Characters in Hamlet Essay

Why does peerless live? What purpose does one serve? What is the significance of flavor? These are all experiential psyches that both ancient and modern font philosophers have yet to satisfactorily answer. The weight of ones last rate and the differences of keep and death are introduced right from the start of Shakespeares licentiousness _ hamlet_ having settlement, in the aftermath of his obtains death, attempt to explore these existential questions, seeking loyalty and belowstanding as he tries to grasp the myth about his fathers death.Claudius on the opposite hand is deeply considering his actions term as well as polish offuring a very difficult agreement of life after death. Claudius acts to generate Hamlets confusion and anger, and his result search for truth and lifes message, besides Claudius himself is non a stationary character. In private, he is a very divers(prenominal) character. It is draw in that Claudius is seen as a murderous scoundrel, but a d ivided baddie a globe who cannot refrain from nourishing his own desires. He is not a monster, all morally weak, intent on trading his philanthropy for power.Polonius is a man filled with confidence in his knowledge, and while he is a blowhard, and he does spout imagineings, his cliches constitute sound advice and his observations ascend themselves prophetic. In _Hamlet_, life and death provides multiple influences and consequences for each of these characters, affecting both their well-beings and find of meaning. Finik 2 Hamlet is a university student of Wittenberg who frequently contemplates on several(prenominal) perplexing philosophical questions, and possibly suicide.When King Hamlet, his father, dies, he returns home to Denmark save to disc everywhere that in that respect was evidence of back down play in his fathers death. _The serpent that did sting thy fathers life/ presently wears his crown_. (I. V. 39-40). The Ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet that his uncle Cla udius is the murderer. Feeling decisive, Hamlet seeks to prove Claudius guilt before he takes any action. However, Hamlet is too riotous to act at times he constantly exaggerates his intellect while ignoring his emotions and what feels right. Although his fathers death set high emotions for Hamlet, it serves as only one of the troublesome steadyts for Hamlet.The fact that his mother, Gertrude, has ended her melancholy and married another(prenominal) man (Claudius) so quickly, shows Hamlet the differences in some peoples thoughts, decisions, and possibly agency of life. _Frailty, thy name is women_ (I,II,146). In this quote, Hamlet is speaking in his first soliloquy. The women he specifically refers to is his mother. Hamlet feels that Gertrude is weak and not strong enough to mourn his father any longer. Hamlet even continues to say that not even an animal, or beast, who has no rea paroleing or skills, would have abanthroughd the mourning so quickly.All in all, this shows how an gry and distressed Hamlet is by his mothers conjugation. Although Hamlet appears to be the exemplar of an anti-existentialist from the outset of the play, Hamlets logic slowly begins to unravel, with layer after layer telling more snippets of Hamlets emotion. As Hamlet speaks the line _To be, or not to be, that is the question_ _Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer_ _The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,_ _Finik 3_ _Or to take mail against a sea of troubles_ (III,I,58-61) He is contemplating the thought of suicide and wishing that beau ideal had not made suicide a sin.Hamlets fretting and uncertainty causes him to doubt the power of reason alone to authorize his issues. Hamlet begins to realize that reason is helpless in dealing with the depths of human life, which is one of the central assertions of existentialism. However, in considering both his emotions and reasoning, Hamlet lifts the temptation of suicide wise to(p) that to escape lifes pain, would mean to ete rnally suffer in hell. By deciding to stay alive and counter Claudius fraud, Hamlet powerfully demonstrates his inner existential qualities. As Claudius is introduced, he expresses himself as an intelligent and surefooted leader.Claudius repays a speech intent on making his court and region satisfied with their new leader, addressing the people of his brothers death, his recent marriage and the potential unease with Nor bearing. Claudius is well aware that if any change would come up in the government, civil unrest would definitely unfold. His speech combines the peoples loss with a new beginning that they will have under his responsibility.He also uses the death of King Hamlet to create a sense of national unification, _the whole kingdom/To be contracted in one brow of woe_ (I.II. 3-4), but in private, Claudius conceals a very different personality. The Ghost refers to him as _that incestuous, that adulterate beast_ (I. V. 42), and soon, his crime is what is known to be what is _rotten in the state of Denmark_ (I. IV. 90). The King has ordainted fratricide and has taken the Queen with _the witchcraft of his wit_ (I. V. 47). Claudius represents the worst of human dignity, showing greed, corruption and excess. However, Claudius is not entirely a sociopath. His actions occasionally weigh heavy on him Finik 4 _O, tis true_._How smart a lash that speech doth transmit my conscience _ _The harlots cheek, beautified with daubing art,_ _Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it_ _Than is my deed to my just about varicolored word_ _O heavy burden_ (III. I. 49-53) Claudius tries to ask God for forgiveness in a soliloquy, but realizes that he still profits from his crimes and is not willing to give them up. _But what form of prayer/Can serve my turn? Forgive me my foul murder/That cannot be, since I am still possessd of those personal effects for which I did murder_ (III. IV. 52-54).Claudius can also how some esthesia. He is genuinely black for Polonius deat h, and he honestly loves Gertrude. Although he strongly intends on killing Hamlet, he refuses to do so himself on Gertrudes behalf. Claudius may show sensitivity for many characters but, nobody comes before his own desires. A great drill of this is how Claudius does not even intend to stop Gertrude from drinking the poison in the goblet during the duel between Hamlet and Laertes because it would have implicated Claudius in his plot to kill Hamlet. Therefore, putting his desires in front of all.Whereas most other characters in _Hamlet_ are preoccupied with ideas of justice, revenge, and moral balance, Claudius is decided upon maintaining power. Polonius, a man brimming with confidence, seems alike a feeble old man who cannot say anything without attempting a great speech. At other times, it feels as if though he is Finik 5 undermining the life of the court through a network of spies. When Polonius finds his son Laertes, before leaving for France, he urges him _aboard, aboard_ (I. III. 55), but proceeds to prevent him from boarding by giving some advise.This speech concludes with the message- _to thine own self be true/thou canst not then be false_ (I. III. 79-80). Yet, sometime later, Polonius is purchase order Reynaldo to spy on Laertes and deliberately trap him by deceit _and there put on him what forgeries you please_, (II. I. 19-20) meaning to be false, to say that Laertes is into _drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, and drabbing_ (II. I. 26-27). Contrary to what Polonius has told Laertes, he is telling Reynaldo to be false and that his _bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth_ (II. I. 63).In all, Polonius is pertain about his own reputation more than the feelings and well-being of others. He puts nap of effort into earning what he thinks is right and uses long speeches to convince others. In the end however, he is killed by one of his own ingenious plans. Hamlets perpetual reflection does finally help him to overcome his great anxiety. When he returns from exile in Act V, Hamlet appears to be very different. He is calm and less afraid of death. He has come to realize that plenty is ultimately controlling all of our lives, and any sense or question of existentialism would change cryptograph.Hamlet is ready to confront the circuitous truth that to avenge his fathers death he must commit the same act for which he seeks revenge. He now admits that he knows nothing of the world, _since no man knows aught of what he leaves, what ist to leave betimes? Let be_. (V. II. 207-208). Hamlet has reached the climax of his philosophy he has prepared himself for death. Claudius is the villain of the piece, as he admits to himself _O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven_ (III,III,40). His fratricide is the corruption occupy the events around that which is, in the words of Marcellus, _rotten in the state of Denmark_. Claudius is socially capable, and his watch is natural. He can exhibit deep distress Finik 6 over his _dear brot hers death_ but quickly turns mourning into celebration and moves on _With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage_ to whatever lies ahead. He is a very decisive man and recognizes that he his _offense is rank_ and _smells to heaven_, he also admits that he will not make amends with God because he refuses to give up what his crime has profited him. He is willing to take the consequences of his actions after death while enjoy a great lust of power in life. Despite the vast amount of experience, Polonius is naive.Polonius in efficacy to understand Hamlet reflects his ability to understand things. To prove his belief in Hamlets aberration he invokes a little play-acting from Ophelia. He misdirects Ophelia into reading a prevail to confront Hamlet, while he and the King eavesdrop. Although this meeting reveals that Polonius has made a great mistake, he is not in the least discouraged but immediately sets up his next plot. It proves to be his last because he is killed. If he had no t misjudged Hamlet he would not have been pursuing his ill-founded suspicions and been john the arras and gotten himself killed.In _Hamlet_, life and death provides multiple influences and consequences for each of these common chord characters, affecting both their well-beings and sense of meaning. In the end, Hamlet finally recognizes that life is governed by destiny itself, and that no alteration can be done with any amount of questions or actions. He awaits death at a moments notice. Claudius on the other hand, has accepted the fact that he will suffer after death in hell. He is not willing to capitulate his power and therefore decides to live his life the way he wants, knowing that he has committed crimes to others.His meaning in life is to live life to the fullest and accept what may happen after death. Polonius acts like a fool, attempting to rival the other main characters by using liquid words that do not represent what truly composes him, making him a hypocrite. While he depends upon his memory, he utters lengthy phrases, and gives useful counsel, but, as he ages, he cannot Finik 7 be kept busy and intent, Polonius is subject to the nakedness of his capabilities. He loses the order of his ideas, and entangles himself in his own thoughts. The meaning of life for Polonius may seem unclear, or entangled.He means well for his children but also takes thoughts too far and may seem to over think. He is unplanned in foresight and the idea of dotage engulfing upon wisdom will solve all of the phenomena for Polonius. In the end, Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius have all expressed what their true meaning in life is. Whether it be to accept destinys fate, avoid suffering after death, or, to act foolishly and hypocritically, life and death has most definitely forged a path for all three of these characters. kit and caboodle Cited Shakespeare, William. _Hamlet. _ Ed. Roma Gill. Glasgow Bell and Bain Ltd. 2009.