Hamlet Character Analysis

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Denis Do October 27, 2010 Period 3 Character Study Second Draft Hamlet: Before and After In William Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare shows that the spirit of vengeance lives deep down in all humans. His characters have many unique traits and readers can see many of these character traits in Hamlet. Traits such as, loving, suicidal, cruel and homicidal. Also, they can observe how these traits change. Early in the tragedy, Hamlet's father, King Hamlet, dies. Soon after, his mother remarries. Oddly, it was Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. Hamlet hit deep depression. He questioned the worth of his own life, and became suicidal. Hamlet proves this when he says, “Or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!” (1.2.131). Soon after his grief ridden soliloquy, Horatio and the guards brought news of a ghost sighting. Supposedly, the ghost was Hamlet's father. Later in the last scene of Act 1, Hamlet accompanies the guards to the platform on which the ghost was spotted. Surely, the ghost appeared and beckoned Hamlet. He followed and the ghost revealed a terrible secret to him. The ghost revealed the murderer, Claudius. King Hamlet's ghost uttered to Hamlet, “The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown” (1.5.39). Hamlet agreed to avenge his father's death. Now, his life had a purpose, which is to kill Claudius. Aside from his father's death, there was something else that sent him spiraling down. He was denied access to his love, Ophelia. Her father Polonius demanded that she cut all ties with him. Hamlet went mad. Upon meeting her, he acted as if he hated her. “No, not I! I never gave you aught,” argued Hamlet, as he denied the gifts (3.1.95). Though he seemed like he hated her, the gifts say otherwise. They showed that he was once a loving and caring person, until recently. At “the very witching time

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