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.

In the play, Hamlet acts insane to seek revenge. At first he pretends to be crazy but his pretense slowly begin to affect him. For example is when Hamlet begins to have a couple of suicidal thoughts and says:

In the conclusion of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the audience gains an understanding of the importance of Justice to each character. In the final act both Hamlet and Laertes seek to find justice for the wrongs committed against them and their families. This leaves both men trying to identify how to right these misdeeds

Many view Hamlet, the main character, in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet as a hero. He portrays characteristics that prove to the reader that he does possess heroic qualities. Although, it is a struggle for him throughout the play, but as he goes through life and learns new ways of coping things, he develops new characteristics that he didn’t have in the beginning. Hamlet learns to overcome his anxiety, depression, and anger. In the end, he learns how to be calm and collected. The way Hamlet learns how to handle internal conflicts throughout the play, shows the readers a realistic view of the difficult encounters one may have when learning to cope with different

Will Hamlet accept the new changes in his life? What is he capable of to be happy? After his father’s death, Hamlet will have to face the new changes in his hometown, Denmark. Shakespeare develops Hamlet’s character in relation to other characters in these soliloquies.

In the tragedy play Hamlet written by Shakespeare, Hamlet’s character and emotions changed various times. In Act 1 Hamlet was portrayed as weak and in a deep grief about his father’s death. In lines 78-86 as a response to his mother unsympathetic comment, Hamlets states, “Seems madam? Nay it is. I know not ‘seems.’ Tis not alone my inky cloak, good-mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected haviour of the visage, Together with all the forms, moods, shows of grief  That can denote me truly. These indeed ‘seem’, For they are actions that a man might play; But I have that within which passeth slowly-these but the trappings and the suits of woe.” In these lines, Hamlet explains that his visible signs of grief are nothing compared to how he feels inside. Hamlet not only offers the first illustration of the anguish and emotions of his character, but encompasses much of the universal experience of grieving. He doesn’t show it externally, but he was struggling with painful emotions internally. Act 2 Hamlet was seen as a very vengeful person due to the fact that his uncle murder his father just to be king. In line 611-616 Hamlet states,” Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murdered, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,

Even in the mere beginning of the tragedy, Shakespeare starts to craft a plot in which insanity and vengeance are interlinked. When Hamlet interacts with the ghostly figure of his late father, the spirit reveals he was murdered by his brother, Claudius, who now claims the two things that were most important to him: his throne and his wife, Gertrude. He requests that Hamlet avenge his death by killing Claudius in which Hamlet replies: “...from the table of my memory/ I’ll wipe away all…That youth and observation copies there,/ And thy commandment all alone shall live/ Within… my brain,/ Unmixed with baser matter” (1.5.105-111). Upon stating this, Hamlet writes his committment down in order to make a formal contract with himself. By erasing all other “inferior” information from his brain and making avengeance his first priority, a bud of obsession is revealed, which will be built upon as the plot thickens. The promise of revenge stimulates Hamlet to perform in ways he would not typically execute, inciting the incipient stages of his insanity. After being stripped of kingship from an unrightful heir and discovering Claudius’ audacity to kill his own brother, Hamlet’s rage boils inside of him, creating a desire to kill the man that, quite frankly, ruined his life. Through Shakespeare’s ability to develop this crucial character, the reader becomes aware of Hamlet’s unhealthy obsession with revenge, exposing an intended connection between these two themes.

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet plays the main character of a prince who loses his father and his heir to the throne. Hamlet experiences troubling events that affect his irrational behavior. Stylistically, Hamlet’s character is both beautiful and poetic. Realistically, Hamlet may have suffered from a psychological disorder and several complexes. Hamlet is affected by Bipolar I disorder, causing him to act irritably and have an elevated mood. He is also a victim of Freud’s Oedipus complex which makes it harder for him to accept his mother’s remarriage. Hamlet’s hatred toward Ophelia and his mother is a result of his subconscious overwhelming hatred and fear of femininity. These psychological disorders and complexes that Hamlet suffers from show why he acts as he does.

As Hamlet might seem like one to be thoughtful of his actions, he changes as he suddenly acts crazy. This craziness is used as a cover for a plan to kill Claudius. It is almost as if this sudden change in character causes Hamlet to garner the true characteristics of his craziness. He thinks on his feet as he contemplates, “Haste me to know ‘t, that I, with wings as swift/ As meditation or the thoughts of love/ May sweep to my revenge”(I.vi.35-37). Speaking to the ghost of old Hamlet, he suddenly pushes his plan in response to the news of his father's murder.

In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the combination of characters’ weaknesses and circumstances lead to their downfall. Weaknesses will always exist in characters, although they go unnoticed and do not have any true impact until they are highlighted by unfortunate circumstances. These emphasized weaknesses ultimately lead to the characters’ downfall. Claudius’ ambition, Ophelia’s obedience and Hamlet’s tendency to overthink all lead to their downfalls in the play.

In Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare uses the tragic hero to contribute to the tragic vision of the work, through the suffering brought upon other characters from Hamlet such as, Ophelia, Laertes, and Gertrude. The story takes place in Elsinore, Denmark. In the late middle ages around and in the royal palace.

There comes a point in everybody’s life in which we will all be disabled. Whether we like it or not, it will affect how we live and it will affect the lives of the people around us. The character Hamlet is no exception, in Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”. He is presented with a situation that causes him to seem disabled to the people around him, even though he knows or seems to believe that he is not. Shakespeare, in his play “Hamlet”, uses visible disability, non-visible disability, and ableism to show the difference between the social and medical models presented in disability studies.

Everyone can agree that Hamlet is a classic piece of literature. However, there are many aspects of the play that are confusing. Horatio is introduced in the first scene of the play, he is talking to some guards about a strange occurrence. He is brought in as a scholar of good report to identify what is happening. Fortinbras on the other hand, is first heard of gathering random men to fight for him. He is referred to as young and untested. We see him only one more time before his appearance at the end of the play. At the end of the play Fortinbras comes in and is made king. It feels cheap, like Shakespeare had an extra character floating around and decided to make him the new king, even though Horatio would have made a great king. Why then, is he just pushed aside for Fortinbras. Throughout the entire play Horatio is right in the middle of everything. He knows everything that has happened from the very beginning of the play. Fortinbras has been off taking over some unimportant piece of land. So why, then, is he allowed to just swoop in at the end and take the position of king. Even Hamlet just pushes Horatio aside and throws his hat in with Fortinbras. Horatio had to put up with a lot of things throughout the play and at the end instead of getting a reward of appropriate size befitting his deeds, Hamlet just tells him to “tell my story”(V.ii.314). There are a lot of characters that get thrown to the wayside but Horatio gets it the worst. Horatio had connections to the old royalty and he was well known to be level-headed and a scholar.