How Does Shakespeare Present The Character Of Hamlet?
Hamlet, the play by William Shakespeare, is his most tragic play ever written, himself the greatest of English poets/authors of all time. Such has been the mastery of Shakespeare in depicting his characters that they seem to dominate the spectre of stage, as well as enthralls their audience in captivating mood from the beginning of the play until its climax. The character of Hamlet has perhaps embedded the name of Shakespeare in the realms of English Literature, as this character alone has succeeded in capturing a variety of moods. Hamlet has also mastered the roles of equally different people, their feelings, sentiments and depiction of an equally varied number of situations in an individual's life. The following essay will however limit its discussion on the specific methods used by Shakespeare in order to present Hamlet, and strive to encompass this character in a different historical perspective.
Hamlet's character is observed to make a gradual progression from one that respects and follows a moral order in life to one who is full of revenge. Right from the beginning of the play, Hamlet encounters his father's ghost, revealing to him that the latter was murdered by his own brother and Hamlet's uncle Claudius. This is also the moment in the play which perhaps serves as the turning point, and also a change in directions for Hamlet as he takes it upon himself to avenge his father's death. It is also the point where Hamlet's character is observed to undergo a change from that of a moral and righteous character to one who realises that the causes of all moral dilemmas is perhaps the existence of Claudius, Hamlet's uncle. "That one may smile, and smile, and still be a villain" - This was Hamlet's spoken thoughts regarding Claudius as a result of his discovery. One can therefore clearly observe that Hamlet continuously strives to correct the wrongs, yet succeed in eliminating Claudius; in his words spoken in Act III, Scene IV, "thus bad begins, and worse remains behind".
This introduces us to how Shakespeare presents one of the first features of Hamlet's character, one that comprises of revenge and sin. The character of Hamlet in Shakespeare's play brings forth the inner desires of the protagonist as he struggles to commit the sin of revenge through the murder of his uncle Claudius, or refrain himself from indulging in such a heinous act. His reluctance to take revenge is shown as he says "The time is out of joint; O cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right". The audience can observe that the character of Hamlet is one who is pious and God loving, and may have never thought of committing such a sin, thus his conflicting inner being to take avenge of his father's death. As the play moves on, the audience fully realise that the pious and God loving Hamlet has turned against his religious beliefs and overcome by his inner conflicts, eventually take the decision to commit the sin of murdering his uncle. At this point, it is imperative to note that the two opposing characteristics of Hamlet's character, one that shows him to be a pious and God loving, and the other showing him to be filled with revenge are duly commented through his own words. For example, the piousness in Hamlet can clearly be viewed when he comments on the marriage of his mother with his uncle Claudius, who is also the murderer of Hamlet's father. Hamlet comments that "she married ....../ with such dexterity to incestuous sheets", amply providing evidence of his distaste for the decision. Similarly, upon encountering Claudius busy in his prayers, Hamlet refuses to kill him. With the religious Hamlet taking over and allowing his to indulge in a conflicting state of being, as he notes that "A villain killed my father", yet he cannot ever dream of sending Claudius to heaven, even though Hamlet stood "reveng'd". It is thus clear that Hamlet's religious inner being is somewhat overpowering at this particular moment, which disallows him to indulge in any sin, even if the same is to take revenge of his father's death.
Hamlet, the play by William Shakespeare, is his most tragic play ever written, himself the greatest of English poets/authors of all time. Such has been the mastery of Shakespeare in depicting his characters that they seem to dominate the spectre of stage, as well as enthralls their audience in captivating mood from the beginning of the play until its climax. The character of Hamlet has perhaps embedded the name of Shakespeare in the realms of English Literature, as this character alone has succeeded in capturing a variety of moods. Hamlet has also mastered the roles of equally different people, their feelings, sentiments and depiction of an equally varied number of situations in an individual's life. The following essay will however limit its discussion on the specific methods used by Shakespeare in order to present Hamlet, and strive to encompass this character in a different historical perspective.
Hamlet's character is observed to make a gradual progression from one that respects and follows a moral order in life to one who is full of revenge. Right from the beginning of the play, Hamlet encounters his father's ghost, revealing to him that the latter was murdered by his own brother and Hamlet's uncle Claudius. This is also the moment in the play which perhaps serves as the turning point, and also a change in directions for Hamlet as he takes it upon himself to avenge his father's death. It is also the point where Hamlet's character is observed to undergo a change from that of a moral and righteous character to one who realises that the causes of all moral dilemmas is perhaps the existence of Claudius, Hamlet's uncle. "That one may smile, and smile, and still be a villain" - This was Hamlet's spoken thoughts regarding Claudius as a result of his discovery. One can therefore clearly observe that Hamlet continuously strives to correct the wrongs, yet succeed in eliminating Claudius; in his words spoken in Act III, Scene IV, "thus bad begins, and worse remains behind".
This introduces us to how Shakespeare presents one of the first features of Hamlet's character, one that comprises of revenge and sin. The character of Hamlet in Shakespeare's play brings forth the inner desires of the protagonist as he struggles to commit the sin of revenge through the murder of his uncle Claudius, or refrain himself from indulging in such a heinous act. His reluctance to take revenge is shown as he says "The time is out of joint; O cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right". The audience can observe that the character of Hamlet is one who is pious and God loving, and may have never thought of committing such a sin, thus his conflicting inner being to take avenge of his father's death. As the play moves on, the audience fully realise that the pious and God loving Hamlet has turned against his religious beliefs and overcome by his inner conflicts, eventually take the decision to commit the sin of murdering his uncle. At this point, it is imperative to note that the two opposing characteristics of Hamlet's character, one that shows him to be a pious and God loving, and the other showing him to be filled with revenge are duly commented through his own words. For example, the piousness in Hamlet can clearly be viewed when he comments on the marriage of his mother with his uncle Claudius, who is also the murderer of Hamlet's father. Hamlet comments that "she married ....../ with such dexterity to incestuous sheets", amply providing evidence of his distaste for the decision. Similarly, upon encountering Claudius busy in his prayers, Hamlet refuses to kill him. With the religious Hamlet taking over and allowing his to indulge in a conflicting state of being, as he notes that "A villain killed my father", yet he cannot ever dream of sending Claudius to heaven, even though Hamlet stood "reveng'd". It is thus clear that Hamlet's religious inner being is somewhat overpowering at this particular moment, which disallows him to indulge in any sin, even if the same is to take revenge of his father's death.
