In the quotation above, Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s meeting with his former schoolmates to outline his frame of mind. By this point in the play, Hamlet remains forsaken by nearly everything he holds dear. His recently deceased father appeared to Hamlet as an apparition, and informed him of the evil perpetrated by his (now step-father) uncle. Gertrude commits what Hamlet calls “incest”, by marrying Claudius and by declining to mourn for his late father. Furthermore, his love, Ophelia, refuses to meet with him under the decree of her father, who perceives Hamlet to be delirious. Even Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, have been turned against him into spying for the King and Queen. The weight of Hamlet’s melancholy that has been bottled inside of him since the play’s onset …show more content…
He analyzes humans from multiple perspectives each one glorifying the species. Man is “noble in reason, ... infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension, how like a god”, he continues calling man “the paragon of animals”. Humans in action are angelic while humans are god-like in apprehension, G_d being greater than an angel. Hamlet makes this subtle note as an expression of self-deprecation. While he has constantly thought about murdering his uncle, Hamlet has been unable to complete the task. Although he lists off these attributes as if he himself believes them, Hamlet’s own beliefs could not be more opposite. Hamlet calls man the “quintessence of dust” referring to Genesis 3:19 in the Bible. In this verse, G_d scolds Adam for eating the apple and commands “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” To Hamlet, mankind is merely dust that will remain dust whether it is alive or dead, a belief that foreshadows the futility of Hamlet’s own
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 has experienced an enormous amount of grief since his father's death. It was only the murder that affected him, but it was also the people around him in his life. His own mother caused Hamlet to no longer trust her, when she remarried his uncle, the new king, after only three months. Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, were sent to spy on him, leading Hamlet to be distrustful of everyone around him. All of these events that caused Hamlet to go insane, led him to kill his one true love's father.
Hamlet’s motives and actions are a marathon of complex emotions. One can postulate that the start of Hamlet’s marathon is reflected by the state of Denmark’s rotten behavior. Indeed, Hamlet’s transformation from an aspiring grad student to a man riddled with mental turmoil reflects Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude’s, marriage with King Claudius: Hamlet’s uncle. In fact, right after Gertrude commits the intolerable act of marrying King Claudius, Hamlet begins to wear the guise of antic-disposition and follow his own path. On this level, one can clearly conclude that Hamlet’s character is merely a reflection of Gertrude’s behavior. Additionally, Hamlet’s behavior mirrors Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. King Claudius commands Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet; who believes this request is an act of betrayal. Therefore, Hamlet reciprocates their actions and forges a letter to England which leads to G/R’s death. Furthermore, just as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern feel no remorse for betraying Hamlet, Hamlet feels no remorse killing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In fact, Hamlet Clamor’s, “Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe (3.2.400)”. Hamlet’s speech reveals not only his distrust with his two friends, but also his loss of innocence; which mirrors King Claudius’s distrust of Hamlet and Polonius. Concluding that Hamlet’s motives/inner
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 in the beginning of the play portrays remarkably positive features. However, it is due to the nature of his motivating factor that he starts to lose trust in humanity. This is the case because after his father's death Hamlet has no one he can confide in anymore. His own friends began to spy on him, his mother turned the other cheek, and Claudius deceived him for the entirety of the play. In the beginning, both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were once considered to be Hamlet’s good friends. However, as soon as Claudius rose to power he summoned them to spy on the Prince and report back. Not only did Hamlet lose his much needed friends, but also his personal connection with his mother. Upon his father's death, he looked towards his mother for comfort. Instead all he received was a stern warning to cut it out and ditch his black get up for some more cheerful ones. Even though his mother and his friends deceive him, the root cause of the problem began with his Uncle Claudius. Ever since his Uncle married his mother, their relationship has never been the same. To make matter worse Claudius lies to Hamlet throughout the entirety of the play, pushing Hamlet even further off the edge. These types of emotional hardships can take a huge toll on an individual's character. As our hero loses his faith in life, he also loses love and respect for people
Act I, scene ii of Hamlet, begins with Claudius introducing the death of his brother, King Hamlet. He mentions that he is married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, and how he is now the king. Before his soliloquy, other characters notice Hamlet’s displeasure for life and how the death of his father has had a great impact on his life. Claudius mentions to Hamlet, “How is that the clouds still hang on you?” (Shakespeare 1.2. 66) and Gertrude says to Hamlet “Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, / And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. / Do not forever with thy vailèd 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. 68-73). They both noticed changes in his behaviour and how he cannot cope with his father’s death. After, Claudius and Gertrude convince Hamlet to stay in Denmark and not go back to school in Wittenberg. This makes Claudius very happy and once he and Gertrude leave the scene Hamlet begins to reveal his true inner thoughts in his soliloquy.
The Ego is found in all three realms of the mind: the subconscious, pre consciousness and consciousness. It operates according to the reality principle, working out realistic ways of satisfying the Id’s demands, often compromising or postponing satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society. The Ego considers social realities and norms, etiquette and rules in deciding how to behave, having been influenced by the outside world. Hamlet’s Ego is the force that drives his reasoning and logic, allowing him to make educated decisions with outcomes that favour his well being and morals.
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.
The Death of Hamlet When an individual dies, People tend to figure out the reason of the death, whether it was a murder, accident, or illness. No however, looks deeper into the reason responsible of the death. The tragic play Hamlet by William Shakespeare tells the story of the Prince of Denmark seeking revenge on his clever, witty uncle that was responsible for the death of Prince Hamlet’s Father, King Hamlet. King Claudius can be argued that he was responsible for the death of Prince Hamlet.
Hamlet’s first soliloquy establishes his character as dramatic and slightly obsessive. From the beginning of the scene, he is ill-tempered with his uncle, Claudius, and mother, Gertrude, and when everyone has left the stage but for himself, we find out his reasons. In this passage, Hamlet conveys his disgust with the marriage between his mother and his uncle. The imagery, allusions to Greek Mythology, and the style of the verse all lend themselves, with varying degrees of subtlety, to a more rich and complete depiction of Hamlet’s emotions.
At the beginning of the story, Hamlet feels much pain and sorrow because of his father’s death whereas his mother shows a lack of respect and sympathy towards to the entire situation. For all this time, he believed that when Gertrude was with his father, King Hamlet, “she would hang on him” (I.ii.140-143) and “he was so loving to [her]” (I.ii.138) showing others how seemingly perfect their relationship was; Hamlet, however, quickly realizes that it was all a lie and his mother’s decision to remarry causes him to start building up his abhorrence towards his so-called “family.” This only the beginning
Old King Hamlet had loved Queen Gertrude very much, yet less than two months after his death she has already moved on and married his brother, which to Hamlet is the ultimate betrayal of his deceased father. His faithfulness to Old King Hamlet is also made evident while speaking to the ghost, saying, “Haste me to know’t, that I with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love / May sweep to my revenge” (1.5.29-31). Hamlet vows to take immediate revenge on Claudius, the man who had murdered his father. Hamlet feels very passionate about avenging his father’s death and will go to extreme lengths to make sure it is done, including ruining his relationships with his love interest Ophelia as well as with his closest friends.
The second act of the play’s theme is repercussions of the Fall and broken trust. Prince Hamlet has devoted himself to plotting his father’s revenge, but after spending so much time on such difficult and contemplative issues, he has gone a bit “mad” (both literally and also, for show). His mother, Gertrude, and the new King, Claudius, begin to worry about his behavior. During this time, Polonius, a Lord, suggests that Hamlet is perhaps acting insane because he secretly desires his daughter, Ophelia, and is deeply in love with her. Claudius agrees to spy in on Hamlet and Ophelia as they are conversing to see if what Polonius has said is true and he deduces that Hamlet is mad, alright, but not with love for Ophelia; he orders her to a nunnery and even declares that
The state of mind is a fragile thing when facing extraordinary circumstances. This is when suicidal thoughts stem from feelings of guilt and helplessness. Hamlet is faced with the task of exacting revenge unto King Claudius who had killed King Hamlet to claim the throne. Hamlet’s state of mind at first is controlled, yet self deprecating. Soon after, Hamlet’s mental state quickly spirals down into depression and suicidal thoughts. Shakespeare utilizes allusions to Greek mythology, figurative language, and different tones to capture the mental state of Hamlet.
In Act V, Scene II, Hamlet’s apology towards Laertes before the sword match planned by King Claudius can be analyzed using the psychoanalysis lens. It is important to note that the battle between Hamlet and Laertes would not have happened if Osric did not announce Claudius plan to Hamlet while he talks to Horatio. As soon as Hamlet hears Osric’s speech, Hamlet is willing to accept King Claudius’ order of dueling with Laertes, even after Osric explains how skilled Laertes is with his dagger. In addition, Horatio tries to encourage Hamlet not to join the duel by saying “if your mind [dislikes] anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit”. (V.II.208-209) Both of these situations are interconnected with each other as it demonstrates Hamlet’s id – a strong urge to do something. To elaborate, Hamlet’s behaviour/character during the course of the play consists of sadness, feeling suicidal, and depression since he cannot get over his father’s death. Since Hamlet cannot control his sentiments, he feels desperate to end his life as soon as possible. To explain further, Hamlet’s id takes over him when he believes that joining the battle would be an effective way of ending his misery, as he was aware that the chances of losing to Laertes were high, resulting in his long-awaited death.