The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by Shakespeare
Character development is essential to any literary endeavor. The character of Hamlet is quite dynamic—morphing from a composed but emotionally driven young man to an unstable wreck, completely possessed by the same emotions that drove him to such lengths at the outset.
The main protagonist, Hamlet, undergoes a sequence of incidents that radically alter his character. When the audience is introduced Hamlet, he is clothed in all black—portrayed as a morose, dejected prince. The audience’s initial impression of Hamlet sets the attitude for the entire play. Even without Shakespeare delivering an intricate sketch of Hamlet's features, readers can visualize his pallid face, disheveled hair, and severe, ominous eyes. Clothed completely in black, Hamlet exhibits all the forms, moods and shapes of distress. Throughout the progression of the play however, it is exposed that Hamlet as a character has more than one side to him: he is as menacing as he is imprudent, and he is as unforgiving as he is inconclusive. The audience relates Hamlet’s internal troubles with the demise of his father, and the emotional tax of discovering the truth of his death but being incapable of extorting revenge. This is what principally transforms Hamlet. His struggle to suppress his anger towards King Claudius, his father’s murderer, is then transmitted onto Ophelia, which causes Hamlet to become a remarkably different character by the end of Act V. Revenge has a way of seizing a character’s integrity. Michael Price of the American Psychological Association wrote, “If you're a power seeker, revenge can serve to remind others you're not to be trifled with. If you live in a society where the rule of law i...
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...ring Claudius. Hamlet has grasped the summit of his moralizing; he has prepared himself for death. Hamlet transforms from being passionately driven to being entirely controlled by his emotions. At first he is resolute to honor his father's integrity, and then he starts taking vengeance on his uncle and mother. He ultimately runs mad, inciting him to his own demise.
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Works Cited
"Analysis." William Shakespeare Biography. Auburn University, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Price, Michael. "Revenge and The People Who Seek It." American Psychological Association. 2009. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar v. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 5th compact ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 1096. Print. 21 April. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. 1395-1496.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. The New Cambridge Shakespeare: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Philip Edwards. Cambridge: Cambridge U P, 1985.
One single moment or event during the course of an individual’s life can effectively alter their priorities and transform their identity drastically. In The play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare introduces the readers to the protagonist Hamlet who is draped in anger and emotions and has a new-found mission in life. Initially, Hamlet is portrayed as an individual in mourning over his father's death and his mother's haste in remarrying to her brother-in-law and Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. However, Hamlet’s character and personality were drastically altered after meeting the Ghost and discovering the true nature of his Father’s death. Hamlet is now a man with a lust for revenge and a willingness to do anything that will enable him to accomplish this goal. When burdened with the task of killing Claudius, Hamlet chooses to sacrifice all he holds dear by transforming his identity in a noble effort to avenge his father’s death.
In retrospect, the concept of revenge in “Hamlet” is quite the eye-opener for those in the dark of what revenge can and will do to one's self and those around him. It is plain to see the agonizing and degenerate condition that it brings upon the body and soul. Moreover, can the disease revenge inflicts rest easily upon the mind? I think not. By no effort can a man avoid the pain and suffering associated with engaging in a personal vendetta. For a man is a flawed being, without any form of perfection within him, save the perfect condition of imperfection present in all mankind. May all the world forget its vengeful spirit as to avoid the cataclysm of such distasteful undoing.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes his ability to use words to paint emotion, the story, and characters into the readers mind. Shakespeare creates the memorable character of Hamlet Junior in his poem, Hamlet, through the characteristics of insanity and madness and suicidal tendencies or thoughts of suicide. His capability of doing so enlarges the ability of the reader to understand the story, but also to construct the storyline.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012. Print.
As the play’s tragic hero, Hamlet exhibits a combination of good and bad traits. A complex character, he displays a variety of characteristics throughout the play’s development. When he is first introduced in Act I- Scene 2, one sees Hamlet as a sensitive young prince who is mourning the death of his father, the King. In addition, his mother’s immediate marriage to his uncle has left him in even greater despair. Mixed in with this immense sense of grief, are obvious feelings of anger and frustration. The combination of these emotions leaves one feeling sympathetic to Hamlet; he becomes a very “human” character. One sees from the very beginning that he is a very complex and conflicted man, and that his tragedy has already begun.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square, 2002. Print.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 5th Compact ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 1010-1107. Print.