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.

Hamlet soon resolves to take action. He sets up a play to trap Claudius so he can find out if the ghost was telling the truth. This is his intelligence and craft. He will not impulsively commit murder because of the word of a ghost who seemed to be his dead father. When he meets with his mother later, he is very angry and emotional and kills Polonius believing it was Claudius. Hamlet shows himself to be a man of action before thought in this case. He is rather cold that he is not terribly sorry about this accidental death but does show genuine concern for his mother which leads him to fits of intense emotion.

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

To continue, Hamlet’s constant obsession to avenge his father allowed him to become excessively violent, displaying more severe symptoms of a mental illness. These acts of aggression became evident when he killed Polonius. After performing his play, Hamlet desires to speak the truth to the queen. As he attempts to explain, the queen refuses to accept the facts, enraging Hamlet. The slightest noise came from behind him and Hamlet set his anger free. “How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!” (Ⅲ.4.24). As he believed it was the King, Hamlet drew his sword and pierced it into the unknown, taking Polonius’s life. His anger took over his body, showing acts of violence towards anything that moved. As well, in referencing the king as a ‘rat’ just demonstrates his broken mentality. His aggression has elevated passed normal stages. Furthermore, his violence was present when finally fulfilling his revenge in killing King Claudius. After his mother had been poisoned, Hamlet is enraged, ready to have the King slain. He forcefully makes Claudius drink the poison to have him killed. “Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damnèd Dane,/Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?/Follow my

In the beginning Hamlet was pretending to be mad to avenge his father's death, but in trying to avenge him, he lost his mind. While trying to seek revenge on his Uncle for killing his father, he caused multiple other casualties. When he went to speak with his mother about why he was acting so strange, he stabbed Polonius for spying on him. He also saw the spirit of his father right in front of his mother but she could not see nor hear him at all.

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.

hroughout the play, Hamlet feigns insanity but also shows signs of enlightenment. The death of his father brought him great depression and mental harm. Hamlet’s main goal in this play is to kill his father’s murder. His mental acuity is an act to cover up his real plan: to avenge the death of his father without causing suspicion. Hamlet is distraught after his father’s death.

Hamlet’s plot for revenge begins after seeing the ghost of what he believes to be his father, and from that decides “To put an antic disposition on.” With Hamlet now acting mad, he feels as if he can safely investigate whether or not Claudius murdered Hamlet’s father, without Claudius, Gertrude,

This act pushes Hamlet’s madness over the edge to the point where he is unable to exist in a stable state at all. After Hamlet sees the ghost of his father, his insanity worses and continues through the play in an extremely crazed and distraught state. This form of insanity causes Hamlet to commit multiple acts that a sane man could never commit. One example of Hamlet’s crazy antics is when he kills Polonius on a whim. While Hamlet is speaking to his mother in the “closet scene” in her room Gertrude calls out for help because of Hamlet’s aggressive nature with her and she thinks that Hamlet may kill her. From behind the curtains Polonius was lurking and listening in on their conversation. Hamlet just assuming it is Claudius lurking behind the curtains stabs through the curtain and kills him. This act shows Hamlet’s pure insanity because no one in their right mind would be able to just assume who they were killing and continue to kill them. In addition, once Hamlet realizes it’s Polonius, he is not bothered that he murdered the wrong person. Hamlet stands over Polonius’s dead body and calls him a fool and a low life. Once Hamlet is done insulting the man he just wrongly murdered, he comforts his mother by saying that he’ll take care of the dead body in her room and drag him out. Not only does this casual murder show the true insanity of

This evidence has helped support towards Hamlets madness. Nick Brous says in act 3 scene 4 “Hamlet and his mother get into a fight, he hears a noise behind the curtain and stabs at it killing Polonius thinking it was Claudius”. Nick Brous also says “Hamlet’s mistake here is that he demonstrates rash behavior. It is Hamlet’s quickness to act and madness to get revenge for his father’s death that pushes him toward ruin and defeat”. Killing Polonius fills Hamlet with madness because it was not Claudius.

One’s sanity is not something you can control. Without sanity comes madness, but it is within our minds and grows over time if not released or helped. For Hamlet he chooses to give the appearance as if he is mad I order to find the truth about his father’s death. In the beginning of his plan everything is going good but as time goes by Hamlet is slowly losing control of his madness and his mind begins to spin out of control. Something that started as an act of insanity or antic disposition became more of a reality, before it ends as Hamlet’s real life and tragedy for many people.

revenge since the beginning of the play. However, Hamlet can turn into true insanity instantly when he is anxious and despairing. Hamlet is a naive and impulse teenager, but he still has a clear understanding about his behavior and plan. In page 67, Act 1 Scene 5, Hamlet warns Horatio:“how strange or odd some’er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition) That you, at such times seeing me, never shall”, indicating acts of insanity are what appropriate for him to do in his path of revenge, and Horatio should never reveal Hamlet’s secrets with an excuse of his craziness. Hamlet’s warning presents the fact that acting crazy is a feigned and designed appearance that serves for his revenge, but not a true mental state that people used to describe his bizarre behaviors. However, Hamlet’s impulsive nature is able to invoke his insanity easily when he is in great despair and anxiety. After the accidental murder of Polonius in Act 3 S4, Hamlet’s fear and anxiety soon drive him to a state of madness because killing Polonius is not something he had originally planned. Hamlet vents his anger to his mother and ignores her imploration: “O, speak to me no more! These words like daggers enter in my ears.”(Act 3 Scene 4, page 177 ), insulting her endlessly and leaving all his responsibilities of revenge behind until the ghost came to remind him. There is