Theme Of Loss In Hamlet

Although everyone knows about Hamlet’s quest for vengeance, one of the more important aspects of his downfall was the continuation of loss during his life. This continuing tread is often overlooked by both the other characters in the reading and by readers alike. As the story of Hamlet progresses, in each act Hamlet is faced with loss and in that sense he loses a piece of himself with it. It’s these losses that drive hamlet for revenge and ultimately his untimely demise.
In the first Act of Hamlet he is faced with the death of his father, the King of Denmark. With the death of his father weighing heavily on his shoulders, Hamlet shows through his speech that even after months after his father’s early passing he is still feeling remorseful and depressed. “'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother/Nor customary suits of solemn black…/That can denote me truly” (Crowther). Not only is he sarcastically saying to his mother that he is depressed, he is describing how he has been prior to this scene and describes wearing …show more content…
No, not for a king,/ Upon whose property and most dear life /A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward? / Who calls me villain? … / And fall a-cursing like a very drab, / A scullion! “(Shakespeare). This is important feat for Hamlet for it is at this moment that in his mind he has let go of anything prohibiting him from fully pursuing his goal for revenge. It is also important to know that he is setting up a lure in order to confirm that Claudius was indeed guilty of the actions accused of him. This shows that Hamlet is indeed not acting purely on impulse and is looking for solid evidence before enacting.
In the last scene of Act III there are two major losses the Hamlet endures, both of which happen one right after the other. The more important loss of the two was his temper. Up to this point in the story Hamlet has either only have shown remorse or have left people with a puzzle of