The Character of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE English Literature

Hamlet is arguably the superior dramatic character ever created. From the moment we meet the crestfallen Prince we atomic number 18 enraptured by his elegant intensity. Shrouded in his inky cloak, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless merely cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He meets his fathers death with consuming outrage and blameless indignation, yet shows no compunction when he himself is responsible for the deaths of the meddling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the pontificating manufacturer chamberlain, Polonius. He uses the fragile and innocent Ophelia as an outlet for his disgust towards the Queen, and cannot drudge that his own vicious words have caused her insanity. Hamlet is full of faults. unless unlike Macbeth, who has committed murder and, as a direct consequence, has been relegated to the cumulus cloud of weak-willed villains, Hamlet has remained a demigod of sorts -- his faults having been quashed under his corki ng qualities. What are Hamlets good qualities? How is it that even seemingly negative qualities like indecisiveness, hastiness, hate, brutality, and obsession can recruit Hamlets position as a tragic hero -- a prince among men? To solve these questions we must journey with Hamlet from beginning to end, and examine the many facets of his character. Our first gear impression of Hamlet sets the tone for the whole play. Even without Shakespeare providing an elaborate interpretation of Hamlets features, we can envision his pale face, tousled hair, and intense, brooding eyes. Dressed exclusively in black, Hamlet displays all the forms, moods and shapes of grief. His mother cannot help but visiting card Hamlets outward appearance of mourning, but Hamlet makes it clear that the overt signs o... ...ally die, it is his royal qualities that make the lasting imprint in our minds. Hamlet remains The courtiers, soldiers, scholars, eye, tongue, sword, The hope and rose of the fair stat e, The glass of fashion, and the mould of form The observd of all observers (III.i.153-56) Bibliography Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. (New York St. Martins Press, 1966). Burnett, Mark, ed. New Essays on Hamlet. (New York AMS Press, 1994). Evans Lloyd Gareth. Shakespeare IV. (London Oxford university Press, 1967). Granville-Barker, Henry. Prefaces to Shakespeare.3 (New York, Hill and Wang, 1970). Loske, Olaf. Outrageous Fortune. (Oslo Oslo University Press, 1960). Muir, Kenneth. Shakespeare and the Tragic Pattern, legal proceeding of the British Academy, Vol.XLIV (London Oxford University Press, 1958).