Hamlet exhibits behaviour ranging from calm and contemplative to his famed antic disposition. What in the end do we really know about Hamlet? Its plain that Hamlet is a self-deprecating, depressive character given therefor to indecision, but what is it really that compels Hamlet to delay?
The ghost of his father proclaims revenge his foul and most unnatural murder making it definite that he was murdered and Hamlet must avenge his death. That is all good and true but at the end of the day how sure can we be about the words from a ghost. That said while the play provides proof that Hamlet is a good judge of other characters he often struggles to be sure of himself.
That said, though we see Hamlets murder of Polonius as rash and impulsive, in my mind I found it premeditated. Hamlet knows himself well enough to see that he would have been unable to kill Claudius while looking at him because it is simply not in his nature. Given the chance to Hamlet took the opportunity to kill Claudius when the consequences were less damaging to his psyche. I think this was hamlets first moment of true clarity since his father had died.
Hamlets mood drastically flips from aggressive in the monologue oh this too sully flesh, to practically abysmal in To Be or Not to Be. Hamlet questions his purpose in life; whether to rather enter into the realm where no travellers return or to take arms against a sea a trouble. This inner turmoil just reinforces Hamlets character flaw of indecisiveness and justifies his mental state.
By portraying Hamlet as a tragic imperfect hero Shakespeare gives us a relatable character. Sometimes in our lives we are given tasks that are thrust upon us. Some may say it is how we deal with them was truly defines us. I think Shakespeare wishes for us to learn that not all heroes are brave or true. Not everyone is inherently good. At the end of the day sometimes when we look back on history it was the action we took rather than who we are that defines us.
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