In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare creates this controversial character, Hamlet, that struggles with the real fear of existing in a world full of betrayal, lies, secrets, and self loathing. The relationship between Hamlet and Claudius is the definition of the play itself as both of them struggle with mutual hatred for each other and coexisting with their morals and their loved ones. Selfishness plays a key role in the play as Hamlet is so obsessed with his his own hurt in his life that is too blind to see the hurt he causes. Hamlet kills Claudius not out of revenge but for self-fulfillment and therefore avoids the real reason of his anger as well as the affect he has on the people around him. The idea of selfishness runs deep through the characters
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Hamlet dives deep into his desire to fill the aspects of his life where he felt the most abandoned, betrayed and depressed. Whether it be from his mother who married his uncle, or Claudius who took the throne after he killed his brother, or the lack of progress with his relationship with Ophelia, Hamlet consistently contemplates existing at all. Shakespeare specifically wrote the To be or not To be soliloquy and writes “But that the dread of something after death...and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?”(Shakespeare 3.1 129) to further characterize Hamlet as a man who is completely trapped by his own struggles that don't allow him to move on from the hurt he has experienced. Shakespeare uses his contemplation of life and death to uncover the true reason Hamlet so eagerly took the revenge his father suggested into his own hands. He could finally do what he thought might relieve this built up anger inside of him. Hamlet rode a self destructive path to attempt to murder Claudius and gained absolutely nothing from the madness he created. In the end of the play, more people were dead then necessary and Hamlet was murdered just the same. Shakespeare uses this unresolved nature of the story to represent the idea that Hamlet’s selfish characteristics and desire to break his morals
Hamlet dives deep into his desire to fill the aspects of his life where he felt the most abandoned, betrayed and depressed. Whether it be from his mother who married his uncle, or Claudius who took the throne after he killed his brother, or the lack of progress with his relationship with Ophelia, Hamlet consistently contemplates existing at all. Shakespeare specifically wrote the To be or not To be soliloquy and writes “But that the dread of something after death...and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?”(Shakespeare 3.1 129) to further characterize Hamlet as a man who is completely trapped by his own struggles that don't allow him to move on from the hurt he has experienced. Shakespeare uses his contemplation of life and death to uncover the true reason Hamlet so eagerly took the revenge his father suggested into his own hands. He could finally do what he thought might relieve this built up anger inside of him. Hamlet rode a self destructive path to attempt to murder Claudius and gained absolutely nothing from the madness he created. In the end of the play, more people were dead then necessary and Hamlet was murdered just the same. Shakespeare uses this unresolved nature of the story to represent the idea that Hamlet’s selfish characteristics and desire to break his morals