Firstly, he has not taken his rightful place on the throne he has not become obsessed over it and is dealing with his father’s death in a very rational way. During the play Hamlet does not cry for him and remarks on this during Act two Scene two after the play. Hamlet has accepted his life without his father as it is and tears will not help. Furthermore he will only be mourning himself and feeling pitiful at a life without his father which will of course continue.
Secondly, at two points within ‘Hamlet’ Ophelia could be a large distraction to both his feelings and him. When, after the advice from Laertes and Polonius she ‘repelled his letters and denied access to me’ he speaks to her but despite Polonius’ opinion that he is ‘mad for thy love’ he seems not distracted by it. It is possible that he did not love her and Polonius’ earlier thoughts that she should ‘set your entreatments at a higher rate’, telling her not to associate with Hamlet. However, after her death he has a short spell of anger towards Laertes at her gravesite due to who loved her more. This is quickly over and he carries on with the task in hand once again showing no emotional attachment to anything. This lack of emotion should result in an easy revenge but it is not to be.
As Act two Scene two begins, Claudius speaks of Hamlet and his ‘transformation’ in regards to his ‘antic-disposition’. At this stage it would seem that Hamlet is continuing his act of madness. Indication that Hamlet is not truly mad can be found in his passion for acting. Much of ‘Hamlet’, and the character of him, is related to acting. He uses it to deal with and analyse life. It reveals that he is a philosopher who tends to think. Hamlet’s first expression in life of acting is in his third line of the play talking to his mother about how he doesn’t ‘seem’, because what he feels is real. If it were to be argued that Hamlet has a very complicated personality, then his interest in acting could be used as an analogy for his many moods.
The scene continues in the theme of acting by means of a play which Hamlet has is planning, again showing his love for acting. He is organising it to provide proof of the Ghost’s words to him suggesting he is sceptical. It is also very contradictory to his earlier words to the Ghost that he will ‘sweep to his revenge’ in such an eager fashion.
Hamlet is seen to be a procrastinator for the first, but not last, time in the play as he has not begun ‘his revenge’ straight away as promised. It also provides further proof that he is not out to revenge the death but his own mother’s actions against his father. This may be due to great feelings for his mother that have led him to disgust her betrayal. He believes it has affected his father far more than his murder and could feel Claudius is not worth his time.
Hamlet entrance to the scene is in a conversation with Polonius. This conversation, and the rest of the scene, except speeches, is in prose which makes prominent the madness feigned by Hamlet. Polonius, second to Claudius, believes that Hamlet is mad because he asks him to ‘walk out of the air…’ based on the misconception that air was harmful to the sick and insane. It is obvious that Polonius truly means it because it is said ‘aside’, meaning his thoughts are spoken not as part of a conversation with an onstage character. From Hamlet having fooled two people with his act of insanity it provides proof that Hamlet is an excellent actor and could therefore be anyone or anyhow he wants when in certain company throughout the play. This could prove hard to establish Hamlet’s character and if any changes are genuine.
Hamlet appears to confide in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from line 216 to 274 talking of his ‘ambition’ and the ‘prison’ he feels he is confined in, as a metaphor for ‘Denmark’. However, in line 272 he reveals that he is aware the ‘King and Queen have sent for you’ which leads them to become confused and embarrassed at his quick perceptiveness, but, are honest that they ‘were sent for’. Hamlet then talks of his ‘disposition’ and he is ‘but mad north-north-west’. Once the players enter, Hamlet informs them of the play that he would like them to perform. It is of a man named Pyrrhus who avenged his father’s death, much like Hamlet has to do. He plans to ‘…observe…mine uncle…’ because he is still in doubt of the Ghost. He believes it could be the ‘devil’ in Old Hamlet’s form because melancholics were considered to be susceptible to Satan.
After they have left Hamlet expresses a depressed state providing reason for his statement of attack from a devilish form. He calls himself ‘a rogue and peasant slave’ and shows that he is aware of how his actions are getting him nowhere currently. Hamlet draws attention to the players express of emotion despite that ‘Hecuba to him’ is nothing and he does not have ‘the motive that’ Hamlet does. Hamlet uses personification of the ‘stage’ ‘drowning’ to create horrible imagery for the audience and portray his morbid and melancholy mood.
Hamlet shows signs of a weight of his conscience on him that he be ‘unpregnant’ and makes Hamlet question whether he is ‘a coward?’ Although such evidence such as Hamlets first line ‘aside’ and more besides, could be used as a device to suggest that he is cowardly, I do not believe he is. A true coward would leave, but the absence of taking his own life may be conceived as a cowardly action, such as, his procrastination of events and his final ‘revenge’. He wishes ‘to oppression bitter’ meaning to have the courage to act.
Although this scene seems to be further procrastinating, I think it shows the actions of a very sane man who is aware of his flaws and is dealing with them in the only way that he knows how, through no fault of his own.
Act three Scene one is staged by Polonius and Claudius, involving Ophelia. With the Queens knowledge they plan to ‘bring’ Hamlet ‘to his wonted way again’. Upon entering Hamlet delivers another soliloquy on suicide. He considers the options of nobility of ‘suffering’ or to take control ‘against a sea of troubles’, to ‘end them? To die,’ His speech takes each option and considers them philosophically and morally, for suicides were deemed not worthy of a funeral. He looks at what may await humans after death for it is an ‘undiscovered country’ where ‘no traveller returns’ from. Therefore we are unable to know, but he still feels ‘dread’ of ‘something after death’. This may be the reason for his decision not to, or he may not have been considering suicide just examining the option of it. Hamlet believes that ‘conscience doth make cowards of us all’ and he decides this is the reason that some do not kill themselves. It relates to Hamlet’s already existing view he is a coward.
Hamlet then tells Ophelia that he ‘loved her not’ despite his later fight with her brother that he loved her more and former words that ‘I did love you once’. This may be due to distrust of her because he has asked her if she is ‘honest’ which could mean he senses Claudius and Polonius or it be a part of his ‘antic-disposition’. Her reaction is not warm but sad from remembering Polonius’ and Laertes’ warning to her to stay away from Hamlet. Therefore, he becomes very hostile due to his beliefs that she did not love him. He uses this rejection of her feelings to push away womankind, from emotional scars brought on by his mother. His final words to her are cruel as she is an innocent victim paying for Gertrude’s actions. He tells her not to marry, ‘go…to a nunnery’ because women make ‘monsters’ of ‘men’ as ‘wise men know well’. He is talking about his mother and father and taking out his emotion on her to help deal with it.
He tells her that women are just acting, however this time not in a good sense. He sees their ‘painting’ of a new ‘face’ as an act against God to assist them in their ‘wanton’ lives which makes ‘me mad’. Hamlet has been made very anti-women because of his mother and says ‘frailty thy name is woman’ suggesting he considers the female sex to be weaker and more calculating.
Act three Scene Four is another scene staged by Claudius and Polonius. It happens after the play that Hamlet has set up. Taking place in Gertrude’s bedroom after Hamlet has considered killing Claudius. He is very emotional from this and it leads to him committing a murder in this scene.
Hamlet begins very convinced and triumphant that the Ghost was not lying leading him to feel elated which can be seen in his singing. When seeing Claudius he goes to avenge old Hamlet’s death but does not. He feels it would be too kind because he will have confessed his sins and this was considered to grant entry to heaven. Having seen Hamlet’s earlier ideas that death ends suffering he would not have wanted Claudius to be free from his sins and Hamlet views it as more revengeful to let him live, for a while. Although, it can be evidence for the procrastinating nature of Hamlet I think it is very cold and calculated. Hamlet wants to kill him when he in his ‘incestuous bed’ not at a time when he is most angelic. It also provides further proof that Hamlet does not want revenge for his father, and feels more disgrace to him for taking his mother away from him and the crown.
As scene four continues, Polonius plans to hide ‘behind the arras’ to hear Hamlet’s conversation with his mother. Polonius instructs her to ‘lay home to him’ that his ‘pranks’ have been too outrageous. Hamlet is already very angry at hearing of his father’s murder and not being able to quench his desire to get revenge and at the confrontation from his mother he behaves the way any human would. He becomes angrier and antagonist towards her as they continue to talk and is eventually brought to a holt by the death of Polonius.
On arriving Hamlet asks ‘what’s the matter’, in what is interpreted in a sarcastic manner because he knows his previous embarrassment of Claudius is ‘the matter’. When Gertrude answers because of his offence to ‘thy father’ Hamlet turns the scolding of actions around onto her telling her that she has ‘offended…my father’. His behaviour is that of a child who feels resent towards a stepfather. He rejects her attempt to build a family together. He reminds her of exactly who she is and disowns her through their wordplay. For the first time, is able to reprimand her for her actions and is a real show of his anger. However, it is only truly released when Gertrude fears for her safety and calling for help Polonius alerts Hamlet of his presence and, on impulse, Hamlet stabs him through the arras. Hamlet calls it ‘a rash and bloody deed’ sounding very pleased and hopeful that it is ’the King?’ It would be a welcome relief for he would have finished what he had set out to accomplish but is finding too many faults getting in the way.
Hamlet and his mother have a typical conversation of a Mother and Son where they become slightly heated, sharp and cutting with each other. It is unsure how Hamlet physically acts in this scene for there is an absence of stage directions but Gertrude seems to be in fear and very defensive when she cries out for ‘help’. It is possible that he grabs her as he tells her that he wants her to see inside herself and look at her conscience because Hamlet does not know how much of anything she knows. Furthermore, is she knows nothing of murder, is she guilty of adultery?
In this act it collaborates Claudius’ opinion of Hamlet’s ‘dangerous lunacy’ and provides evidence of his ‘antic-disposition’ as a hindrance. It provides evidence that Hamlet is not as focused on revenge as he would perhaps like to be perceived as because he is actually a very selfish character.
This is the first time in ‘Hamlet’ that Hamlet has caused a death although, from his pledge for ‘revenge’ at the start it is what he had planned. To begin with his victim is unknown to Hamlet. It is possible that Hamlet knew that it was not Claudius as he firsts asks because he had just seen him ‘praying’ in the chapel. The reason for this action could then be proof for him wanting to justify to himself that it is something he is capable of. This murder paves the way for more in ‘Hamlet’.
Before this, there is no evidence of Hamlet being a violent character and this scene could mark a change in him for once he has killed one, it does not matter what happens after. The reason for Hamlet’s behaviour is obviously due to an argument that has angered Hamlet greatly coupled with him not wanting to kill the King at this precise moment.
At the moment the death of Polonius is revealed to Hamlet he shows no remorse for the father of the girl he claims to have loved. It is not who he would have supposedly like to have killed but he still remains sorrow less. Hamlet’s ambiguous language reveals little to whether he did think it were the King because ‘I took the for thy better’ could mean he thought Polonius was better than to snoop around being nosey, despite earlier evidence he is of such character.
In Act five Scene one Hamlet learns of Ophelia’s death. Some, in the play and out, believe it to be a suicide and would have resulted in an ‘out of Christian burial’ and it gives reason to be an extremely emotional scene for all, inclusive of Hamlet, regardless of whether he ‘loved her’ or not. Hamlet expects it to be a respectful occasion and remarks on the clown ‘singing’. Hamlet speaks in prose and is unpoetic this may be due to his true feelings for Ophelia now she is dead showing, or a numbness through his loss.
Hamlet finds ‘Yorick’s skull’, a man who he associates with his father and childhood. It is the personification of death and imagery for Hamlet and the audience. Hamlet has come face to face with the effects of death for the first time since the Ghost and is in a very different form to how he witnesses it before. It serves as a realisation of death to Hamlet for he is trying to kill Claudius and there is a lot of death around him anyway.
Hamlet comments on how whatever you are ‘a lawyer’ or another the end is inevitable and cannot be avoided. He decides that death ‘returns’ people to a ‘base use’, even a ‘peasant’ who is now alongside Ophelia who is ‘a gentlewoman’. He speaks of ‘Alexander’ the great and gives similarity of Yorick and his father being good men also. With this idea that death makes an equal of everyone it provides a predicament of whether he wants to get revenge on Claudius by means of death. Continuing Christian themes of the play, and the Ghost’s words to let heaven judge Gertrude, Hamlet wonders if that is how Claudius should be punished for otherwise is Hamlet not in the wrong too. It gives further weight to his argument that he is a ‘coward’ and his own knowledge that he will not be able to avenge old Hamlet’s death. Hamlet also has the realisation that he to is set for death, but he shows not concern just acceptance. Hamlet is able to have an end to his questioning in his mind and it alleviates the need to prove himself to old Hamlet which he seems to have been striving towards in earlier scenes and do the right thing ‘when honours at the stake’.
Hamlet has matured from the ‘very day that young hamlet was born’. These words serve as a dramatic device to show how from at the beginning he was a student but now he has transformed into a man. The irony of Hamlet talking of ‘revolution’ is another device to highlight how accusations of being mad, three murders and a trip to England has caused him to see life for what it is.
Hamlet appears less cowardly and more certain of himself, and maybe his destiny, when he asserts himself as ‘Hamlet the Dane’. For the first time he is not Hamlet’s son or Prince Hamlet he has become a person. He claims identity and veers away from the fact that he just succeeds his Father. It continues in Act five Scene two when Hamlet uses a royal plural of ‘we’. This could be indication that he wishes to be King and feels hatred and envy towards Claudius.
In line 227 Hamlet returns to verse and provides indication that he is speaking from the heart about his love for Ophelia as he first learns the grave is for ‘the fair Ophelia’. His speech changes after Laertes does and he says minimal words whereas Laertes begins to be more philosophical. This provides a hearing aid for the audience that the roles have reversed slightly. Hamlet also jumps into the grave after Laertes has. In this scene Hamlet begins to appear very rational and Laertes seems to be mad. Hamlet tells Laertes to ‘calm down’ and says ‘I am not rash’ in line 246. Despite these factors Claudius tells ‘Laertes’ ‘o he is mad’.
Hamlet’s lack of words makes up for what he says. Once again he claims to have ‘loved Ophelia’. It is odd that he speaks in past tense but it could be due to a psychological need to reassure himself that she has gone or deal with the guilt he feels that it is too late to tell her. He compares his love to that of ‘forty thousand brothers’ and in his declaration of love, smashes Laertes’ down. It provides him with the feeling that he is higher than Laertes and will help him fulfil his mission with such positive thought. It could also be interpreted as a confusion of emotions due to his love because her rejection of him on Polonius’ and Laertes’ wishes has left him feeling unwanted and hurt.
Throughout Act Five no soliloquies are heard. There are two possible reasons. Firstly, all the characters are being true with no hidden thoughts or agendas to their actions. Secondly, Horatio is onstage alongside Hamlet and acts as a sounding board to him.
In, Conclusion ‘Hamlet’ was written over an uncertain time period and I think certain changes would appear in any human character over time. Their views and definitions of how they should be will change not to mention events that provoke thought and a change in lifestyle alongside the development from child to adult. Hamlet makes all these changes which cannot be argued because there is proof behind it. However, Hamlet does not become insane or suicidal through the time of ‘Hamlet’ in my perception.
At the start Hamlet is immature in his way of coping with death from lack of experience and confidence in his feelings. He thinks that the only way to show how much he cared for old Hamlet is to be very melodramatic, like dressing in black. He wants everyone to know how true and real he is and can only express it through acting which he has grown to understand and appreciate. When Hamlet does not cry over it he is awoken to the pretence of his feelings which is the exact opposite of how he wanted to be perceived.
Hamlet’s ‘antic-disposition’ is part of this ‘transformation’ into adulthood but begins off as a way of dealing with the information of his Father’s murder. He feels that he should do the right thing and restore honour by avenging his death but as the play progresses he realises there are other ways of this and the need for revenge wears off and he becomes more focused on the current issue of his mother with her brother in law.
Hamlet appears to need approval from his father and it begins as a way of getting this but after the death of Ophelia and Hamlet’s realisation of what death really makes of humans he no longer needs to seek it. He can then accept his death and continue with more pressing matters. Hamlet has to find who he is and love himself because he spent too much time trying to gain love from his father.
Hamlet clearly has strong emotions for Ophelia but feels the need to disguise them because of the resentment he feels towards women from past hurt that he has experienced. There are times in which he cannot hold in his strong passion anymore, for example the battle with Laertes, and it erupts as anger for this is all Hamlet has ever been taught to express and he feels most comfortable with it. Hamlet feels hurt by her and does not want to lay himself to her and risk further rejection but once she is dead there is no risk of that and he speaks truthfully, suggested by lack of soliloquy but realises it is too late.
Hamlet thinks about death because to be alive, means to do not just to be, which throughout most of the play is all Hamlet does. I think Hamlet is too logical to commit such an act and would always agonise over the after details. It is not such a cowardly and procrastinating personality that forbids him action but thoughtful and bitter, that he wants true suffering. Therefore I would argue he isn’t suicidal.
By the same admission I would say Hamlet is perfectly sane because he deals with deaths, murders, a new family, loss of his lover and adultery which he is clearly disgusted by and emerges a new, better and more adult man who unfortunately meets his end.
Hamlet’s complicated personality can be described as a logical progression of thoughts due to certain events and the growth and maturing nature of humans. This does not draw the conclusion he was mad at any stage and therefore proving that the character of Hamlet does not change in that such way. Any drastic change that is observed is a different perception of Hamlet by the audience for example they become more sympathetic due to the writing of ‘Hamlet’ by learning more about him.
I think Ophelia’s death scene is the most important moment for Hamlet. The concept of life and necessity to act responsibly become clear to him. After this scene there is a significant difference in approach to his revenge. He seems to not be acting mad and the very next opportunity he has to kill the King is seized however, it may not be revenge because Hamlet knows that he is dying. This may be what causes him to be able to act finally. It leads to question whether Hamlet did want revenge but I feel that he now has enough confidence that he no longer needs to justify himself to his father and revenge is not important. He knows has strong views and ideas about anything after death and it no longer scares him. His feelings at the beginning suggest death was not a factor to deter him but I think he was using a hard exterior to fool others and maybe himself. This is further proof that he has matured by the end of ‘Hamlet’.
Polonius’ death marks the death of an immature Hamlet because they are very much alike, both nosey and very wordy. It provides mental recognition for Hamlet that he is changing and his childish way, from such scenes as Gertrude’s closest, are not needed anymore. It also provides Hamlet with a thirst for blood and shows him what actions he is capable of. I believe it to be a second key scene for Hamlet.
Finally, I think Hamlet is undeveloped emotionally and finds it very hard to deal with his father’s death and to hear he was murdered destroys Hamlets life. I feel great empathy with him and understand why he may appear suicidal and mad to some, whereas I do not agree. I think he does remarkably well to deal with the situation and do no think that I could. I don’t think he does revenge his father’s murder but does not need to. He is a very interesting character who emerges victorious.
