Hamlet Character Analysis

His mother, Gertrude, marries her brother-in-law within a few months of because of her lust and vice behavior, while Hamlet believes that his father deserves more than just a few months of bereavement. The Queen’s actions lead Hamlet into talking to his mother in a demeaning manner, not realizing he is talking to someone in authority to him, but also someone who unconditionally loves him. The Prince explains to the Queen that she had thrown away pure and everlasting love, for lust. Also, he expresses his loss of faith in women and love because his mother had moved past the death of her loving husband so quickly. Furthermore, Hamlet once loved Ophelia, but his past experiences have made him ignorant and have led him to believe that Ophelia is a deceiving person. Claudius and Polonius use Ophelia as bait to find the real reason of Hamlet’s facade of madness but while they are both talking, Hamlet gets suspicious and verbally abuses

In medieval times, the word of the man of the house, in this case being Polonius was to be obeyed by the women of the residence. Also the word of the husband is held to a similar standard. Therefore, Ophelia would have felt an obligation to obey both Hamlet and her father. This however, creates controversy within Ophelia herself due to her commitment to both her father and her unnecessary commitment to Hamlet. Her passion for Hamlet seems to be diffused by her greater sense of commitment to her father. Ophelia is not entirely true to Hamlet in that she lies to Hamlet and tells him that her father is at home when he is actually behind a curtain listening in on the conversation. This is evidence that Ophelia is not able to operate and maintain sanity under the pressure from both sources. In her choice of obedience to her father, she in a sense has chosen the course of her fate (which is inevitable doom). But does Ophelia fulfill the requirements of her day as a woman? One way of looking at the issue is the question that was Ophelia driven insane by her desire and love for Hamlet, or was she merely a casualty of a culture that creates unfeasible demands from women? Due to her incapability to create her own decisions, she is vulnerable to the influence of her father and brother and

While Laertes and Ophelia are talking, their father, Polonius, enters the room, and after some words of advice to his son, not the least of which is to be true to himself, Polonius bids him farewell. Polonius then turns to Ophelia and asks what it is that Laertes has said to her (1.3.57-89). Ophelia tells her father that Laertes has spoken to her of Hamlet, and Polonius responds that he has been informed of the time she spends

Ophelia’s father, Polonius, wishes to keep his family’s honor in tact, and fears that Ophelia’s open regard for Hamlet will diminish his honor. Both Polonius and Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, believe that Ophelia’s preference for Hamlet will only end in disgrace for their family, as Hamlet would never marry her due to her lower social standing, therefore, they counsel her to break off any understanding with Hamlet. As a woman, Ophelia realizes her duty to her father and her brother, and therefore decides to disregard her own feelings about Hamlet and do as her father and brother wish.

In today’s world, women of all ages are given equal rights and freedom. In Shakespeare’s time, woman’s obligations were to follow the rules of the men and obey the men in their lives’. “Frailty, thy name is woman;” Hamlet implies the powerlessness of the two women characters in the play. In Hamlet, the roles of Gertrude and Ophelia are very important in that they are the only two female characters in the play. Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet, and Ophelia, the lover of Hamlet, are characterized as controlled and lost in their lives because they are being used by the men throughout the play. Fundamentally, Shakespeare illustrates the nature of Gertrude and Ophelia as powerless victims by the women being subjects of men,

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.

           Ophelia allowed herself to become a sort of marionette in Polonius' schemes toward understanding the seemingly mad prince. While her relationship with Hamlet was on the line, she allowed Polonius to commandeer the strings that determined her actions. Polonius was determined that Hamlet's supposed madness stemmed from lovesickness for Ophelia. He convinced Ophelia that her betrayal of Hamlet was a necessary evil and she began to relay all of Hamlet's messages and attempts at communication to him. He told the king and queen:

Shakespeare applies characterization of Queen Gertrude to display Hamlet's feeling of betrayal and anger towards her. Hamlet adored his father and was dissatisfied that his mother appeared as if she was not in the similar depressive state that Hamlet was in. Hamlet began to feel the betrayal because two months after her husband’s death, her and Claudius decide to get married. Hamlet believed his mother

To Ophelia’s family, her role is to be an innocent, uninformed woman. Polonius and Laertes believe that it is their duty to protect Ophelia from anything that may harm her and corrupt her innocence. Her father and brother believe that Hamlet will use Ophelia, and since he would never be her husband, he would only take away her virginity and not care about anything else. Ophelia asks to

Shakespeare's Hamlet portrays the harrowing love story of Hamlet and Ophelia. Ophelia, daughter to Polonius and sister of Laertes, is constantly controlled by the men in her life and the medieval precept that the father's word is unquestionable governs Ophelia. Submissive and compliant, Ophelia obeys nearly everything her father tells her to do. This follows her in through her relationship with Hamlet, as she stays with him despite his abusive nature. Ophelia’s submissive nature is a product of the conservative time and the patriarchy. She had no option but to follow the every demand of Hamlet and her family because she was not permitted to have a voice of her own. Because of the male dominated world that she lives in, Ophelia can not govern her sexual or romantic relationship. The authority the many men in her life have over her cause Ophelia’s downfall.

Queen Gertrude is the mother to Hamlet, widow to the late King, and new wife to King Claudius as shown within the first act of Hamlet. Following her marriage to King Claudius, her relationship with her son Hamlet becomes strained. Queen Gertrude symbolizes much of what is considered to be a negative aspect of womanhood. To Hamlet, Queen Gertrude is a failure of a woman. Through his dialogue, it is presented that Hamlet desires a woman and mother to be concerned for her family and place tradition above all else. When Hamlet’s mother makes a decision outside of that realm and marries King Claudius, Hamlet strives to berate her for her choices. Through

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, Ophelia is a passive woman. She went through her life just letting whatever happened to her happen. Her father, Polonius, was a controlling father, like most fathers of that time. Her boyfriend, Prince Hamlet, is insane and cruel. With these two men controlling her life more than anyone else it made her rely on both of them being there. Ophelia grew to rely on people telling her what to do. Ophelia’s mental stability deteriorates because Hamlet rejects her and her father is killed by Hamlet.

Ophelia’s obedience does not allow her to stand up to Hamlet, when he tells her to “Get thee to a nunnery”(3.1 119) and that she is “a breeder of sinners”(3.1 119), again referring to that women are only capable of following man in their lives and giving birth, becoming wives without an opinion. The social expectation is to become dependent on a male figure, when Ophelia’s brother leaves to France, Hamlet rejects her love by saying “I loved you not”(3.1 117) and also kills Polonius, her father that she was the most dependent on, Ophelia no longer has someone that tells her what to do and feels betrayed by her loved ones driving her insane. Ophelia has to remain innocent while obeying her father and doing things that cause her emotional pain, she does not have the right to say ‘no’ and go against the male figures.