Hamlet and Isolation

Hamlet and Isolation

Hamlet lives in a Kingdom of lies, and betrayal. He does not trust the new King Claudius and becomes isolated from everyone in the Kingdom. Hamlets isolation is caused by his responsibilities to himself, to his father, and responsibilities as the prince. These responsibilities take over Hamlets life and do not allow him to have time to think about what he is doing. When he is not true to his responsibility he avoids it.

Hamlets self responsibilities add to his isolation throughout the play. Hamlet feels his own responsibility is to carry on, and keep on going. He says in his first soliloquy: “O, that this too too-solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! God! O God!” (1.2 129-32). Hamlet wishes to be dead, he thinks it is the easy way out. It is his responsibility to not kill himself, because it is a sin. Hamlet does not decide to kill himself, to save his soul. This causes him isolation, because he wishes he was dead and away from it all. Hamlet is following his responsibility to not commit suicide, although he still wishes to be dead. This attitude of wanting to die, keeps Hamlet isolated from everyone else, because Hamlet does not want to be around everything.

Hamlets self responsibilities continue when he hears of how his father died. Hamlet said immediately after hearing from the dead king: “Haste me to know’t; that I, with wings as swift as meditation or thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge.” (1.5 29-31) This revenge to Claudius is Hamlets revenge, as he says not revenge for his father. This causes isolation because Hamlet now is against the new king, while everyone else supports Claudius, so Hamlet finds himself alone. Hamlet finds that his father’s death is now his utter responsibility. Hamlet said after talking to the ghost; “I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there; And they commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain, unmix’d with baser matter.” (1.5 100-05) Hamlet seems to decide with determination that he will "wipe away" all of his memories of "youth", and all "past pressures" so that he could do what the ghost says. Now hamlet cannot be himself, for fear of himself being loyal, he has just dedicated his ...

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... Polonius tells her not to get involved with him. This duties cause Hamlet to be isolated from Ophelia. Hamlet has many duties, and responsibilities. He is the highest class compared to all people, and is treated differently. When he is addressed by Polonius he is called a lord: “Do you know me, my lord?...Not I, my lord…Honest, my lord?” (2.2 171-175) Hamlet is treated different from his friends, and all people who are not royalty. This adds to Hamlets isolation because he is treated so differently. Since Hamlet is treated so special, he feels he has more responsibilities. To kill the king, including your uncle is considered to be the most ‘unholy’ of all crimes. Hamlet wants to kill the King, which goes against his duty as a prince to protect the Kingdom. Hamlets duties as a prince cause Hamlet to isolate himself because he does not believe in the Kingdom.

It is hard to be in association in a Kingdom of people when you do not trust or like the head of the Kingdom. Hamlet becomes isolated because of his responsibilities, to himself, to his father and to the kingdom. These responsibilities lead to Hamlet to be distant from everyone, where he does not trust anyone in the Kingdom.