HAMLET

Hamlet is a revenge tragedy written between 1599 and 1601. Hamlet, son of the Old King of
Denmark, seeks revenge against his uncle Claudius, who is the present King of Denmark, for
killing his father Old King Hamlet and marrying his mother, Gertrude.
Hamlet is a person with many psychological and philosophical facets. From the beginning to
the end of the story, Hamlet reasserts his complexity and cautions the other characters against
reducing him to a single, predictable type. He shows all the characteristics of melancholy. He
possess a rare wit and he uses his irony with deadly effects. His father’s death made him
melancholic and produced great changes in his character. He is so unhappy over his father’s
death and his mother’s incestuous marriage with her brother-in-law. He is fearful and
suspicious about the ghost and its revelation. He hesitates and delays in taking revenge against
Claudius. He is dejected over his action in avenging his father’s murder. He labels his mothers
actions as bestial and develops a general guilt by killing Polonius. Thus Hamlet’s behavior
can be explained as arising out of his melancholy disposition.
Hamlet is an Idealist, unable to come to terms with the harsh realities of life and as an
individual beset with fears as well as doubts and hence, unable to take a quick decisive action.
Hamlet was influenced by evil forces . He is rude and at times behaves in an unruly manner
towards Gertrude, Ophelia, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet also displays his
evil mind in that, he does not kill Claudius when the later was praying, as a man with a prayer
on his lips would go to heaven. He although has a quite temper but often controls himself.
Hamlet is obsessive and pessimistic. His obsessive and pessimism also begins to affect all his
relationships and becomes a large part of who he is as a character.
Hamlet is a faithful character. Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” is represented on the lines of his
religious thinking about suicide. He doesn't commit suicide because he thinks the result of
suicide is to go to hell . He also does not kill Claudius during prayers because he would go to
heaven and he does not want to grant him this opportunity.
Hamlet feels betrayed by her mother , because he sees her mother's decision as an incest and
quick decision. Hamlet is dissatisfied and distrustful of women, as he is betrayed by his
mother, the woman he can trust most in his life.
One of the most interesting and compelling aspects of Hamlet as a tragic character is that he is
not quite sure who he is. Clearly, Hamlet is still in the process of learning about his own
complex identity, and is struggling with self-acceptance.

PREPARED BY
ALİŞAN BİLİK
180058041