Presentation and Development of Hamlet in Act I Scene V Essay

Discuss Shakespeare's presentation and development of Hamlet in Act I Scene V

Act I Scene V is one of the most important scenes of the play as it introduces us more fully to the 'Ghost' (the apparent spirit of deceased King Hamlet). This scene is particularly important as it develops Hamlet's character as a person; we see how the appearance of the Ghost before him influences his words and actions. In association with tragedies, ghosts or spirits are a general convention used and bear significance to the rest of the play.

At the beginning of the scene, Hamlet says: Wither wilt thou lead me? Speak I'll go no further. This shows that Hamlet is anxious to understand where the Ghost is leading him and why. He seems uncertain of what might happen as he doesn't know the purpose of the Ghost; a ghost has appeared before him and a ghost represents a soul that is not at rest This could be a reason as to why Hamlet does not trust the Ghost as first. Hamlet's dilemma, unbeknownst to him, is that he is the 'tragic hero' of the play therefore he must follow after the Ghost and he must deal with the later consequences that will occur.

The general conventions used in a tragedy tend to include a secret murder; usually of a benign ruler by a bad one, a ghostly visitation of the murder victim to a younger kinsman; generally the son. There is also a period of disguise, intrigue or plotting in which the murderer and the avenger scheme against each other, with a slowly rising body count. An eruption of general violence occurs at the end, which (during the renaissance) is often accomplished by means of a feigned masque or festivity. There is a catastrophe that generally decimates the dramatis personae, including the avenger. All of these conventions are included throughout the play and, from knowing of them, once we hear of the murder and witness the ghostly visitation the play is then set for the audience, who will have a somewhat clear idea about what is to be expected.

The Ghost tells Hamlet not to pity him and then reveals himself to be 'thy father's spirit'. It seems that he is 'for the day confined to fast in fires' but is forbidden to tell the secrets of purgatory. I find this quote notably important as it somehow reflects how Hamlet must endure the surrounding situations during the times that he is around others until he can reveal his true feelings in the confines of his own, personal space. The Ghost then reveals to Hamlet that he must 'revenge his foul and most unnatural murder'. 'Haste me to know't, that I with winds as swift as meditation or the thought of love may sweep to me revenge'. Here we see Hamlet's character develop, he becomes braver as he begins to behave like a man. An example of this is shown on lines 102-103 of the scene; Hamlet statement, thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain, clearly demonstrates his adamant decision to let nothing at all stand in the way of his promise for revenge. This vow he makes can be labelled as Hamlet's tragic decision, and sets into motion the beginning of his downfall.

When the Ghost expresses the truth to Hamlet that it was Claudius who poisoned him in his sleep, 'The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown', it then becomes clear that the people of Denmark have been fooled into believing that all is well and natural. Mixed emotions are provoked from within Hamlet as the bereavement and cause of death deeply anger him. There is a sense of frustration as Hamlet is stunned to believe that his uncle killed his own brother. It can also be said that Hamlet has previously suspected the murderer seeing that straight after the Ghost declares that it was Claudius, Hamlet promptly says: 'O my prophetic soul! My uncle?' From this encounter Hamlet is now ready to fight to avenge his father as now he has a justifiable cause for revenge; he knows how it happened and who is responsible. Hamlet's personality alters yet again as avenging his father becomes his number one priority and he does not let the path that he is set on change course.

Before the Ghost leaves, his parting words have an unexpected twist; his words turn to the incestuous relationship between Gertrude and Claudius 'that incestuous, adulterate beast'. The Ghost is clearly disgusted by the fact that Gertrude has betrayed him and speaks bitterly of how Claudius seduced her with clever words and fancy gifts, but not like King Hamlet 'whose love was of dignity that it went hand in hand even with the vow he made to her in marriage'. This comment about Gertrude explains to us how she, as a woman, is subservient to her male counterparts; it shows how she can be easily manipulated. Here, Hamlet, although he has been told to leave his mother 'to heaven' the warning does little to prevent his condemnation of her; If anything, the Ghost's words awaken his lust for revenge. So from this Hamlet is supposed to hate the fact that his mother is having sexual relations with his father's murderer. He is also meant to kill him and put a stop to the relationship and 'let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damned incest'. However he is not allowed to cause any harm to his mother or even think any bad thoughts about her whatsoever. This is because he is seeking revenge on Claudius, not Gertrude. Hamlet, at this moment of time, has within him, a considerable amount of surmounting anger he is already distraught from the loss of his father. Hamlets personality shows through here in the sense that he thinks irrationally at certain times and has delayed actions at the wrong moments in time; he has an inability to think logically when necessary. In later scenes Gertrude is the one who reveals to Claudius that Hamlet may be mad and sides with her husband in his decision to send in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as spies, betraying both her late husband and son.

Hamlet has the courage to face the unknown and also to go and seek the truth unflinchingly. He however chooses to transform his mind into one that is obsessed with avenging his father's death bitterly and with hatred rather than with the ideals of love and compassion. He has remorselessly developed into a cold, cynical, tormented soul. His new motto: 'Adieu, adieu, remember me' is quite appropriate for, in effect, we are in fact bidding Hamlet goodbye.

After the Ghost has left, Hamlet exclaims: O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? And shall I couple hell? Here, he is unsettled and unsure so he doesn't know who to swear by as he does not know where the Ghost came from. He is in a dilemma as he is confused about what he should do. He doesn't know whether he being ticked by a devil or confronted about the death by his father himself. O fie! he says as he is overwhelmed and feels weak. Hamlet's bravery is now weakening. He promises to wipe his mind clean and preserve only his father's commandment there. He makes the promise: Yes, by heaven! but then he also disobeys the Ghost's command of 'taint not thy mind' against Gertrude and cries out: O most pernicious woman! - Hamlet proclaims this with rage in its entirety. After this Hamlet realises that it is now time to deal with the vow he made to his father. Relating back to the forms of a tragic hero, Hamlet is faced with a serious decision and he sees and understands his doom and that his fate will be revealed in his future actions.

Horatio is a friend of Hamlet's and Marcellus is an Officer of the watch. Horatio is worried about Hamlet - Heaven secure him!. Following the meeting with the Ghost, Hamlet appears to be speaking rather quickly and seems quite nervous/anxious during lines 126-132. Horatio expresses that he is perplexed by the hectic pace and apparent nonsense that Hamlet is talking about - ...But he's an arrant knave; this is a meaningless clich that doesn't hint towards anything in particular. These are but wild and whirling words, my lord. Horatio can't make sense of Hamlet's words at which point Hamlet then proceeds to not only refuse to tell his friends what the Ghost said but to also mock the questions asked by Horatio - For your desire to know what is between us, O'ermaster't as you may. The significance of this quote is that it shows us, ironically, how Hamlet is attempting to make sense of this 'disorder' but how he does so is in an 'insane' way. Another thing to comment on that is slightly puzzling is how, especially referring to Horatio, Hamlet will not tell his confidante and only true friend what has happened unless he promises not to say a word.

Whilst Hamlet is making Horatio and Marcellus 'swear', the Ghost cries out from underneath the stage This is a dramatic technique used to create an impact on the audience. I think that Shakespeare allows this to happen to show that although the King is dead he is still busy at work from the grave that he will not yet lie at rest in. During these moments that Hamlet hears these cries, his behaviour reverts back to a serious one, remembering and obeying the Ghost's words. ...Come hither gentlemen...swear by my sword - Killing the King will be a dangerous undertaking therefore the secret must be heavily protected. Horatio appears to find this situation unbelievably strange. The mood here is manic as Hamlet begins to welcome the assistance of the Ghost, referring to it as 'old mole' and 'truepenny'; a common trait of a tragic hero is to let there be supernatural involvement. An alternative view of a tragic hero contains the concept of a 'tragic virtue', that is clearly shown in Hamlet's very contemplative nature. Horatio and Marcellus appear to be quite spooked by the Ghost and Hamlet becomes indisputably insistent and demands that they never give away even the slightest indication that they know what happened that night whether it be with hand gestures or facial expressions, no matter how strangely he acts seeing as sometimes he may find it appropriate to act a little crazy in the near future. Although he never quite informs Horatio and Marcellus why he may tend to act this way we, as the audience, know that madness was a plot-device widely used in 'Revenge Tragedies' Hamlet uses this device so that he will never be suspected of anything other than madness until the final moment before he kills his target, Claudius.

Hamlet ends the scene by telling the 'perturbed spirit' that it can now rest but he also damns the fact that because of the circumstances he has to fix the problems. With reference to Hamlet being the tragic hero it is evident that his life has already been set for him when he states: O cursed spite, that I was ever born to set it right. This direct quote from Hamlet has, concealed within it, major significance and importance; it shows us the dramatic irony of the play. It could also be seen as a conundrum as he is left to decide whether to take action and avenge his father's death by killing Claudius or leave the vengeance to God as required by religion.

Hamlet, although a very complex and unique character, clearly represents the tragic hero. As he is the plays protagonist, he evokes sympathy from the audience from the opening scene. His tragic flaw was twofold: Firstly, he was adamant about avenging his father's murder and Gertrude's incestuous relationship. Secondly, this desire caused him to become so enveloped in his inner conflicts that he allowed the actions of others to dictate his fate. Also, Hamlet's suffering seemed very authentic; it became stronger as it was mixed with his growing determination to seek revenge upon Claudius. Finally, as one watches his tragic downfall spiral towards its conclusion, one cannot help but to wish that Hamlet could have lived and became the rightful King of Denmark.