Guilt made him seem more like the common man and likable because of the sheer fact that he was relatable to his old self. Readers can juxtapose his crippling guilt with their own in this sense, while almost feeling sorrowful for the cold-blooded murderer. “And all our yesterdays have lighted fools / the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle / life’s but a walking shadow” (Shakespeare V.v.22-24). Having realized the loss of his Queen, Macbeth fantasizes his own demise; his conscience wants justice for the sins he has committed, showing his guilt and remorse for what he’s done.
The beginning of the key scene is important because, Hamlet has been summoned by his mother, who is furious with him for events surrounding the play-within-the-play, in which it has been suggested clearly that Hamlet’s father has been murdered by his brother. Hamlet, however, confronts his mother, still unhappy that she is married to his uncle, Claudius. Polonius has been sent to spy on Hamlet on behalf of Claudius. Hamlet kills Polonius, apparently believing it to be Claudius. Old Hamlet’s ghost appears for the second time to remind Hamlet of his mission of revenge for his father’s murder.
While speaking the ghost Hamlet asks, “O all you host of heaven! O Earth! What else?/And shall I couple hell?” (I.v.25). Hamlet does not believe the ghost until Act III, when Hamlet tricks Claudius into revealing that he is the cause of his fathers death through the use of his play, “The Murder of Gonzago.” Even though Hamlet knows the truth, he still has trouble acting on his thoughts. It seems that Hamlet does not want to extract revenge and he regrets promising the ghost that he will do so, “O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right!
The readers introduction to Hamlet and King Claudius occurs in Act I Scene ii where the King explains that he has married his sister in law with mixed feelings but he believes Hamlet’s mourning should seize, to which his nephew replies with disdain and offense. This sets the mood for the relationship between the two characters as well as set Hamlet up for his first soliloquy, seen in Act I Scene ii line 133 O, that is too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve into dew! Or that the everlasting had not fix’d His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! Oh God! God!
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.
This is also shown with Polonius’s un-trust worthiness for Hamlet. As to with Laertes who feels the exact same way as his father. Paolo Feliciano Mr. McCarthy A.P. Lit Examination Act 2 Open Ended Questions 1. After the slow transition from Hamlet’s mournful state, to his ever growing state of madness, does his madness itself become his primary mode of communication with the other characters?
By letting revenge be their top priority, Hamlet and Laertes were blinded by their emotions. Fortinbras, who remains calm throughout the play, is the only one to truly succeed. At the beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet mourns the death of his father and tries to understand why his mother married so quickly, especially with his uncle. He is so disgusted with the immoral state of Denmark that he wishes to die. He even contemplates suicide but his rational mind stops him from doing so.
John Proctor's fatal flaw was his great amount of pride, and that slowly tied a series of unfortunate events which eventually made John Proctor succumb to his death. Unfortunately, Proctor dies for a crime he did not commit. Another necessary part of the tragic hero is that he or she has a complete reversal of fortune brought by the hero's own flaw. Proctor's life completely turned upside down when Abigail accused his loved ones who then were sent to jail, or executed. At the end of every tragic play, the audience must feel pity or remorse for the deceased hero.
Due to these beliefs and the complexity of Hamlet’s character, it is inevitable that his thoughts of death would wander outside the lines of his religion. As the play begins, we see Hamlet in the first stages of his escalating melancholy. It is easy to observe that his outlook on life has become bleak. “O! that this too too solid flesh would melt … all the uses of this world.” (I, ii, 129-135) Hamlet’s life no longer serves any value to him.
In this quote, Hamlet ponders whether he should live and suffer the hardships of his life or die in order to end suffering. In this quote, it can be inferred that Hamlet thinks that life is synonymous with suffering. The reader can tell that Hamlet is tired of his life and how everyone can keep living their merry lives without the king, his father. The reader can feel this by the negative words that Hamlet says; such as, “suffer,” “troubles,” “outrageous.” The reader can also get this feeling when reading the suffering he sees with life: “"whips and scorn of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of disprized love…”(III, i, 70-74). Also here he is using words that are related negatively too, “whips,” and “scorn.” It seems like during this soliloquy Hamlet tends to lean more toward suicide.