Transformation of Hamlet Essay

Hamlet

In the tragic play hamlet by William Shakespear, the protagonist hero, hamlet, is endowed with a tragic imperfection of being over-emotional and having an inability to act. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet seems to be very frank in his actions and mental state. However, in the following act, Hamlets intentions change which begin to confuse him. Hamlet displays a deceitful and confusing nature because of all the internal tribulations he faces. He displays a couple of inconsistencies throughout the play; each decision he seems to make becomes an internal struggle and battle between two forces inside of him. He contemplates and ponders every decision. Hamlet is incapable of going beyond words and thoughts into action which cause him to remain an indecisive and stagnant character throughout the whole play.

In the first act, Hamlet gives the audience the denotation that he is strong, and resilient in his actions. Queen Gertrude even senses that Hamlet is tense after his fathers death and asks him a question of why he seems melancholical. He quickly shoots back with seems madam? Nay, it is. I know not seems. (Act 1 Scene 2, pg. 22) Here Hamlet even goes as far to tell his mother that she is the only seeming person (a whore).

After the exeunt of these characters, Hamlet runs into Horatio, Marcellos and Bernardo. These three claim that they have indeed just seen the ghost of Hamlets father, King Hamlet. Hamlet then ventures off into the dark abyss leaving behind all pseudo-consciousness in search for the truth in what lye ahead. Upon his venture, Hamlet learns the truth of his fathers death from the ghost and that it was his Uncle Claudius who poisoned the king to snatch the throne and marry Queen Gertrude. At that very moment, Hamlet declares that it is whole intent of his heart and consciousness to seek revenge for his father and kingdom and even utters so be it in attempt to finalize his fury filled thoughts. Hamlet ends his role as student, and sorrowful son. Now, his only goal is to avenge the wrongful death of his father and king. However, only in the dark, outside of the castle walls is Hamlet able to be in equality with thoughts, acts, words and deeds, not seeming to be anyone else or concealing any emotions or actions.

As Hamlet enters back into the kingdom, and act one comes to an end, the audience is able to see more and more how he is blinded by the shared consciousness and light that surrounds him, or shall we say unconsciousness of the kingdom rather. Hamlet now becomes confused, lost and bewildered; again fighting an internal battle and even questions if the ghost he saw in the darkness was even real or a figment of his imagination. During a conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet is even so bold enough to admit that he himself is simulating madness just so he may be able cope with the situation at hand stating, I am but mad north- north west. When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw. (Act 2, scene 2, pg. 55) This line implies that hamlet is content with his role as an inactive hero of the play. His loss of motivation and drive for revenge leave him in a state of frenzy and madness, no longer caring for those around him, or even the want of retaliation on Claudius. The first time Hamlet even mentions revenge upon Claudius again is at the end of act two. In his soliloquy he states, Whats Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, that he should weep for her? What would he do had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have? (Act 2, scene 2). Here, Hamlet praises the player for is ability to act. Saying that if he too had this trait Claudius would have been dead by now. It is here that the audience is able to see that his fatal flaw and shortcoming is his inability to act. Hamlet pours out remorse for his weaknesses proclaiming, I should have fatted all the regions kites with this slaves offal. Bloody, Bawdy villain (Act 2, scene 2).

Hamlets contradictions of himself now start to come through more and more as he confronts his ex-love, Ophelia. Hamlet criticizes Ophelia by telling her, get thee to a nunnery. However, he does not do this in a scolding tone, rather in a wish to keep her sacred and pure, much unlike his mother. He tells her that if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty. (Act 3, scene 1) Hamlet goes on to relate that ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. (Act 3, scene 1) This means that a persons exterior will transform their inner self to match their exterior, rather than the exterior changing to be what the person really is inside. Hamlet scolds Ophelia and as well as his absent mother as they have torn off the appearance of divinity imparting god hath given you one face, and you go make yourselves another (Act 3, scene 1) even having enough gumption and courage to say, frailty, thy name is woman (Act 1, scene 2) Hamlets confrontation with Ophelia allowed for insight and clarification into his true character.

Throughout the play Hamlet proclaims that there should be no distinguishing between thought, word and deed. However, even thought Hamlet says this, he himself cannot maintain equivalency between these, creating a dramatic irony in the play. If he could just follow his own advice there would be no conflict of acting or not, he would instead be like Fortinbras, and just do. When Horatio and Hamlet exchange dialogue, Hamlet praises him that he is able to stay consistent, without change of his character throughout the whole play. Horatios ability to intertwine these three of thought, word, and deed sparks hamlets interest into saying Give me that man this is not passions slave, and I will wear him in my hearts core, ay, in my heart of heart, as I do in thee. (Act 3, scene 2) As we are able to see, Hamlet holds this quality in great esteem as we all should.

During Hamlets play that he puts on in order to find out if his uncle is truly guilty or not, he asks for the support and help of Horatio to determine if Claudius is indeed the culprit. Since Hamlet keeps his thoughts words and deeds separate, he needs someone honest such as Horatio to backup his view of Claudius. He says, observe my uncle, if his occulted guilt does not itself unkennel in one speech, it is a damned ghost we have seen. (Act 3, scene 2) Here, we see that Claudius will be judged on how he acts during the play within the play. Even furthermore enforcing the idea of seeming throughout the play. If the king is able to seem to be something he is not, (innocent) then he will not be killed by Hamlet; that is, if Hamlet has enough courage to take his life in the first place. The king however himself is a bad actor. When the king rises to leave, Hamlet responds with what, frightened with false fire, (act 3, scene 2) This was the type of proof that Hamlet was looking for and he again starts talking about taking the kings life again by saying now could I drink not blood. (Act 3, scene 2)

In the beginning of Act three, Hamlet has persuaded himself not to kill the king when he stumbles upon him during prayer because he doesnt want there to be any possibility that the king will go to heaven or his soul will be saved. Instead, Hamlet plans to kill Claudius when he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, at gaming, swearing, or about some act that has no relish of salvation in it, then to trip him that his heels may kick at heaven, and that his soul may be damned and black. (Act 3, scene 3) If Hamlet can catch Claudius in any of these acts he is sure that his soul will and should be damned, therefore avenging his fathers wrongful death. This is one of the reasons that Hamlet always halts, or thinks twice before acting on killing Claudius because he wants the moment to be perfect. This plague of thinking twice or inability to act is what has prolonged the death of the king and extended the problem within the kingdom.

After the play, Hamlet enters his mothers bedroom chamber to chastise her of the role she has played in striking the kingdom with such a sickness. She however refuses to accept that she has done wrong and is not liable for what has happened. Queen Gertrude then talks to Claudius, both agreeing that Hamlet is the main contender and threat of power to their throne. Claudius then exiles Hamlet to England to be killed. While on his journey, Hamlet sees the armies of King Fortinbras, who is traveling to Denmark himself to avenge the death of his own father. Hamlet is envious of Fortinbas and for a good reason. He wishes that he himself was strong enough to act without thinking and kill King Claudius. He is now shadowed by his imperfections and procrastination of just doing and not thinking. As he reflects upon the duty to his father he states The imminent death of twenty thousand men that, for fantasy and a trick of fame, go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, which is not tomb enough and continent to hide the slain? (Act 4, scene 4) This furthermore makes Hamlet realize his inward cowardness and his role within the play. It dawns on him that he is actually the hero and that HE, and noone else can and must act.

Hamlet soon returns to Denmark. At the beginning of Act five, he comes out of the sea naked. This can symbolize his rebirth or that he has finally changed his inability to act. At Ophelias funeral, hamlet expresses, this is I, hamlet the Dane. (Act 5, scene 1) This is Hamlet claiming his right and his taking of the throne. In Hamlets let be speech, he has accepted the role of fate and allows for divinity to take its course. He says theres a special providence in the fall of the sparrow. meaning that everything must die, and that if they not die now, they will eventually die and god will have his justice and act as he sees fit. Hamlet now does not care about his own life or even that of others. After being stabbed with a poisoned tipped sword by Laertes, Hamlet takes advantage of the situation and takes king Claudiuss life as he himself is dying.

After Hamlet was able to accept fate and what it entitles, he was able to put away with his childish way of thinking and combine his thoughts, words and deeds. After Hamlet overcame his inability to act, he finally avenged the death of his father, and even was given a proper soldiers burial, given him by Fortinbras who showed up shortly after the whole scene and proclaimed Hamlet as a real Hero.