The audience soon fail to continue to sympathise with Hamlet, as his continual lack of respect builds up to a point at which Gertrude fears for her life at the hands of her own son and terrified, questions whether ‘Thou wilt not murder me?’ (20;4;3). By now Hamlet’s behaviour has become intensely violent, so violent that Gertrude chooses to use the word ‘murder’ instead of ‘kill’. This suggests Hamlet has a clod blooded and sadistic nature, undoubtedly dishonouring his mother and failing to obey the duties of his religion.
This sin projects Hamlet’s character into committing further sins. He pities and sympathises with the ‘o poor ghost’ of his father. His language reflects a deep and profound sorrow for which he must ‘hold’ his ‘heart’, causing his feelings to be repressed. As a result Hamlet believes that he ‘was born to set it right’ suggesting his eagerness for revenge. It shows that Hamlet believes it is his filial duty, which he intends to complete with utmost loyalty. Hamlet idolises his father finding no wrong whatsoever in him despite Denmark having died with ‘all my imperfections on my head’. The ghost is a representation of Denmark’s uncompleted life in the sense that he died without confessing his sins. This suggests that the ghost is suffering a great deal of pain and stress, which Hamlet indubitably suffers from too. The fact that his father died this way generates more sympathy from Hamlet and therefore adds to his craving for retribution.
His sinful vengeance accumulates allowing his violence to be expelled through the murdering of Polonius, yet another sin. One parental duty is to watch over your child, protecting them from harm. Voyeuristically, Polonius watches Hamlet, in an effort to be whiteness to any inappropriate behaviour, so that he can protect his daughter from Hamlet. However, Hamlet sights ‘a rat’ who he kills without any consideration. Hamlet displays an immense amount of disrespect to Polonius, who is a potential father in law to him. He relates a possible father figure to an animal, drastically decreasing his status, furthermore, paralleling him to an animal detested by many because of its vermin infected reputation. Perhaps Polonius could be infected with the disease of evil, due to the aiding of Claudius’ conniving scheme to remove Hamlet from the country.
With that in mind, as a justification for murdering Polonius, Hamlet refers to himself as a ‘scourge and minister’ (177;3;4) implying that he has carried out the Lord’s work. Now Hamlet believes his father to be ‘God like’ suggesting he believes himself to be the son of God, giving himself a religious pedestal upon which his actions can be justified. The impact of the atrocity committed is exceeded only by the colossal immorality of Hamlet’s character, resultant of his unethical relation to the holiest religious figure, revealing a disturbing amount of arrogance on his part. His rash behaviour means that his consideration for whom the ‘rat’ may be comes after he has killed him. It is only then that he questions, ‘is it the King?’. The fact that he does not ask exactly who it is, combined with the fact that it is Claudius who he asks of first, strongly shows his avid yearning for his uncle’s death. This then allows the audience to see Hamlet’s unshaken dedication to his father.
Polonius’ covert presence gives a tangible sensation of claustrophobia. This reflects the suffocation Hamlet suffers from due to the many combined parental figures that exist in his past and present. Shakespeare would stage the play with the use of many soldiers to intensify the claustrophobia. Despite its added cost, it helped to create a sense of unease amongst the audience who then could relate to the way Hamlet felt trapped ‘for I must hold my tongue’. The audience observe the way his feelings have become ineffable. This does ‘break’ Hamlet’s heart causing him an immense amount of anguish, which is added to by his mounting frustration from his inaction towards his much greatly repulsed uncle.
Hamlet is irate with himself for crying so many tears of mourning without any action, contrasted with The Player who ‘would drown the stage with tears’ in his situation. This suggests Hamlet feels inadequate which angers him. He chooses to relate The Player’s tears to drowning, which is to be consumed. As his own feelings are ineffable and so repressed, one can assume Hamlet relates The Player to his potential display of mourning. It can be said then that his grief has come to consume him. Yet for a consuming amount of grief, Hamlet remains ‘Like John-a-dreams’ increasing his fury. This suggests he regards his aspirations to be empty and without accomplishment. Although, at one stage he ‘Draws his sword’, and very nearly completes his vendetta, but decides against it, not wanting to ‘do this same villain send to heaven’, due to Claudius confessing his sins at this point. Understandably, to a certain degree, Hamlet desires the worst for Claudius. Yet to continually delay, and then finally reach a point at which he can satisfy his frustration as well as his aspiration, and then not, questions the depth of his feelings.
Sigmund Freud is the father of psychoanalysis and invented the concept of the Oedipal complex. Based on the Greek mythological story of Oedipus, the complex explores the possible deep seeded sexual desires sons may have for their mother, resulting in jealousy and hatred towards their father. Despite his superficial eagerness for revenge, Hamlet remains inactive with regard to fulfilling it. This eagerness could in fact be a veil for his jealousy towards Denmark, his father. It could be said that in killing Denmark, Claudius satisfies Hamlet’s desires with regard to the Oedipal complex, therefore rendering Hamlet incapable of killing him, explaining his inaction.
Hamlet’s sexual desires for his mother can also be interpreted from the immense jealousy he has for his uncle. Hamlet craves his uncle’s death for murdering his father and taking his crown, but surreptitiously for sleeping with his mother.
Furthermore Hamlet displays a great sense of misogyny in appearing to loathe his mother. He believes she is subject to ‘frailty’ implying that she is weak for giving in to her sexual desires for Claudius. The irony, however, is that Hamlet’s frustration is rooted in the inability he suffers from, to admit his own incestuous weakness. So much so is his frustration that the ghost of Denmark must remind him to ‘leave her to heaven’ (86;5;1) and being that more than once, this indicates an intense abhorrence for his mother. With this in mind, it is therefore debateable as to who Hamlet is more enraged with – Gertrude or Claudius?
In a natural order, children are obedient and loving towards their parents. Hamlet however detests his mother and dishonours her while at the same time, sinfully desires her sexually. This reflects the disorder of the whole play, much of which is related to the disorder in parental relationships. Hamlet calls Claudius his ‘Uncle Father’ which is sarcastic yet uncertain and leaves Hamlet confused. His sarcasm is disrespectful and dishonourable towards Claudius as he is acting as Hamlet’s father. Hamlet tells Claudius to find the corpse of Polonius ‘i’th’other place yourself’ referring to hell and therefore literally tells Claudius to go to hell.
In retrospect, Shakespeare does not represent one single parental relationship to be happy and without disorder. It is Hamlet’s poignant sorrow that gives rise to the sinful disrespect he aggressively displays towards his mother. His sorrow comes from the untimely loss of his ‘so excellent a King’ father. The next best father figure, being his uncle, not only murdered his father, but also marries his mother. This deserts Hamlet, who is tragically left torn between whether to kill or thank Claudius. It could be said that Hamlet’s only reason to kill Claudius is for his crown and wife.
By Parveer Ubhi
1,735 words
