The Dark Humor of Hamlet

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The Dark Humor of Hamlet

Hamlet's black humor is a direct result of too much anger: it leads to the alienation, and finally the death of the people who know him, and eventually causes his own death. First, Hamlet's reaction his mother's marriage right after Old Hamlet's funeral shows that his anger alienates him from his mother. Second, his reaction to Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is his indirect anger to the world, because Hamlet feels that everyone is betraying and using him. Lastly, the anger towards Gertrude is expressed in conversations with Ophelia which eventually leads to her death.

Hamlet tells Horatio that the food served in the funeral will be the same served in his mother's wedding. " The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables." (Act 1, Scene 11, Line 180) It shows that Hamlet is really disturbed about his mother marrying his uncle the day after his father's death. Later on in the story, he loses his temper with his mother. "Mother, for your love of grace, Lay not the flattering unaction to your soul, That no...

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