Hamlet Character Analysis

‘Texts became valued over time when they explore challenging and enduring ideas relevant to humanity - To what extend does Hamlet reflect this statement?

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 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

Hamlet’s religious beliefs are revealed when he says, “Sure, he that made us with such large discourse, / Looking before and after, gave us not / That capability and godlike reason / To fust in us unused.” (IV.iv.35-38.). Hamlet says that God created human beings to have certain abilities and not use them would be a waste of God’s gift. The mention of this enables the audience, made up of Catholic and Protestant people, to agree with this statement and to relate their own religious views. Finally, Hamlet can relate to the audience through displaying his emotions and conveying his feelings in that moment. When Hamlet says, “How stand I then, / That have a father killed, a mother stained, / Excitements of my reason and my blood, / And let all sleep” (IV.iv.56-59.) he is saying he feels guilty and ashamed for he has had so many reasons to take his revenge and these soldiers have none other than their honor. Hamlet’s passionate display of his emotions encourages the audience to relate to a situation where they have felt guilty or ashamed and understand Hamlet’s situation. Therefore, this soliloquy has several connections to the Elizabethan Era that audience can relate to.

“Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin” –Victor Kiam. Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, illustrates this idea through the character of Hamlet. Hamlet is given multiple chances to avenge his father’s death, however, fails to do so due to internal struggles, lack of proper planning and timing skills, and his indecisive nature. These flaws ultimately lead to Hamlet’s demise and the death of several other characters.

Hamlet is a play by the renowned writer William Shakespeare. Written in the early seventeenth century, the revenge-tragedy is set in Denmark, and follows the character of Prince Hamlet as he seeks to avenge his father’s murder by his cunning uncle, Claudius (who now holds the throne). While doing so, the troubled prince experiences a philosophical struggle with life, death, and morality. Through the use of imagery and soliloquy, Shakespeare expertly develops the theme of Uncertainty. One of the initial examples of the theme of Uncertainty is clearly portrayed in Hamlet’s interaction with his father’s ghost, as well as Horatio’s and Marcellus’ reactions.

What all readers want to know is, ‘why didn’t Hamlet kill Claudius when he had the chance?’ Hamlet is trying to deal with the situations to defend the new king’s royalty. Also, he had to prove that his uncle/stepfather, Claudius murdered his father. There are many theories why Hamlet waited so long to commit this crime. Hamlet actually needed proof that King Claudius killed his father. If Hamlet would have murdered Claudius without factual evidence Hamlet would have been guilty of killing the rightful King. Hamlet needed a valid reason to remove Claudius from power, so he waited until he found factual proof. In Act 1 Scene 5 Hamlet’s father spirit appears to him and makes it certain that Claudius murdered him, but Hamlet still cannot act on this information without having proof.

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.

   The legendary drama, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is a play illustrating the theme of virtue vs. villainy. The 17th century tragedy is plagued with treachery and deceit as it opens with the news of a foul murder in the kingdom of Denmark. Prince Hamlet, by word of his late father's ghost, is informed that his uncle Claudius is to blame for his father's sudden demise. Prince Hamlet's mission is to uncover the secrets surrounding the murder and to avenge his father's death. Thus, the insidious web of disease and corruption is formed. The relationship between disease leading to the greater corruption of Denmark plays a significant role in the lives of the principle players.

Born 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom, William Shakespeare became one of the uttermost iconic poets, playwrights, and pre-eminent dramatists of his era, and also of all time, bringing great attention to the dramatic arts industry. His works consisted of umpteen comedies and tragedies written in a conventional style with intricate metaphors and rhetorical phrases. Furthermore, several of his characters and plots resemble genuine humans with their wide span of emotions and conflicts among one another. One of his more popular tragedies includes Hamlet. In his 14th to 15th century play, Hamlet, written in 1599 to 1601, the characters in and around the royal palace of Elsinore, Denmark, face ample conflicts, followed by different physical and mental methods of reacting and dealing with their inner and outer consciences. Early on in the play, Marcellus, an officer who first sees a ghost of Hamlet Sr. in the royal palace after his recent death, states “Something rotten in the state of Denmark,” (I, iv, 99) foreshadowing the expanding corruption within Elsinore, starting with selfish greed, evolving into manipulation of people, and resulting in unprincipled revenge.

William Shakespeare was born on April 23th, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon. In his plays and poems, Shakespeare invented thousands of words, combining or contorting Latin, French and native roots. He wrote more than thirty plays. There are mainly divided into four categories, comedian, tragedies, histories and romances.

Throughout the play, Hamlet is ambitious to avenge his father’s death. In the end of act one, Hamlet realizes the truth and the cause of his father’s death. For instance, the ghost of Hamlet’s father told Hamlet to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” His father demands revenge and Hamlet swears to avenge his father’s death showing that he is willing to do anything to achieve it. In Act three, Hamlet finally puts his desire for revenge into action. He does this by re-enacting a scene of the death of Hamlet’s father. Hamlet uses the players to prove King Claudius’s guilt and becomes successful because King Claudius exits immediately after what he has seen. During the duel with Hamlet and Laertes, Gertrude is dead after she drinks the poison Claudius gave to Hamlet. Hamlet is gone mad about it and forces King Claudius to drink the poison as well. This shows that Hamlet is ambitious to kill Claudius and gets the King`s crown after doing so. Though he mainly focuses on getting the job done by avenging his father`s death, but he has other things that he is ambitious to do.

For many of us, our parents are our role models and the people we look up to. They take care of us and know what is best for us. For that reason, we should obey them and listen to their advice. We all have heard that before, but what if that is not true? What if our parent's decisions are not for the best of us? That is what Shakespeare proposes in the play Hamlet. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, parents' flaws lead to the destruction of their loyal children. Ophelia, Laertes, and Hamlet's lives are hijacked by their filial piety.