Hamlet
Tragedy, love, anger, passion, betrayal, and madness are all exceptional examples of the very factors that make “Hamlet” one of Shakespeare’s better productions. The character of Shakespeare’s creation that radiates the greater amount those factors is none other than Hamlet son of the King and Queen of Denmark. Follow me as I lay the gist of his life before you.
Hamlet is the heir to Denmark being the son of the previous king, I say previous because the king has been murdered. This is unbeknown to Hamlet who, for the moment like most the kingdom, believes his beloved father was taken by natural causes.
We join Hamlet at the beginning not the beginning of his life but that of his death or at least the road that leads him to it. Prince Hamlet is in grieving over his father’s untimely death but more so over the incestuous union between his mother and uncle now know as King Claudius. The marriage was far to soon and has ripped at the very seams that hold Hamlet’s reasoning together. His thoughts already damper have now been drenched in contemplations of suicide.
Hamlet longs desperately to see his father once more whether it be beneficial to his mental state or not, so naturally he jumps at the opportunity when it arises. Horatio had told Hamlet about the ghastly figure that was believed to be the King’s ghost and set up a time for Hamlet to meet it.
Hamlet meets his undead father and discovers the horrific truth of “a murder most foul”. His father’s death was indeed unnatural and his mother has unknowingly married the vile villain. And so in the storm of his mind he devises a plan to seek revenge on Claudius, but in order to get close enough and accomplish the feat he must pretend to be insane. Hamlet plays the part very well in fact he does it so well he has everyone fooled even is innocent lover Ophelia.
Time passes and we see a flaw and a few unexpected complications in Hamlet’s plan, the flaw being Hamlet’s own procrastination and doubt, the complications being Ophelia’s strong love for him and her nosy father Polonius. The unfortunate results are indeed pitiful, Polonius is killed in a fit of Hamlet’s so called madness and poor Ophelia slips out of her mind after her father’s death and the manner of his funeral. The ending of the woven tale does not end well.
Hamlet’s character represents that fine line between right and wrong, he was also used to teach that those who take revenge into their own hands will only meet misfortunate ends. I believe one who dabbles in madness will fall into it and he who sows misery will eventually reap it. Hamlet walked the brink of Hell and lost his balance, the play is a tragedy and has a fitting end. Something definitely was rotten in Denmark but now the only stench is that of the unfortunate royal family, may they be a lesson to all, grapple your souls shield it from hate and the temptation of revenge.
