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The Interpretation of Hamlet: a Complex Character Unraveled

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Published: Jun 14, 2024

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Hamlet's indecisiveness: a psychological perspective, hamlet's feigned madness: a strategic approach, hamlet's tragic heroism: a moral dilemma.

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Why Is Hamlet a Complex Character: Critical Analysis

1. introduction.

It is only fitting that the first William Shakespeare's tragedy I saw should be Hamlet. My first full-length viewing of the play was a film version, and it was an abridged one, so I had my doubts about whether it could be as good as its reputation as the masterpiece of the masterpieces. However, I have never been able to take Ian McKellen seriously as a usurper. My most recent viewing as an adult happened to be the BBC version with Derek Jacobi, but as a secondary role. What I find very curious is that in my most recent viewing as an adult, it was very strongly impressed on me that the Ghost is a nasty character, and not to be trusted at all. Personal experiences in the last few years have probably made me more susceptible to the power of the play; in the last six years, I have lost three close relatives, all of whom lived with me for a time before their deaths. I am afraid that this may colour my judgement of the play somewhat. Every time I read Hamlet, I find it an extraordinarily exhilarating experience. The way this thing bounces back into our lives speaks to the genius of Shakespeare. Every character, except for the clowns, has soliloquies, which from an acting point of view makes it a gift to the actor; every character has a chance to make their impact on the world. Every person in the play, apart from the gravediggers, is in the process of transforming themselves and Hamlet, of course, never does. Every character in the play is forced to confront knowing something, or understanding something, that they would rather not have known. A lot of people who are not used to reading Shakespeare are very scared of the soliloquies because it is not part of modern writing. Every time a character makes a soliloquy, in an artistic sense, they take a spotlight and they put that light on themselves and whatever they reveal is revealed under full beam.

1.1. Background of Hamlet

The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is one of William Shakespeare's most renowned works. Whenever someone thinks of English literature, Hamlet is the first name that comes to everyone's mind. After all, it is often described as the "greatest" play ever written. There are certain features, which are ascertain to an utmost extent only in "Hamlet". These features make it a distinguishable and an extraordinary play of all times. It is a play, which is concerned with the central issue of life, which is to say, human existence. It has a powerful plot. The numerous characters, which are in the play, are not superfluous but all are carried to fulfil the main idea. Every character - whether a hero or villain or heroine or a prince has been created efficiently. Not only this, even the minor characters are full of interest. They are not only to show the thoughts and deeds of the major character, but they also move the story. The setting of the play is also notable. The whole play is set in the backdrop of Elsinore, the royal castle of Denmark. The entire play moves around the royal court, where, Aymerical takes place. On the ramparts of the castle, a soldier, Barnardo, comes to relieve Francisco, who is his companion on the watch. This act signifies that a fresh beginning, a new change is about to take place in that society. "Hamlet" is a wonderful play where the young prince of Denmark must uncover the truth about his father's death. Hamlet is a wonderful play full of mystery, action, and terror. The mystery that surrounds the play go so in depth that even the characters within the play do not know the truth. Every youth in high school or in literature and composition university class will no doubt, have to write the one and only "Hamlet Essay". Now, you will understand, the responses to literature differ. This though will be just a reflection, a likening, of thoughts put together, each strung. Notes shall be incorporated and constant reference would be made to the text and its meaning. Also, in writing a "Hamlet Essay", you would be required to incorporate quotes with citation and resources from the text.

1.2. Purpose of the Critical Analysis

The purpose of this critical analysis is to examine how psychological, societal, and cultural factors contribute to the complexity of Hamlet's character. By doing so, it provides a much more in-depth understanding of not only the character of Hamlet but especially of the psychological struggle that lies behind the actions of the character in the main plot. In other words, the main aim of this appraisal is revealed through the multifaceted portrayal of Hamlet, as well as the complex and conflicting layers of his character, which were shaped by those psychological, societal, and cultural factors. Therefore, the play of "Hamlet" is reinterpreted and appreciated as it is partly a deep exploration of a troubled young prince who is under "psychological conflict". Moreover, as Edric A. Mello claims in his writing "The Four Fundamental Dilemmas of Hamlet," Hamlet's character is basically "built with actual psychological consistency" and his "tragic flaw" and "the overriding cause of his predicament" can only be explained through the depth of his psychological struggle. Also, the combination of both Hamlet's inner and outer conflicts and the way that those conflicts are exhibited in Hamlet's actions during the play suggest the veracity of these claims and the importance of the critical analysis provided by Mello to the interpretation of the play. By placing greater emphasis on the psychological complexity of the character Hamlet, and through the exploration of Hamlet's inward struggle in the play, the critical analysis aims to shine a light on the ambiguity, the uncertainties, and the dilemmas in Hamlet's character so that, as introduced above, readers may have a better understanding of the play itself. And the crux of Hamlet's inner malaise especially emerges as a worthy topic for critical study and intellectual debates and in turn, the character of Hamlet is created as what it is known for nowadays - a favorite subject for psychoanalysis and literary interpretation.

2. Psychological Complexity of Hamlet

The audience gets to understand fully Hamlet's nature as a character, his psychological make-up, and his mental condition. From Hamlet's first soliloquy, Hamlet is seen as a character who is in a state of despair. Even though he only spoke seven of the well-known eighty lines in the soliloquy, Hamlet is seen to be in a confused state of mind as he expresses his dissatisfaction in life, but he also shows self-awareness. From the soliloquy, Hamlet is able to give the audience an insight into his psychological and emotional complexity, and this is because he talks in his own voice, a reason which makes the character more realistic and complex. It is from this soliloquy that we get to learn of Hamlet's uncertainty in taking action in the play. He is seen as a character who is paralyzed by the shock of his father's death and his mother's remarriage. This becomes a stumbling block to him executing his revenge in the play. Another section where we get to see the psychological complexity of Hamlet is in Act 1, scene 5 where Hamlet responds to the news brought from the ghost. When the ghost of Hamlet the King tells his son to avenge his death, Hamlet does not hesitate to say to the ghost "I swear to thy commandment. O most pernicious woman! O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain." We get an insight into Hamlet's feelings when he refers to his mother as a villain when he soliloquizes to the audience "O, most wicked speed, to post. With such dexterity to incestuous sheets" when he expresses his determination to seek revenge for his father's ill-timed death. His feeling of anger, his aggression, sadness, and pessimism are revealed to the audience, which makes the audience come close to his feelings and thoughts. His psychological and emotional turmoil is further contributed when he starts to doubt the intentions of the ghost as he ponders on the consequences of carrying out his father's request. Hamlet is also torn apart between his moods and whether avenging his father's death is justified or whether it is the morally right thing to do. From the play, we see that Hamlet's sense of morality is in conflict with the act of his desired revenge. Such internal conflicts prove that Hamlet had a multifaceted and complex character. His indecisive nature and his emphasis on moral right as a philosophical humanist bring a profound dimension to his character. The psychological complexity of Hamlet is so much that this character is full of unsolved questions that keep on dragging our attention as our mind is so curious to unfold the mystery of Hamlet. The well-known famous soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2 "O that this too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew..." forces the argument of Hamlet's character. Does it indicate a suffering character or a villain whose suffering is incurable? The audience will definitely get various implied meanings to his psychological make-up. Modern audiences may even feel sympathy for Hamlet's emotional complaints whereas in the 1600s, many people criticize Hamlet's variance as madness influenced by melancholy. This was a new mental illness where excessive black bile in the body can lead to emotional craziness. We can conclude that the psychological complexity of Hamlet has been well explored by many critical commentaries in the form of soliloquy, thematic, and a variety of motives.

2.1. Internal Conflicts and Ambiguities

One of Shakespeare's most notable abilities was capturing the complexity of a character with so many different dimensions - this is particularly evident in Hamlet. Hamlet's uncertainty and anguish is what makes the character so believable - he is arguably one of the most psychologically complex characters of all time. Hamlet's character is a very complex one and many would say that he does not take action, or thinks about his actions before he does something. On the other hand, there is a school of thought that believes that Hamlet did take action but the effects of these actions had a knock-on effect on the character that everyone around him helped to shape. The context that is put forward for this response is mainly based on the viewpoint of a critic who has suggested that Hamlet's character is not as complex as it is out to be and that he has only one aim, that is to kill his father. This is because he states that Hamlet even goes as far as to describe his thoughts and actions as "bloody", having decided on how people will remember him and what he should do, but instead leaves it up to fate - or a higher power than him. This notion could be because at that point in time, the society was a patriarchal one and so the element of the Queen disregarding her vows and marrying another king would have been seen as appalling and would have created a reaction of disgust. However, in today's society, that does not seem to be the main issue because there are no vows. The fact that Hamlet could be internally misogynistic, Shakespeare would propose that he is reflective of society and the fact that gender was a big issue in those days and the so-called "perfect gender role" that a woman should follow - get married, dependent on their husbands, bear children, and look after the house. These types of expectations from Gertrude, in order to fulfill these gender roles correctly, also could have been one of the reasons for her hastiness to remarry so quickly after the death of the king. The fact that Hamlet does not understand why Queen Gertrude would not want to remain in mourning could suggest that he does not understand why she is not feeling the loss as deeply as he is. The ambivalence it could be argued here that Hamlet feels for his mother because he describes the remarriage as "incestuous" is only present in the beginning of the play and then after, he becomes much more hostile. Also, although it could be said that this is purely down to the fact that she has not shown "not more like sorrow than an index / with advantage with despised, with love", which means that she does not really feel sorrow and if she does, it is superficial. However, the fact that Hamlet considers that she has rushed into a marriage in which the eleventh commandment states that you should follow - and that is to love the king with all the love in her being - since he points out that those players can stimulate "a guilty thing" which "is close within the villain's very soul".

2.2. Hamlet's Indecisiveness and Procrastination

The riddle of Hamlet's indecisiveness is the direct effect of the new kind of tragedy that Shakespeare introduced to the English stage. This has come to be known as "the tragedy of the moral consciousness" in which the hero is a prey to his moral scruples which urge him one way and his passions which goad him in the opposite direction. This inward division and resultant inaction make us feel Hamlet's agony of mind, hence we are induced to express pity and love for the hero. From the beginning of the play, Hamlet shows himself to be a prudent character. He seems to be genuinely moved by the sorrow of the bereaved King of Norway, who launches an attack on Denmark in order to revenge the death of his counterpart Fortinbras Senior. We are told in no uncertain terms that Fortinbras Junior is a valiant man who would stop at nothing in order to gain his ends. When his uncle Claudius asks Hamlet to explain the reason behind his melancholy, Hamlet reacts strongly to the derogatory and sarcastic nature of the argument that Hamlet's grief is unmanly. When compared to the unbounded and invigorating providence of Old Hamlet, the term "goodly" pales. Nevertheless, Hamlet is convinced that the mercy and relief of going to heaven would be "dreadfully to my soul". The incident of the unexpected unearthing of the skeleton of Yorick in the graveyard attack scene serves to throw light on Hamlet's procrastination. The sudden realization of the finality and irrevocability of death impresses upon him the futility of life and the worthless of one's endeavours. It also serves to transform his thoughts of boundless and limitless revenge into a solemn resolve; to abandon his lethargy and inaction and instead to launch a seemingly unrelenting attack on the King, culminating in the shedding of human blood. Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! (Act 1, Scene 2) Hamlet's initial soliloquy in the first act speaks in fact of his rejection of the notion of suicide and aversion to material things. This may be a form of coping with the overwhelming grief following the death of the clearly loved father. Well, this opening soliloquy serves to introduce us to the mental world of Hamlet, so in depth of agony and despair and so paralysed by indecision and inaction.

2.3. The Influence of External Factors on Hamlet's Character

It is impossible to deduce from his plays alone just what Shakespeare's personal view was on the position that one's character has in determining or altering his or her life. Since this idea is a main theme in our dear friend Hamlet, I think it a very interesting one to examine. As we see in the play, Hamlet, the main character, has the ideal "tragic hero." When we produce drama today, we try to make the characters seem as real as possible. We want people to develop a sense of understanding or compassion for our characters, consequently the characters often have some type of "psychological" flaw that makes them unique to the rest; by making those characters likeable and psychologically complex, they will become more "believable" to the audience. And it is true that in this play, Hamlet, the protagonist, comes out as a "psychologically complex" character. However, are these 'inward necessities' caused by Hamlet's character, or are his choices necessary to develop his particular type of tragic life? First of all, it is important to remember that external contexts can impact on the crew members' emotions, perceptions or choices. For instance, Kuhn states, "paradigms provide a specific framework, which is a construction that shapes and defines how a person perceives the external world." Hamlet's character can be seen as a direct response to the increasing 'paradigm' within the play, by which that character favours his internal character and fate more and more. As the chosen paradigm stakes more and more of a claim in the external state, Hamlet responds in kind by exhibiting more and more adjectives of the paradigm, which results in an internally conflicted and tragic life. This results in the audience developing compassion and a type of connection with that character, as his choices are seen as necessary- not for him to go on living per se, but for him to continue to develop in his tragic role. Meanwhile, the external paradigms 'validate' the character's internal life and progress. Hamlet's character evolves: both his genuine character and his tragic life. We can see that Shakespeare employs a modern theme and a contemporary notion when shaping the character of Hamlet. But from reading historical records and understanding modern psychology, we now see that to an extent, his character prediction of Hamlet is true for outward necessity in accordance with the play. Four hundred years later, human character is still being moulded by cultural values and modern expectations within the paradigm of self-attainment and self-discovery. In today's world, we are the master of our own life and we have the power to control our character and our external state and not allow our character to be deformed by outward necessities imposed upon us by modern societies. Yet, within the play, the prevalence of the society's values led by a paradigm does indeed shape and confine the character of our dear friend Hamlet. Faced by the same challenge, people will co-ordinate their outward state; but for those who cannot endure the conflict, they will live in a self-reproached and tragic life as Hamlet did.

3. Societal and Cultural Factors Shaping Hamlet's Complexity

While exploring the various factors that contribute to Hamlet's psychological and societal complexity in Shakespeare's "Hamlet", it becomes very clear that it is the societal and cultural factors which play some of the largest roles in Hamlet's character. Throughout the play, Hamlet is given several opportunities to take revenge on Claudius for his father's death and for usurping the throne. However, he is unable to act on his feelings and Claudius himself remarks that Hamlet's "nighted colour" or brooding and ongoing grief is not necessarily plausible in a son so long after his father's death. This indecisiveness and prolonged mourning can be seen as a result of both the psychological confusion of Hamlet and the values of Hamlet's late medieval, extremely Catholic society and his own family. The larger historical context of an early modern and rapidly changing England also contribute to Hamlet's confusion and disillusionment. The play is set in Denmark and critics throughout history have studied and proposed various historical and political connections to the play's origins, such as the English Reformation, the Norse Sagas, the reunion of the Danish and Norwegian thrones, and the various modern and medieval texts and histories that Shakespeare would have known. However, if one simply looks at the play from a high school literary perspective, one finds that it is not waiting for one of the king's guards to speak to it but instead to delve deeper into the actual situational and relationship nuances of the characters - so applying an understanding of the societal norms and cultural traditions of the time may be most beneficial. By contextualizing each version of "Hamlet" and each interpretation, comparison and analysis with the culture and values of the time in which that version of the art was produced, it becomes clear that the themes and character of Hamlet have had a lasting and prescient place in every era - from Elizabethan England to our own problematic and divided 21st century.

3.1. The Impact of the Danish Court

In detail, the Danish court is a fully functioning and busy royal household, and the court's everyday activities directly influence the temper of the state, as well as the decisions King Claudius makes. In the opening scene of the play, the night time watchmen, Marcellus and Bernardo are joined by Francisco, who is fearful about "what is about to happen" and asks them to "relieve" him and inform him the reason for the change of guard (1.1.1). It is an interesting fact that the watchmen's duty is to protect the country from invasion from Hamlet's uncle, Norway. Their preoccupation with the geopolitical instability of Denmark - and their conversation about it - establishes early on the theme of the play as a political and state-related tragedy. By depicting the watchmen and their officers as the tragic heroes in this situation - loyal to the king and the well-being of the nation - it encourages the audience to consider the kingdom as a whole and the impact that the king's death has on this broader context. It should be mentioned that they are trying to protect from invasion from Norway, and this is an early sign that these geopolitical stakes will intertwine with the family drama and disrupt the personal relationships of the characters. The result is that the kingdom, the family, and the unraveling of the leader's interests are closely linked throughout the play, which helps to ensure that it delivers a significant emotional impact to the political and existential issues presented by the script.

3.2. Hamlet's Struggle with Expectations and Social Norms

Next, this critical analysis moves on to explore Hamlet's struggle with expectations and social norms. It is clear that Hamlet is expected to behave in a way that is typical of a young nobleman – to get on with avenging his father and cementing his relationship with Claudius's family through marriage to Ophelia. A Freudian approach to the character of Hamlet places emphasis on Hamlet's conflict between action and inaction – this is a great way to build on a student's understanding of the dichotomy and his delays as, according to Freud, whose theory is possibly the most famous in the field of literary and cultural criticism – may have a basis in his relationships. In a patriarchal society, Hamlet is expected to avenge the murder of his father, and fulfill his position as heir to the throne. His conscious decision to pursue personal and private means to uncover the truth about the King's murder is perhaps Hamlet's most rational siding with modern sentiment, but other actions show him to be much more a man of anguish and sexual tension. Hamlet's apparent misogynistic treatment of Ophelia does no favors to the modern critic's view that Hamlet initially supported for the rights of woman, and is created to encourage personal development and exploration into the human mind. As a Renaissance prince, Hamlet is expected to be a model courtier; this means, among other things, that he should use the art of rhetoric to both speak and persuade others in public as well as to shape his own internal arguments. However, Hamlet's constant struggle to meet the standards set by these rhetorical and social norms reveal how significantly the developing human character conflicted with what would have been expected of the traditional courtier figure. His persistent inability to use the 'courtly' language of the Renaissance era may distance Hamlet from modern audiences; but in many respects, this also fascinatingly serves to challenge the modern view of the typical courtier. It is those features, which might seem less aristocratic and fashionable, that Shakespeare has chosen to accredit Hamlet with: the questionable but human ability to be rash and hasty rather than decisive and disciplined is what makes him – at least in part – a 'three dimensional' character, and ultimately more accessible to the introspective, modern audience. By doing so, Shakespeare also challenges the idea of a clear and so beautifully rhetorically structured Elizabethan world, and makes a point of illustrating the difficulties in maintaining a dignified and respectful public persona. It's possible, even, that Hamlet's variation between the rhetorical and disordered, repressed mind may also exist to suggest an ironic contrast to his 'antic disposition' – a feigned facade of madness that eventually drives him to his tragic downfall. Such complexities and the impossible struggle to meet such diverse and often hypocritical imaginations of the ideal renaissance man in a rapidly changing political reality are exactly what may have played on the audience's imagination and excitement in the 1600's; but by the same token, we can appreciate the psychological depth and humanity that a modern audience can find within the pre-modern facade and in doing so use a shared and current insight into human nature.

3.3. Hamlet's Reflection of Renaissance Ideals

In the context of English history, the Renaissance is a period when scholars and thinkers began to study the learning, literature, and art of ancient Greece and Rome. Hamlet, seen as a representative of the Renaissance, reflects the general spirit of the time in his intellectual curiosity, skepticism, and introspection. This Renaissance ideal is also underpinned by Hamlet's moral nature - that his intense moral nature inhibits him to find any direct satisfaction and relief of his pains. The Renaissance was a time of great intellectual and creative activity, so it is right that the gentle intellectual and idealist Hamlet should act as a representative of this period. What Hamlet does is to show us how useful and valuable the study of early literature and the real philosophical. In fact, his indecision, inability to find revenge for his father, so fear of this sinful and dreary world give us plenty of time and clues to keep ourselves thinking and remind us of the virtues of the study and modern philosophy. Therefore, we no longer seem to trace Hamlet's delay back to Shakespeare's indecision, nor to the reformation context in which the play was composed, even less to Hamlet's own supposed Oedipal conflicts, his personality problem. He reflects the most important aspect of human nature in Renaissance time: thinkers would ask for answers, for real philosophical, for place and the plan of that man in this universe - but not to follow the conventional morality, not to express their emotions. And Hamlet has indeed used his intelligence, self-consciousness. The problem he faces is real; many aspects of his world; and the play is definitely a prototypical work of the period.

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