The Complicated Character of Hamlet

“Hamlet is the solitary, unknowing to all the places he will afflict. He walks about, ...he denies others by looking at them, and even without willing it spreads death about him. ‘The black presence of the doubter causes this poison’ “ (Edwards P. on Mallarme’s essay

Crayonne au Theatre (1886) in Coyle 1992,page 21)

Shakespeare, with his character of Hamlet has provided one of the most complex, though intriguing characters in the history of literature. The most striking aspect of his character is the question of whether he was really mad or just acting to his advantage, and the dilemma he faces. This dilemma is the heart and soul of the play, to choose between avenging the death of his father or to think about the consequences on the ones he so dearly loves if he follows through. This has been subject to analysis from the day many different people of different attitudes and from different times first performed it. Elizabethans would see any result of Hamlet’s actions as a moral lesson whilst a modern person would see it a violent play but also as Shakespeare’s most philosophical work.

In the 17th Century when the play was first performed, it was popular for the reason that belonged to the category, or genre of

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

ii:146,page 75) is declared we see he believes it for all the women in his life and Shakespeare shows us this by Ophelia’s eventual madness. The moral thing to do then would of course be not to think of any consequences, just to carry out the act. One other very important scene is where Hamlet gets a chance to kill Claudius while he is at prayer, but chooses not to since his soul would go to heaven. It was always expected for a revenge tragedy to end with all or almost all the characters being killed, and indeed this is what we get in Hamlet. v:102-104,page 92), that he will not think of anything else other than revenge and with this he forms what the Elizabethans say as an almost sacred oath that he will avenge. Also upheld by Shakespeare, is the Kydian form of a revenge tragedy, the separation into five acts, and Seneca’s use of violence and blood.

While the Elizabethans would give credit to the fact that Hamlet’s behaviour towards Ophelia is because of his madness, modern literature has come up with many other reasons for his treatment. This originated in the first century, from the works of the Roman playwright, Seneca and then reborn in the works of Thomas Kyd in the 16th Century. Francis Bacon said that despite “the revenge of the wrong putteth the law out of office. When the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears, it urges Hamlet to avenge his death because he was killed before confessing and because of this his soul is “confined to fast in fires” (I. The way he reflects on himself is a definite indication of an intelligent, highly philosophical person.

Approximate Word count = 1928
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.