Hamlet Essays: Loss Of Innocence In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Loss of Innocence in Hamlet

Hamlet by William Shakespeare focuses strongly on the characters loss of innocence. According to Oxford Dictionaries, Innocence is defined as “the state of being clean or unsullied from sin or moral wrong lacking in knowledge of evil” (Oxford 1). Shakespeare focuses on this thematic element by suggesting Hamlet, Ophelia and Laertes are all innocent and resulting in their loss of innocence. In the play, there is a presence of this literary archetype, through the characters actions, thoughts and naivety.

In the play Hamlet, prince Hamlet can be seen as a character that has fallen from his innocence, but first, it must be proven that he was innocent. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet was in Wittenberg away at a university focusing on studying and expanding his knowledge. His only focus was to study and to do well in school, which could contribute to his innocence. While Hamlet is away, his father Old Hamlet is killed and Hamlet return to find he has not risen as the heir to the throne and that his mother was not remaining loyal to his dead father and has married Claudius, his uncle and now father.

“Seems, madam? Nay it

He feels that he is like a garden full of weeds, in which the weeds represent his father’s death and the Queen and King’s marriage which he can no longer tend to fix, leaving Hamlet to feel trapped and think about suicide. Although Hamlet does not kill himself, later on in the play, he kills many other characters also proceeding with his loss of innocence. For example, Hamlet confirms his loss of innocence when he discovers that the letters sent from Claudius given to Rosencranz and Guildenstern, are to deliver a death sentence for Hamlet in England. Hamlet realizes this and switches the letters, ordering the death of Rosencranz and Guildenstern. By sending the two men to death, Hamlet lost his innocence has he has committed a morally wrong