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The Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare

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Supporting characters are often looked at as impractical and unnecessary, however they are just as important as major characters. Supporting characters help influence the way the main characters act and what they do. Minor characters not only make the main characters more meaningful, but they also help to develop and drive the plot. Ophelia, falling victim to the neglect and abuse of the other characters and depending solely on the men in her life, becomes the only character who truly becomes mad. Polonius’ concern with how others perceive him, along with his selfishness ultimately leads to him driving his children further away from him thus leaving Claudius with more power. Claudius uses manipulation, corruption and destruction of the lives of the innocent to stay in power, and in doing so; he is the epitome of all evil events that occur. In the tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the plot of the play obtains added mystery and dramatic appeal due to the complexity of the supporting characters, which propel the play to move forward.
In Hamlet, with the exception of Ophelia, characters use acts of perceived madness in order to satisfy desires. “She speaks much of her father, says she hears / there’s tricks i’th’ world, and hems, and beats her heart, / spurns enviously at straws, speaks things in doubt / that carry but half sense. Her speech is nothing, / yet the unshaped use of it doth move / The hearers to collection. They aim at it, / and botch the words up fit to

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