The Unbelievable Yet Predictable Tragedy Hamlet by William Shakespeare
illustrates foreshadowing through its characters to keep the reader interested
throughout the play. Several examples of this foreshadowing are Hamlet's depressed
state of mind which foreshadows his motivation to find out the truth about his
father's death, when Hamlet's father comes to him as a ghost and informs him about his murder, this causes rage
within Hamlet that foreshadows his revenge and when Hamlet asks the players to perform "The Mousetrap"which might prove Claudius' involvement in King Hamlet's murder andforeshadows Hamlet's revenge. Another example is Hamlet's sudden unusual
behavior towards Ophelia which foreshadows a fatal outcome for the lovers.
Finally, the concluding example is Laertes' anger and pain towards his
father's death which foreshadows his revenge towards Hamlet, his father's
In the beginning of Hamlet there is an immediate introduction to Hamlet's grief and gloominess which foreshadows his need for revenge. Hamlet's lovely personality and pleasantry were gone and he found himself dissatisfied with the world around him. His
world was falling apart in front of him. King Hamlet was an excellent king who
loved his wife, Queen Gertrude, deeply. But Hamlet couldn't understand how
his mother who would "hang on [her husband] as if increase of appetite had
grown" could forget about him so quickly (1.2.147-148). It seemed to
Hamlet as if they both loved each other immensely. However, before
Gertrude's "unrighteous tears/had left the flushing in her galled eyes/she
married" her husbands brother (1.2.159-161). It was only two months after
the funeral and she was married. This hurt Hamlet a lot because he felt his
mother didn't seem to love her deceased husband as much as he loved her.
She proved this by marrying his brother which was considered improper to
Hamlet and others. Hamlet's depression and madness wer...