Let’s explore the moments within the text where Hamlet actually used his smarts to trick the other conniving characters into thinking that he didn’t love Ophelia and was going insane instead. Throughout Act 3 and 4, the play leads readers to believe the Hamlet does not love Ophelia. He is constantly saying contradicting statements and in a way mistreating her. Hamlet says “I loved you once,” and then four lines later he says “I loved you not.” What’s going on with the mixed messages? Well Polonius, Ophelia’s father does not approve of their courtship and Hamlet know this.
Hamlet also demonstrates his flaw when he says “That would be scanned,”(Shakespeare III.iii.76) which basically means that he wants think more about the situation at hand, before following it through. His nature to over-think matters is considered a tragic flaw, because his decision to put off the murder of Claudius, leads to the death of many characters in the play, including him. Not only does Hamlet miss his opportunity when he scum’s to his flaw, but he also displays another tragic flaw, which is to procrastinate. Ophelia’s character flaw that is displayed is her emotional weakness. Ultimately Ophelia’s flaw is the reason for her own death, which is what makes it so tragic.
(5.2.217) Therefore, Hamlet is essentially begging Laertes for forgiveness. He says that he feels bad about the act that he has committed but he blames it all on his madness. His madness killed Polonius, not Hamlet himself. Speaker: Hamlet Context: It has been assumed by the other characters that leading up to this part of the play Hamlet has gone mad. Each character has their own speculation of why he has gone mad but the readers of the play know that Hamlet is putting on an
A tragic hero will effectively gain our fear and pity if he is a good mixture of good and evil. Ophelia can be viewed as a tragic hero in this play. We first meet Ophelia in Act 1, Scene 3 where she is warned by her brother Laertes that Hamlet is playing with her and that she should not keep her "chaste treasure open" suggesting that his sister has no 'worth of her own except in her sex'. Ophelia hears her brother but sticks up for herself and defends her relationship with Hamlet. She even turns Laertes' lesson around to focus on him and how he is doing exactly what he is telling Ophelia not to do.
Claudius, who is “won to his shameful lust”, marries his brother’s wife. This act was forbidden by the church and was most likely considered sinful by the audience and by Shakespeare himself as it implies adultery. We see that Hamlet’s comparison of Claudius to a “satyr” to be quite accurate due to Claudius’ lecherous character since he commits sin to feed his shameful lust. Claudius commits these acts with one thought in mind: to reach his own goals. This
Seek it out!” (Act 5 sc 2 lines 342) Hamlet has lost his state of mind through out the play. Hamlet isn’t the type of person to take action as to kill a man, but the madness and unclear head as driven him to kill his many. He is insane and it is represented through the marriage of his mother, the death of Polonius and the death of his mother. Those are three reasons as to why Hamlet is
Charles Lamb states that Malvolio “becomes comic by accident”. His criticism portrays Malvolio as a tragic character. Lamb describes Malvolio’s dialect as “that of a gentleman, and a man of education.” Predisposed with Malvolio’s dialect and seemingly noble manner is hubris which leads to his downfall in the play. In Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’, Malvolio is not a tragic character but, the fool of the play in that he is a scapegoat for mockery and entertainment. Aristotle in ‘Poetics’ defined comedy as “an imitation of inferior people-not, however, with respect to every kind of defect; the laughable species of what is disgraceful.
It becomes clear that Hamlet did truly love Ophelia, yet hid it because he was a coward. The “ White Lie” is not only depicted through Hamlet denying his love but also putting a front up for the selfish betterment of his life style. After his outrageous lecture on self worth that Hamlet gives Ophelia, she grows incredibly mad, which ultimately leads to her death. Although the intentions of his lecture were clearly to hurt Ophelia and gain power over her, once he realizes she is dead he feels the need to express his actual love for her. His change of attitude grows confusing as he professes his dear love after her awful death, “ I loved Ophelia.
The murder was driven by lust for the queen and also a desire for power, two factors which remain with the king until the final moments in the play. “Mine crown, mine own ambition and my queen. Can one be pardon’d and retain the offence?” Claudius’ deceiving nature is central to the plot of the play, and is the catalyst for the betrayal of many other characters, such as Polonius, Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet himself is not immune to corruption, and he himself deceives those around him in his actions and in his words. Following the revelation from the Ghost, Hamlet assumes an “antic disposition”, in order to distract those surrounding him from his suspicious behaviour.
As he says “To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer...” Hamlet contemplates suicide, due to a lack of trust in himself. Hamlet does not trust that he can take revenge on Claudius and move on. Shakespeare displays Hamlet’s lack of trust through characterization. Hamlet is displayed as a macabre, pessimistic and suicidal character. .“A damn'd defeat was made.