revenge, but later on in the play, Horatio does have interaction with
other characters, which totally dismisses this argument.
This, along with the fact that the ghost told the truth about his
murder (as found out in the actors’ play, Act II, scene 2), implies that
the ghost is real and not in Hamlet’s imagination. It does not explain
why the Ghost did not appear to Gertrude or why Gertrude could not
see the Ghost. My opinion is that the Ghost felt disgust with his wife
for betraying his memory so quickly. It could also be that Gertrude
was unable to see him because she wasn’t ready or didn’t want to
admit to herself that his death was foul play.
Hamlet’s relationship with the women in the play changes
throughout. In the Kenneth Brannagh film, he depicts Hamlet of
already having intimate knowledge of Ophelia and them being in love,
although the play doesn’t hint at this intimacy.
The play represents both the women to be subservient people, who
obey without question. “No my good lord; but as you did command, I
did repel his letters and denied His access to me”. (Opehlia, Act II
Scene 1 line106-108) and (“I shall obey, my lord” (Opehlia, Act I,
Scene 3, line 135) and with Gertrude taking the side of Claudius
when Hamlet wants to return to Wittenberg.
The play seems to represent Hamlet being in love with Ophelia, but
because of her disloyalty to him (allowing Polonius and Claudius to
eavesdrop on their first encounter in the play) and returning his
letters infuriated him. He could have been classing her as a whore
when he says “Get thee to a nunnery” Act III Scene 1, Line 119 and
could be as a result of Polonius speech to his daughter “Which are not
sterling. Tender yourself more dearly…” (Act I, Scene 3, Line 107).
Even though Hamlet was not around in the scene, he was intelligent
enough to realise that Polonius was vain, and that the only reason
that a man like him wasn’t able to offer his daughter to ‘royalty’ must
have been because of money, this explains why Hamlet called
Polonius a “fishmonger” (Act II, Scene 2, Line 172).
Hamlet’s relationship with Gertrude was one based on distrust. If she
could betray the King’s memory so quickly and, with his brother, how
could Hamlet trust her? He felt that Gertrude was mocking his
grieving “Why seems it so particular with thee?” (Act I, Scene 2, Line
75), and that she never did grieve for his Father.
When Hamlet goes to Gertrude’s chamber and informs her of foul
play, Hamlet feels that she was part of the conspiracy to murder his
father. It is only after seeing her shock that Hamlet realises that she
had nothing to do with old Hamlets murder. Towards the end of the
play, Gertrude shows remorse to her son, by going against her
husbands wishes “Gertrude, do not drink!” “I will my lord, I pray you
pardon me” (Act 5, Scene 2, Line 268 and 269). Could this have been
suicide? Was Gertrude so ashamed at what she had done and
attributed to, she saw this as the only way out?
Hamlet was a very clever, intelligent individual who I feel was very
intuitive to those around him. Hamlet pretends madness. This could
be so he can catch Claudius unawares so he can kill him, or it could
have been brought on by the Ghost commanding Hamlet to avenge
his death (Hamlet was a scholar and not a soldier - and this went
against all his religious beliefs) Hamlet also seemed very paranoid.
Was Hamlet’s paranoia tributary to Claudius’s paranoia? So they
were both in a catch 22 situation, this setting the wheels in motion
for Claudius to send Hamlet to England to his death?
How did Hamlet know that he was being sent to his death? Was this
because of the way Rosencrantz and Guildenstern behaved towards
Hamlet. It is already known that Hamlet had seen through this
modern day double act, (Act II scene 2 “Why, anything but to the
purpose. You were sent for - and there is a kind of confession in your
looks which your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know the
good king and queen have sent for you…”).
Hamlet was mocking Claudius in sending the letters to him informing
him of his escape. Was this to put Claudius on edge, as a man
running scared, is likely to make many mistakes?
Hamlet’s view seems to change by the time he and Horatio are at the
graveyard. All through the play, he has been talking himself out of
murdering Claudius. Was this because he knew it was wrong, or that
if he killed a person when not in an act of crime, Hamlet would end
up in Damnation and they would go to heaven? The king had died
before he could confess his sins, so he lived in pergutory, wandering
around the earth in torment. (Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 9 - 23).
This is probably why Hamlet didn’t kill Claudius whilst at prayer,
because Claudius had confessed his sins and would therefore go to
heaven.
It is said that Hamlet could kill in Hot Blood but not in Cold. I find
this contradictive, as Hamlet had no conscience about sending
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths, even though Hamlet’s
thoughts were that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were “allowing
evil”. (Act 5, Scene 2, Line 70) Also, in the stabbing of Polonius (who it
could be said, Hamlet thought was Claudius) whilst he was behind
the arras in Gertrude’s chambers. The stabbing of Polonius could
have been done in Hamlets highly emotional state. He was after all
trying to get through to his Mother’s conscience.
Though would Hamlet have gone on to kill his Mother, if he hadn’t
heard Polonius behind the tapestry?
Hamlet’s relationship with Laertes was one of tolerance. He thought
that Laertes was like his father and used words unnecessarily. He
mocked Laertes as his was grieving at Ophelia’s graveside, because
Hamlet felt Laertes was being too theatrical. At the end of the play,
when Hamlet discovered that Laertes had been used by Claudius for
his own end, felt an affinity with him (he too had lost his father) and
by forgiving each other for each others deaths - they were freeing
themselves to go to heaven.
Young Fortinbras and Hamlet were similar in two ways. They were
both named after their Fathers. Upon their Fathers death, their
uncles succeeded the throne. This is where the similarities end.
Fortinbras went on to be a soldier and Hamlet a scholar. We know
that Hamlet had a dislike for unnecessary fighting (Act 4, Scene 4)
and felt repulsed by the attack on Poland for some worthless land.
(Act 4, Scene 4) .
It can be deemed that Hamlet felt an affinity with Fortenbras as in Act
5, Scene 2 Hamlet declares that Fortenbras should be King of
Denmark. This could be construed as Hamlets way of apologising
that his Father had taken away land from Fortenbras’s father and in
giving it back to Fortenbras, Hamlet was exorcising the ghosts and the
fact that he had killed. Allowing both Old Hamlet and Young Hamlet
to go to heaven.
Hamlet
by Diane Carney
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