Hamlet Character Analysis Essay

Why did Claudius murder King Hamlet? Why did Ophelia kill herself? Why did Hamlet vow to kill his Uncle? All of these actions performed by the characters in the play Hamlet have a reason, but where did these reasons originate? As in any narrative the characters are constantly driven by their conscious and subconscious. These internal identities define their emotional state, understanding of the world and those around them. Known as the psyche, one’s internal identity is divided into three parts.…

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the author raises a great many questions, broaching subjects such as suicide, the contrast between traditional and modern religion, and a complicated mother/son relationship that seems to waver between acceptable and possibly Oedipal. The question that most connects the others is the question of Hamlet’s sanity- was he sane all along, or was his “antic disposition” (I.v.173) a ruse that ultimately deceived not only the people around him, but his own mind as well? The…

only that, but Hamlet has even said previously that Claudius and Gertrude’s relationship started 1 month after the death of the Ghost and their marriage followed right after the funeral of the Ghost. How this relates to Gertrude being unable to be seen can be compared to the minor characters such as Horatio and Bernardo. Horatio for example attended the funeral of the Ghost and speaks of him in high regard, as though he is still alive. Take Hamlet as well who, out of all the characters, has the…

If you were to read Hamlet to someone who was completely ignorant of the play and to whom Hamlet or Shakespeare were, what would they think of it? A tragic, captivating play filled with adultery, the deaths of eight, a mad woman, and supernatural encounters. Not knowing the play was a work of the literary genius known as Shakespeare, you would be lead to believe the play would be another tragedy filled with blood and death from which the plot was centered on; redemption. If this were true, would…

and conflict of Othello. "Macbeth" is known as the shortest of the great tragedies of Shakespeare, which is played completely, without any cuts. However, according to critics, this the play is not open to such a variety of interpretations, such as, "Hamlet" or "King Lear." The main topics that were raised in…

While reading Hamlet, the infamous play by William Shakespeare, one question that always reoccurred in my mind is why didn’t Hamlet become king if he was the prince? This question was then followed up by: how old is Hamlet? Before I read the play I knew the main context of Hamlet, however, what I did not know was how complex the plot truly is. In the beginning of the play, I always thought of Hamlet in his young twenties due to his recent attendance at the University of Wittenberg. This made…

To begin understanding the role of misogyny in Hamlet , one must begin with the originalcause of grief within the play. Stemming from the murder of his father, Hamlet‟s depiction of hismother Gertrude signals a heinous relationship between the two of them, suggesting that he believes her to be one of the true villains in the plot to murder his father. In conversation with the ghost of his father, Hamlet states, “O most pernicious woman! / O villain, villain, smiling,damned villain!” (1.5.112…

Hamlet’s Impact Hamlet has been around for hundreds of years but it is, to this day, Shakespeare's most famous play, has his most famous character, and his most famous quotes. In all the years that it has been around it managed to impact its readers. Shakespeare’s play has had this significance throughout all those years because it is a story that is open for anyone to interpret it and relate to it in their own ways. One of the reasons that Hamlet has remained so popular is because…

loyal to his best friend Hamlet, unlike Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and he has a good judgment in the play. The biggest weakness for Horatio is he has to dispose all those dead bodies, since almost every character die except for Horatio. He is the only one main character survive in the end of the play. There are amounts of plots that happen at the end in quick succession of Hamlet. Osric invites Hamlet to fence with Laertes, and Hamlet accepts the duel. Laertes pricks Hamlet with a poison…

When Hamlet continually asks his friends to play the flute, it is not because he wants to mock them or because he wants to tell them that they’re liars, but it is more an expression of how easily the concept of dishonesty comes into peoples lives. In saying that playing the flute is “as easy as lying” (Ham. 3. 2. 87), the reader sees best the ease with which this dishonesty comes. Also aiding in the expression of this concept of betrayal is the incident when Hamlet likens Rosencrantz and…