Hamlet’s Character

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The Change in Hamlet
‘The tragedy of Hamlet’ is probably the saddest play written by Shakespeare. The book presents a series of events that are motivated by vengeance. These events lead to the death of both evil characters and their avengers. The play demonstrates how one malicious act can cause disastrous effects to an entire community. Not only is the entire royal family wiped out, but the whole country has its leadership transferred to another country. In a story that is marked by such drastic change of events, no other character is affected as much as Hamlet. In the course of the play, Hamlet transforms from a sane, happy scholar into an irrational avenger market with insane characteristics.
At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is just a normal man for his age. Before his father’s death, he has been schooling in Germany. This can be established as the norm for noble men in Denmark. His friends and peers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern study also in Germany. Like any young man of his age, he is also in love with a girl within the courts. Although this is not evident at the beginning, Act Two makes it clear when Laertes makes an impassioned monologue. The intention of the monologue is to warn his sister Ophelia about any effective relations with the prince. Laertes, who is also close to the royal family and is Hamlet’s age mate, has been living in France. Hamlet also displays the same characteristics as his other age mate Horatio.

Horatio is an exemplary scholar who is thoughtful and does not believe in ghosts. In their first meeting, Hamlet addresses Horatio saying “I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student; I think it was to see my mother’s wedding.” (1:2:63) (Shakespeare, 16) In the following conversation where Hamlet asks the young guards multiple questions, it is evident that like Horatio, he does not believe in ghosts. However, in the event that displays the onset of his descent into madness, he begins to suspect foul play in his father’s death. By the end of Act one Scene two, Hamlet says that: “My father’s spirit in arms! All is not well; I doubt some foul play.”
In retrospect, Hamlet is told that a ghost has been looming near the royal homestead. His madness arises from a series of events that he perceives as betrayals. Even before the news of his father’s apparition to the watchmen, Hamlet is already deeply disturbed by his mother’s marriage to his uncle. There are two factors that prompt this reaction. First of all, he considers it an incestuous act. His mother has married his father’s brother who is grossly inappropriate. This wedding happens even before he arrives from Germany. The hastiness of the events suggests a betrayal of his father. It also suggests that the mother is complicit in the overthrowing of the king. This is why Hamlet tells Horatio that it seems people came for the mother’s wedding rather than the father’s burial. The rapid events have also denied him his rightful position as the heir to the throne. Immediately after the mother marries Uncle Claudius, the latter crowns himself as king of Denmark. Hamlet, therefore, feels that the foul play was not only against his father but also against him.
Consequently, it is only logical that Hamlet’s madness multiplies after the events of Act one Scene five. When his father’s ghosts recount how he was killed by King Claudius, Hamlet responds with, “O my prophetic soul! My uncle!” (1:5:23) (Shakespeare, 29). This shows that he had previously contemplated the treasonous act of his uncle. In his soul, he already knew that Claudius is responsible for his father’s death and his father’s confession only aggravated his anger. While he was restraining himself because he felt that he does not have any cause to be angry, now he has gotten the justification to be uncivil with his uncle. The ghost aggravates his attention to details as he tries to find reasons that could prove that his uncle is indeed the responsible murderer. This anxiety is what brings out the first signs of his changing character. In Act two Scene two, King Claudius and Queen Gertrude have already understood that there is a change in Hamlet. The two summon Hamlet’s friends and schoolmates all the way from Germany to assist them in understanding his new character traits. In the first meeting with King Claudius says “The need we have to use you did provoke our fast sending. You have heard something of Hamlet’s transformation; so call it, Sith nor the exterior nor the inward man Resembles that it was!” (2:2:3-8) (Shakespeare, 40). In the following lines, the king explains to the men that Hamlet is not only sad because of his father’s death. They are now beginning to perceive that he is afflicted by some form of madness. Even then, Hamlet is not entirely consumed by the vengeance and still seriously contemplates the meaning of his actions.
Hamlet continues to be a cautious man despite the ghost’s appearance and its impact on his psychic. His madness is continuously juxtaposed to his reason and thoughtfulness. In many instances, he does not trust the ghost’s reasons for appearing. He often feels that the ghost could be there to trick him and if he kills his uncle, he might regret it for the rest of his life. There is also Ophelia who presents another challenge. Hamlet loves her and is worried by the fact that she is deeply concerned by his current status. However, his encounter with Ophelia becomes one of the shreds of evidence of how much he has changed. Despite his affection for her, he bids her commit herself to the nunnery, and he swears that he shall ban any marriages.
This is the groundbreaking moment where Hamlet shows his conversion to a man who no longer cares the least about anyone. He says to Ophelia “Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” (3:1:143) (Shakespeare, 65) First of all, it is surprising that he says this immediately after Ophelia’s speech in which Ophelia has given an impassioned declaration of her affection for him. In this speech, Ophelia tells Hamlet that he gave her memories that she still treasures which alludes to a better time in the past where they were lovers. However, in his transformation, he no longer cares even the least for her. He swears to her that she was misguided by his pretense and he never cared about her. He is ready to invalidate any possibility of an amicable future with her when he bids her go to a nunnery which is equivalent to the modern brothel. Being sent to the brothel is inhuman to Ophelia for various reasons. First of all, he is telling her that he wishes her to commit to other men for sexual pleasure. This is the truest sign that he wishes to have nothing with her and equates her to a prostitute. In addition to this, the commission to the nunnery means that she cannot bear children. In fact, he tells her “why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners.” This sentence shows that he no longer trusts that anyone can be good. Even little children who are born are supposedly evil. He believes that if Ophelia has children, they will just be as vain as his mother and his uncle. This is also the reason he swears that he would banish all marriages. This would mean that people can no longer have children as he feels that it would be improper for more people to be born just to become conscientious and fill the world with treachery. By this stage, Hamlet has already transformed into a vengeful foe that has no regard for anyone.
Henceforth, the changes in Hamlet become even more rapid. In his witty nature, he must ensure that he is not killing his uncle out of an empty trick by a false apparition. To do this, he organizes an original play. Here we get a glimpse of the old Hamlet with the help of his friend Horatio. He is passionate and able to create something ingenious. He is even able to convince the entire court to watch the play. For taking the time to confirm his uncle’s guilt before taking any action, one feels that perhaps Hamlet does not want to kill King Claudius. Probably he wished that the ghost was wrong and therefore he won’t have to kill him. This also implies that he is not after the throne because he does not want to kill the uncle just because he took the throne from him. Unfortunately, the play succeeds in confirming the ghost’s story. Even after finding his uncle immediately after the play, he still hesitates from killing him. The reason he gives for the hesitation if the uncle is killed when praying, he shall go to heaven. This will mean he has evaded his punishment. However, this might mean that Hamlet is still not ready to kill Uncle Claudius. Instead, he prefers to confront with his mother. Hamlet just wants to find out if she was responsible for the death of the father. Unfortunately, in the moment of rage, Polonius is caught in the wrong place. He is trying to spy and is killed. This creates a bigger problem for Hamlet. Not only did he break Ophelia’s heart, but he has also killed her father. Additionally, Claudius now has the right to attempt and get rid of him. In fact, Claudius does correctly this as he dispatches him to England with a secret command to be killed.
However, the witty Hamlet cannot be tricked so easily. He uncovers the plot and can get away from his friends and return to Denmark. This is also tragic because he arrives just in time for Ophelia’s funeral. Not only is he responsible for her father’s death, but he is also responsible for her death. Ultimately, he feels that his uncle is responsible for all of this by setting the actions rolling through the murder of his father. He is ready to prove to Laertes that he loved Ophelia. In the consequent struggle, the entire royal family is killed. Hamlet is eventually dead, and Denmark is to be given out to the Norway authorities.
As Horatio narrates the events to the Norway prince who will take up the authority, one gets a clear picture of Hamlet. He is hurt and becomes a victim of circumstances. He is a young man trying to live his life while too many events change his life. He is henceforth unable to control himself. He is moved by anger and pain for all the injustices that he has encountered. He has lost all the people that he loved while trying to avenge the death of his father. He could have chosen to start a life with Ophelia and forget the past, but the injustices would have persisted. Even though the ghost bids him spare the mother, he is still determined to establish her role so that she might also face justice. Indeed, not only has he lost everyone, but he has also lost himself. Hamlet, therefore, pays the ultimate price for the evil of his uncle, King Claudius. In this way despite his transition into madness, he does not become a villain. He is a hero whose life becomes a sacrifice to appease for another man’s sins. This is why it is deemed that he deserves a royal funeral.

Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. London: Sovereign, 2012. Print.