There are many things that can make a character complex and interesting. Such things include how a character acts or how they are aware of their actions, how a character changes and what changes about them over the course of a work of literature, and much more. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is arguably the most complex and interesting character because of his constant state of self-awareness, his inaction and overthinking, and his constantly fluctuating emotions and relatable depression. The first reason Hamlet is the most complex and interesting character in Hamlet is his constant state of self-awareness and his ability to manipulate others and his character. As Britannica Academic states, “Hamlet is an actor …show more content…
While sane, Hamlet’s inaction, as explained by Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar, “is the result of [Hamlet’s] intellect and education, since both have trained him to reason things out rather than to act rashly, without thinking(Wright and LaMar).” Hamlet is also described by Charles Boyce as “more of a thinker than a doer(Boyce),” which is evidence to his overthinking of situations. One example of Hamlet’s overthinking of situations is his thoughts against killing Claudius so, as Grace Tiffany noted, “...that his sword may ‘know ... a more horrid bent’ (may stab Claudius when he is engaged in some carnal act ‘[t]hat has no relish of salvation in it’ [3.4.92]),(Tiffany)” essentially denying Claudius of forgiveness for his sins rather than killing him in prayer and sending him to heaven. Other examples of Hamlet’s overthinking include his fear and obsession about the uncertainty of life and death, as Andrew Foley noted “...far from sounding like someone who has become convinced that a divinity is shaping human affairs and that life is under the control of a benevolent deity, he continues to view the world as a place of cruelty and suffering, just as he had in the ‘To be, or not to be’ soliloquy. Death is felicity only in comparison to the agony of existence(Foley).” Hamlet’s overthinking makes him stand out as a character because he is one of the only characters who …show more content…
Throughout the play, Hamlet’s demeanor changes from scene to scene, and these changes are mostly due to his acting. One instance of Hamlet’s quick change in behavior is noted regarding his treatment of Ophelia when Rosenblum states “His treatment of Ophelia proves at least as perplexing. He tells her, ‘I loved you once’ and, several lines later, ‘I lov'd you not’ (3.1.114, 118)(Rosenblum).” Later on, Hamlet harassed her during the play within the play with sexual innuendos (Hamlet 3.2.108–119). Throughout the play as a whole, Hamlet is seen being depressed and talking of suicide in his soliloquies, and also dressing in black, noted by Juliet Mitchell as “the insignia of what today would be called clinical depression(Mitchell),” mentioned at the beginning of the play. In Hamlet’s soliloquies, one can argue evidence of depression, defined by Britannica as “a mood or emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self-worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life.(Britannica)” Hamlet’s mood swings and changing feelings combined with his relatable depression make him a favorite and memorable character and certainly, therefore, the most complex and interesting in
In the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, the character Hamlet is a multi-dimensional character with multiple personalities that give the play a greater depth and perspective. Through his monologues and soliloquies, many different personalities of Hamlet are exposed, including his three basic contrasting personalities: clear-minded vs. troubled, action vs. inaction, and obedience/innocence vs. revenge. Throughout the story, both contrasting personalities are depicted by both Hamlet himself and other similar foil characters who are in similar circumstances but react in drastically different ways. Three such foil characters are Horatio, who shows a clear mind in the midst of his troubles, Fortinbras, who chooses action over inaction, and Ophelia, who depicts innocence throughout the midst of the chaos of the play.
Everyone knows the story of Hamlet: Hamlet’s father is killed, Hamlet’s mother marries the evil Uncle, everyone thinks Hamlet has gone mad, and almost everyone dies at the end. In David Tennant’s version of Hamlet, the use of the characters’ physical antics, interactions with each other, the stark similarities between the characters, and the way they dress, changes how the audience interprets each character’s actions and contribution to the play as a whole, which then determines how successful this version of Hamlet is.
Hamlet throughout the play lives in a world of mourning. This bereavement route he experiences can be related to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s theory on this process. The death of Hamlet’s spirit can be traced through depression, denial and isolation, bargaining, anger, and acceptance. The natural sorrow and anger of Hamlet’s multiple griefs include all human frailty in their protest and sympathy and touch upon the deepest synapses of grief in our own lives, not only for those who have died, but for those, like ourselves, who are still alive. Hamlet’s experience of grief, and his recovery from it, is one it which we ourselves respond most deeply.
What makes a person truly crazy? Is it the way that they dress or is it the way they they they talk? It even may be their actions that cause you to believe that a person has truly gone crazy. Although Hamlet appears to have gone crazy to other characters in this book, the reader can see Hamlet is actually sane throughout the whole entire book. The explanations to why Hamlet is sane are as follows: his change in character is just an effect of his father, any crazy actions of Hamlet were to justify him after he killed Claudius to avenge his father’s death, he shows intelligence and is able to plan for events throughout the story.
In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the main character, Hamlet, possesses qualities and characteristics that shape him into the man he is. Grief stricken and revenge seeking, Hamlet’s true self is displayed through his actions. Hamlet’s love, Ophelia, serves as a foil to his character highlighting his strong mind, coping methods with emotions, and corruption within families.
Riddled with ambiguity by its very nature, the text of William Shakespeare's Hamlet has been a commonly debated subject in literary circles since its first performance. The character Hamlet undergoes intense physical and emotional hardship in his quest for revenge against his despicable uncle. This hardship, some argue, leads to an emotional breakdown and, ultimately, Hamlet's insanity. While this assessment may be suitable in some cases, it falls short in others. Since Hamlet is a play, the ultimate motivation of each of the characters borrows not only from the text, but also from the motivations of the actors playing the parts. In most respects, these motivations are more apt at discerning the emotional condition of a character than their dialogue ever could. Thus, the question is derived: In Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Hamlet, does the character Hamlet suffer from insanity? Giving halt to the response, this paper will first endeavor to establish what insanity is and will then provide sufficient examples both from the text, film, and Branagh's own musings on his motivations as proof that Hamlet's character, at least in Branagh's version of the play, is not insane.
Rose, Mark. "Reforming the Role." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 117-128
He no longer has joy and happiness. Hamlet has reached anhedonia, or the inability to enjoy life. People who experience depression, have a change in character. They become someone they weren’t before they were infected by the mental illness. When observing patients with depression the University of Pennsylvania Press determined that, “They are not amused, do not feel like laughing, and do not get any feeling of satisfaction from jesting remark, joke, or cartoon” (22). Hamlet shows no joy throughout the play, which depicts his anhedonia. Hamlet admits himself that he has lost his job by saying, “I have of late- but wherefore I know not-lost all my mirth, forgone all customs and exercises” (Shakespeare II.ii.303). Hamlet can see himself changing but does not understand why. He knows he is no longer joyful and has stopped exercising. Hamlet notices his own depression, which indicates just how obvious it is. He has messed with his mind so much, but can still see he is no longer the person he used to be. Between all the symptoms, Hamlet has become a different person and there is no one to help him overcome this change. He is stuck on his own, propelling himself into deeper
Foremost, is the character of Hamlet: the causes and effects of his actions, or lack thereof. Hamlet is a very thoughtful person by nature, and often spends more time thinking than acting. However, Hamlet does realize that "...conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought"(III.i.84-85). Although Hamlet recognizes the fact that too much reflection could end poorly, he does it nonetheless. Every situation he is faced with he insists upon planning it out first, and rarely actually acting upon these plans. Additionally, since Hamlet is considered to be a tragedy, there must be a tragic hero. All tragic heroes have some kind of flaw or blemish, which, according to the article "Characters", "Hamlet's weakness may be that he 'thinks too much' and cannot make up his mind. The resulting inactions leads to his death" ("Characters"). Because Hamlet spends so much time pondering his surroundings, he sometimes misses the chance to act on them. This inability to accomplish anything slowly pulls Hamlet to a point where no amount of thought or action could possibly help him. However, at one point in the play Hamlet comes very near to followin...
William Shakespeare is seen to many as one of the great writers in history. More specifically, the characters in his plays are reviewed and criticized and have been so for nearly four centuries. The character that many have revered Shakespeare for is perhaps the greatest such character ever in literature, Hamlet from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The commentary and response to this legend of literature is of wide array and opinion, though most, such as Pennington, believe him to be a truly magnificent character: "Hamlet is perhaps the cleverest hero ever written, the subject of the first European tragedy, a form of genius. A type Shakespeare despaired of writing thereafter, having perceived that the heroes of tragedies must be sublime idiots" (185). However, despite his clear gifts and aura, Hamlet was a doomed character from the beginning: Hamlet is dominated by an emotion that is inexpressible. It is thus a feeling he cannot understand, he cannot objectify it, and it therefore remains open to poison life and to obstruct action" (Eliot 25). Thus, Hamlet, while possessing the traits of no other men of his time, a true Renaissance man, was doomed from the beginning of the play partly by forces he could not control, and also partly by his own character. It leads to a slow but definite ending to one of literature's great characters, one that he could not control. In the end, Hamlet was out of place in his environment, he was simply not meant to be.
People all around the world are familiar with the “To be or not to be” speech. Although some might not realize it is a speech by Hamlet, they do realize how powerful those lines are. Those lines show the mark of a great philosopher, and this is precisely what Hamlet is. Because Hamlet is such a fantastic philosopher at the start of the play, it leads him to what some believe is his downfall. The fact that perhaps he thinks too much on the people and incidents surrounding him is really what pulls him down. He spends an excessive amount of his day thinking about every aspect of every event.
People sometimes go through hard times. When this happens they usually go into a state of depression and/or have other negative symptoms that lead to negative effects. Some people get depressed while others just go into some form of madness. Imagine that a person were claiming to be insane. Then people would think that this person is actually crazy. But what if acting insane for them was like acting normal. Hamlet is one of those plays written by Shakespeare. The story takes place in Denmark. Prince Hamlet is the son of King Hamlet who was murdered by his brother Claudius. Then Hamlet meets his father's ghost and the ghost tells him the real story of how he died. The ghost then tells Crazy Hamlet to get revenge for him. Should he believe the
The Complex Character of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Upon examining Shakespeare's characters in this play, Hamlet proves to be a very complex character, and functions as the key element to the development of the play. Throughout the play we see the many different aspects of Hamlet's personality by observing his actions and responses to certain situations. Hamlet takes on the role of a strong character, but through his internal weaknesses we witness his destruction.
The psychological aspect of Hamlet which is most prominently displayed is his melancholy. This condition is rooted in the psyche and the emotions, the former causing the latter to go awry. Lily B. Campbell in “Grief That Leads to Tragedy” emphasizes ...
The perfection of Hamlet’s character has been called in question - perhaps by those who do not understand it. The character of Hamlet stands by itself. It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment. Hamlet is as little of the hero as a man can be. He is a young and princely novice, full of high enthusiasm and quick sensibility - the sport of circumstances, questioning with fortune and refining on his own feelings, and forced from his natural disposition by the strangeness of his situation.