Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most analysed plays. The Danish prince is developed into a mysterious and fascinating man. A philosopher and a fencer, he is a man disgusted with the rottenness of life around him and is obligated to set things right. Under the guise of madness he attempts to achieve his ends; yet there is much to puzzle over. Was Hamlet really such a good actor that he could fool everyone into believing in his madness or was he truly mad? And, why did he wait so long to carry out his revenge? Hamlet thinks too much and this drove him to an insanity that was not feigned.
The ghost provides Hamlet with a dilemma. Supernatural forces are not always to be trusted. Hamlet does not know whether the ghost is telling the truth or not, which is why he has “˜The Mousetrap’ performed by the visiting players. If Hamlet had killed Claudius solely on the ghost’s advise, he would certainly have been put to death himself. There would probably have been a civil war to choose a new king. Being the humanitarian that he is, and taking account of his responsibilities as a prince and future king, Hamlet would most likely want to avoid a civil war. Even though Claudius is a murderer, and probably not as noble a king as Hamlet Sr. was, he is still a king. Hamlet realizes that Claudius brings order to Denmark and in killing him he will plunge his country into the darkness of chaos.
On top of this dilemma, Hamlet cannot share his feelings with his mother or his girlfriend. While the first is literally sleeping with the enemy, the latter has chosen the side of her father (and Claudius).
The Essay on Fencing Match Hamlet King Claudius
The Unprincipled FamilyFredrickPer 8 Interrelated arts The dangerous relationship of Claudius, the king, and Hamlet, the king's nephew and stepson, contain two elements that are pervasive enough to categorize it as such. Treachery and paranoia are those traits. Treachery is one of the basic un principles of the relationship, as is shown in the scene of the fencing match and the planning that goes ...
Ophelia is in a difficult position, being torn between her father and her lover.
A psychotic has several symptoms the first of which is hallucinations. A hallucination is when you see or hear something that is not really there. The second symptom is paranoia, which is the constant feeling that someone is watching you or plotting against you. Third, psychotics tend to ramble on and on during which their emotions change rapidly and adversely. The final symptom exhibited by psychotics is illusions of grandeur.
Hamlet may be a thinking man; this does not mean he actually likes to think. Although he may have liked to think in the time preceding the play, when the time has come for him to take action, he cannot because of this pensive urge. His capacity of thinking becomes a handicap rather than a quality. And this is not even the most painful (some would say tragic) part of Hamlet’s character. The biggest problem is that he is aware even of this. Not only is he incapable of acting without thinking, he knows this is the case, which makes the burden even heavier. Hamlet cannot face reality. It is already a traumatic experience for him when he has to believe the words of the ghost, and actually the ghost’s demanding him to act on this information is too much for him.
Hamlet is anything but indecisive, he is just contemplative. He needs to think in order to justify his actions, and his intellectual capacity is the major difference between Claudius and himself. Hamlet is extremely aware of the relation between action and reaction and realizes that he has to proceed very carefully. In the play, Claudius is the paragon of decisiveness, of action. He makes the first action, the action that sets the machine in motion ““ the poisoning of Hamlet’s father. He also instigates the final action, the poisoning of the blades and the cup, an action that will backfire and cause his own death.
Any other character in the play would have taken more drastic measures than Hamlet did (confiding only in his best friend, and even keeping the truth from his mother until the end of Act III).
Although not every one of them might have come to killing Claudius, Hamlet seems not to do anything. Again, he thinks too much, but why?
The Essay on Hamlet – Ophelia Character Analysis
Ophelia is a beautiful and simple-minded woman, easily molded by the more powerful opinions and desires of others. The thoughts of her father and her brother influenced her the most. The love letters from Hamlet also swayed her opinions and confused her mind. Ophelia wasn't able to realize herself because of all the pressures exerted on her to be something she's not. That weakness of mind and ...
Hamlet is self-conscious, while the majority of the characters that surround him are not. This explains why he feels inhibited to act. Hamlet resembles a real person more than any other character in the play, which might be another reason why he still remains a subject of discussion. What also sets him apart is his elusiveness. Many of the characters in the play can be categorized within minutes of their introduction. The pompous Polonius and the thick-skulled Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are perfect examples of this. This does not hold true for some characters such as Laertes and Ophelia.
In conclusion, Hamlet’s character is still a matter of debate, even centuries after his creation. Hamlet clearly shows all the signs of psychosis, something that is not easily fabricated, no matter what he may say. Most people simply assume that because he declares that he is merely feigning madness that this must be true. But, cannot a proven lunatic also claim the same?
