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Prince hamlet character analysis
Prince hamlet character analysis
Machiavelli as a leader
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Hamlet and Machiavelli Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark and the rightful heir to the thrown of his dead father, should have been King of Denmark and would have been King, but his Uncle married Hamlets mother before he could claim his place. In the final act, Hamlet kills his uncle to avenge the murder of his father, but is poisoned and dies. If Hamlet had not been poisoned, survived the final act, and took over the thrown then he would of been the perfect Machiavellian ruler. Hamlet had all the attributes described by Niccolo Machiavelli to be a leader of Denmarks monarchy. In Machiavellis famous document, The Ruler, the leader must show that he is a good man, but when the time comes he must be prepared to act ruthless and conniving, when ever he is too speak he must be constant in showing good faith, kindness, godliness, and honesty, he must be greatly loved by the people, and the rulers actions must always appear to be honourable and for the good of the state. Hamlet shows all of these attributes and therefore if he had lived past the fifth act he would have been one of the best King that Denmark ever had. When ever Hamlet is in public, he appears to be the most nobel and moral of men. Hamlet shows how great of a guy he right off the bat when we first meet him in act one. The scene takes place at the wedding of Hamlets Mother and Uncle who are entering into marriage right after the death of the King. Even though the Queen is doing something as disgusting and unholy as to marry the brother of her dead husband when his corpse hasnt even become stiff, Hamlet is able to keep his cool in front of everyone. The Queen asks Hamlet something and he responds calmly to her , I shall in my best to obey you, madam.(I, ii l.120). This is an amazing feet that Hamlet accomplishes to hold back his anger. Later in the play Hamlet has no trouble being merciless. At one point, his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are taking him to England to be killed, but Hamlet sacrifices them to save himself. Although Hamlet seems to be the most honourable of men to the people of Denmark, he has no trouble being ruthless. If there is any one that show good faith, it has to be Hamlet. Through out the play Hamlet is just exploding with good faith because he is deeply troubled by the impious deed in which his mother married her brother inlaw. In the first act when he is alone, Hamlet goes on one particular incensed rant, yelling out, O God, a beast that wants discourage of reason/ Would have mourned longer-married with my uncle,/My fathers brother, but no more like my father then I to Hercules. Within a month,...she(the Queen) married. O, most wicked speed to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!(I, ii l.150-157). Hamlet just says that a stupid animal would have mourned longer then his mother did and that his uncle is not even half the man that his father was that it is very disgusting that his mother married so quickly to his uncle. The fact that Hamlet is so put off show that he has good faith. Machiavelli also states that the ruler must always appear honourable and do what is the best for the country. Hamlet appears honourable through out the play and always does what is for the good of the state. In the last scene Hamlet shows the best example of being noble and doing the best for Denmark. Hamlet is poisoned and is about to die, Horatio wants to kill himself, and there is no one to take over the thrown so Hamlet says to Horatio, ...I am dead;/Thou livest ; report me and my cause aright to the satisfied.(V,ii l.339-341). All Hamlet is saying is that he wants Horatio to stay around to tell the story of Hamlet avenging the murder of his father, so his name is not tarnished. To fix the matter of no one on the thrown of Denmark, to this Hamlet tells Horatio, But I do prophesy th election lights/ On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice. (V, ii l.356-357) which means that Hamlet has now left Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway, in charge of Denmark. Also in killing the murderous King, Hamlet does a great deed for the good of the country. The fact that Hamlet had Horatio stay alive to tell Hamlets story to keep his reputation and to have Fortinbras put in charge shows that Hamlet follows the code set by Machiavelli. To fit the Machiavelli mold of a ruler, Hamlet must also show that he is honest. Hamlet is very blunt person. One particular scene where Hamlet is particular honest is with Ophelia when he tells her what he really thinks of her. Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?(III, i l.121-122). This is a perfect example of Hamlets honesty where he is telling Ophelia how disgusted he is of her and all women. For Hamlet to be so blunt and honest with someone he loves shows he is particularly open. His openness with Ophelia just another attribute to add to his credentials to be a great King. Machiavelli also declares that to be great leader, the man must be greatly loved by the public, which is the case for Hamlet. The King decides to send Hamlet out of the country to England, not for a change in scenery, but so to he can be killed. The Kings reason for this is, Yet must not we put the strong law on him: Hes loved of the distracted multitude. (IV, iii l.3-4). In other words Hamlet must be treated well in Denmark for if something happens the people wouldnt be too happy, but if he is sent to England and killed it wouldnt seem as suspicious to the masses. The fact that people would rise up over the murder of Hamlet, shows that he is greatly loved be the people. Kindness is another attribute that Machiavelli says that the ruler must have. Hamlet shows a great deal of kindness when he is reminiscing of his dead childhood friend Yorick. He says, Alas, poor Yorick!I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite/ jest, of most excellent fantasy. He hath borne me on/ his back a thousand times.(V,i l.185-188).Just reading these lines, one is able to invision this poor man, who has lost everything he has loved, his mother, father, lover and this old friend, with deep compassion for Yorick. It is almost impossible for anyone to think of Hamlet as anything but kind hearted. Godliness is the hardest to find in Hamlet, but it is there. It is particularly present in the seen where he speaks to the ghost of his father. Horatio advises Hamlet not to follow the spirit but Hamlet says, Why, what should be the fear?/ I do not set my life at a pins fee,/ and for my soul, what can it do to that,/ Being a thing immortal as itself?/ It waves me forth, Ill follow it. (I,iv l.64-68). All Hamlet is saying is that there is nothing to be afraid of and that he will follow. The fact that Hamlet would follow something that, if it had appeared by anyone else, they would run away from it, shows that Hamlet has a bit of godliness about him. So, if Hamlet had survived the final act of the play he would have been the greatest King because he fits the Machiavellian view of a ruler. As described by Niccolo, Hamlet always appears to be a good man, but is able to act ruthful when it is needed, he is greatly loved by all of Denmark, his manners are always honourable and for the good of the state, and he is steady when ever he speaks in exhibiting good faith, honesty, kindness, and godliness.
Hamlet tarnishes his image and sacrifices his dignity as a result of his ploy to fool those around him and avenge his father’s murder. Initially, the character of Hamlet is portrayed as “a soldier” and “a scholar” with “a noble mind”. This description by Ophelia is one that the citizens of Elsinore including friends and family of Hamlet would have open-heartedly agreed to. After all, as Claudius said to Hamlet: “You are the most immediate to our throne...” Hamlet must act in a presentable state at all times so can be in favor with the people in the event that he were to become king. However, after the revelation by the Ghost that “The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown,” Hamlet is shocked but at the same time confused. He is forced into a conflict between acting and not acting ...
Horatio is the most trustworthy man in the royal court, which is highly significant because he is a witness of everything that happens with Hamlet, and therefore can be trusted to tell the entirely true story of what brought about the demise of Hamlet and the entire royal court, seeing as though they were all massacred in one day. He is introduced early in the play in Act I, Scene i, and is one of the first to see the spirit of the fallen King Hamlet. Alas, he knows that there was, in fact, a ghost of the king haunting Denmark, and that Hamlet spoke with him. After Hamlet speaks with the ghost he literally tells Horatio, verbatim, "Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, how strange or odd some'er I bear myself (As i perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on." (I. ii. 189-192). So, ahead of time Hamlet warns Horatio that he is going to be putting on a show of madness but it is not real. This is noteworthy because as the play develops, other characters perceive Hamlet to become progressively more deranged, however he is always perfectly coherent and rational when speaking to Horatio, seeing as though he is the only one who knows of Hamlet's act and stability.
William Shakespeare wrote about a distraught prince trying to avenge the wrongful death of his father while all his faith in honesty and the good of man was nearly destroyed. In his play Hamlet, Hamlet is the prince and he is the one who would have lost all his faith in the good of man had it not been for his loyal friend Horatio. Many critics say that Horatio did not play such an important role in the tragedy, that he merely was the informant for the audience and that his character was not developed beyond that fact that he was just the honest confidant of Hamlet. That may be true, however, Horatio does serve two central purposes to the drama, and it is through these purposes that show the qualities that make Horatio memorable and admirable. Horatio is the harbinger of truth. It is through Horatio that the actions taken by Hamlet gain credibility. He is the outside observer to the madness. Hamlet could soliloquize on and on, but it is his conversations with Horatio that gives sanity to Hamlet’s thoughts. His second role is to be the loyal, truthful confidant of Hamlet.
During his initial exchange with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet tells them that, “There is nothing/ either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” (2.2.248 - 250). Hamlet’s confusion within an ambiguous world, where appearance and reality often do not coincide, leads him to believe that the appearance of something is what you make of it. However, at the end of the play, the appearance of death and destruction as result of Denmark’s corruption is in fact the reality, as startling as it may seem. Hamlet’s final wish is that Horatio lives to tell his story: “If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart / Absent thee from felicity awhile, / And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, / To tell my story” (5.2.320-323). Hamlet wants others to have the clarity that he suffered for. He wants others to see the reality of things from his perspective. Most importantly, he wants the appearance of the scene to match the reality of what is
Hamlet lives in a country of different worlds. At the time, Denmark was in a state of transition between three metaphysical worlds; the heroic world, where a man's honour was foremost, killing was not accepted but expected, might was power, the Machiavellian world, an amoral world where politics and mind games were employed ruthlessly, the ends justified the means, and the Christian world of love and forgiveness. Hamlet was a Christian living in a dying Heroic world which was succumbing to the Machiavellian world. Hamlet's father, King Hamlet, belonged to the heroic world, and so for him revenge was of the utmost importance, shown by the fact that "but two months" (1:2, 136) after his death he returned to instruct Hamlet to avenge his murder. Hamlet's disgust at his mother's marriage to his uncle before "the salt of most unrighteous tea...
In the play one can see that Hamlet's behavior and attitude progress throughout the play towards evil. In the start of the play, he is originally a respected and wise young adult. A pivotal turning point for him was when he learns from the ghost (his dead father) that the new king, Claudius, has murdered him in order to reach the high status of king. At this point Hamlet becomes incensed and plans to kill his uncle for revenge. Hamlet changes for the worst so much that Ophelia, whom he greatly loved, turns into just another girl to him. He even gets into a raging argument with her pro...
Hamlet was born a Prince to the King of Denmark; whose world came crashing down due to a truly tragic event. Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, had killed his father King Hamlet to become King of Denmark and marry his mother Gertrude. Hamlet is left dealing with the anxiety of having to avenge his father’s death in the wake of a visit from a ghostly figure that resembles his late father. The play follows Hamlet on his journey to make amends by killing his murderous uncle in his father’s name. The tragedy in Hamlet is that in the end everyone is dead, including Hamlet himself. William Shakespeare gave Hamlet the task of learning how to become a completely different man, one that in the end would commit murder. How well did Hamlet play his role as the avenger? Hamlet braved through an uncertain future and accomplished his task. Looking at his performance between the beginning and the end; Hamlet had trouble being able to take any decisive action. He had known his task, but was not well equipped to accomplish such a feat. Hamlet performed his
...for corruption motivates his action, however his deception is key to the plot and the hypocrisy of the court, which is rejected by Hamlet, thus becomes a feature of him, as illustrated through his antic-disposition. Yet, the fascination lies therein, because despite his deception, Hamlet impresses us as an extremely intelligent, courageous and valiant hero, but most of all, as a loyal son. He never acts without processing the consequences and it’s tragic that Hamlet dies even after all his contemplation. The ability of the audience to connect with the emotions of Hamlet, combined with his supremacy over evil, make him one of the greatest noble and tragic heroes in English literature. Indeed, Horatio says it best, when he elucidates the nobility of the Danish prince and showcases the tragedy of his death, saying: “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince.”
In the tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet’s archrival, and main antagonist, Claudius, is evidently displayed to the audience as an insidious, incestuous, and murdering usurper. However, despite his foul traits as a human being, Claudius exemplifies respectable characteristics of a successful politician. He demonstrates the ability to manipulate others into doing his biding, to keep democratic peace in his kingdom, and to put his kingship at the upmost importance. Shakespeare makes a point of showing his audience that it does not necessarily take a virtuous man to be a thriving king.
This method is common for employees who are busy. The employee sets a timer for 25 minutes, when the timer goes off, they take a 5-minute break. During they 5 minutes they may stretch, grab a drink, etc. After the employee has taken 4 Pomodoro sessions, the employee is encouraged to take a longer break of 30 minutes or so. Working in compact time periods, helps the employee get rid of distractions and focus on their work (Seiter).
To summarize his most notable flaw, Prince Hamlet of Denmark reasons that “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Throughout Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, the main character maintains a grieving state in memoriam of his father, and in doing so thinks himself into insanity and inaction, but also struggles indefinitely with the passing of chivalry and its replacement by a hunger for power or revenge. Hamlet exemplifies the harmful consequences of refusing to adapt to new circumstances by obsessing over times past and dedicating himself to revenge on his uncle instead of “moving on” as others encouraged. The transition from the chivalric era of King Hamlet’s reign to Claudius’ Machiavellian power-obsessed
In addition to this internal struggle, Hamlet feels it is his duty to dethrone Claudius and become the King of Denmark. This revenge, he believes, would settle the score for his mother’s incestuous relationship and would reinstate his family’s honor. These thoughts are solidified in Act I, Scene 5, when his father’s ghost appears and informs Hamlet that is was Claudius who murdered him, and that Claudius deprived him “of life, of crown, and queen” (line 75). This information leads to Hamlet’s promise to kill Claudius, while not punishing his mother for their incestuous marriage. His statement, “thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain” (lines 102-103), demonstrates his adamant decision to let nothing stand in the way of his promise for revenge.
First of all, right from the beginning of the play, Hamlet appears as a noble-minded youth. The reader sees him inspiring affection in his fellows Horatio and Marcellus, which follow and protect him, and showing loyalty to his father’s memory and abhorrence at his mother and uncle’s immoral wedding. He praises his dead father, defining him “so excellent a king that was to this Hyperion to a satyr” . His respect he has for him is enhanced by the comparison of the new king to the satyr, Hyperion antithesis, a creature famous for being usually drunk and immoral. He mistrusts Claudius, the villain of the play, from the start: he hates him even before knowing he is the murderer and this is what suggests from the beginning that he is the hero of the play. He knows who his enemy is, defines him as “treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain” and starts his own battle, triggered by the arrival of the ghost. He also expresses his hatred towards his mother to “post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets” . He criticises her choices in a misogynist first soliloquy, showing once again his filial fidelity towards the dead king. He is always guided by his strong sense of morality, which is most noble and estimable quality.
There are many reasons why Hamlet had his downfall. One being his decision to keeping the murder of his father a secret. Another one being the betrayals of his closest friends. Perhaps if Guildenstern or Rosencrantz had been there for Hamlet, to rely and place trust upon, he might not had to fell so alone. A little sympathy from his girlfriend Ophelia, and even his mother Gertrude would have been nice as well. Unfortunately Ophelia is held back from Hamlet, due to her father. Gertrude marries his uncle Claudius, who is responsible for his fathers death, and is looking to kill him next. And Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are ordered by Claudius to spy on Hamlet, and betray him as a friend.
With all of the corruption and back stabbing in Denmark, Hamlet thought out every decision with great intelligence. Hamlet's human relationships with the ghost, Gertrude, Claudius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were all very just and deserving. As Hamlet finds out they all contain lies and have hidden intentions within them. Hamlet's blinding rage against Polonius was very hurtful and unjust. Hamlet's friend, Horatio, was his only true friend and he helped Hamlet until the end. As Marcellus said it best, "Something is rotten in Denmark." (Act 1, Scene 4, Line 90) That being the lies, which have replaced or covered the true state of each character.