The Uniqueness of Hamlet

A detailed Summary of The Uniqueness of Hamlet

William Shakespeare has created many fascinating characters in his stories over time. One of the most intriguing of all is Hamlet, who is revealed in the great Shakespearean tragedy, Hamlet. He is the Prince of Denmark whose father has recently died. The throne now belongs to Claudius, King Hamlet's brother. King Hamlet's spirit makes two mysterious appearances seen only by guards and Hamlet's good friend and fellow student, Horatio. After the ghost makes a second appearance, Horatio tells Hamlet that he has seen a ghost in the form of Hamlet's father. Curious, Hamlet returns to the place of the ghost's appearances to speak with it. The ghost reveals to Hamlet the truth to his horrid death. These events all affect Hamlet deeply, and how he reacts to them gives us insight to his characterization. His personality consists of a combination of many differing, unique, and fascinating traits. He is a man of profound sensitivity, of great loyalty, and of an ever-changing disposition.

Hamlet's ever-changing disposition is one of his most fascinating characteristics. He has an unusual ability in quickly shifting his mental attitude. This is demonstrated in his alleged madness, because he does behave

His sensitivity towards others is also shown in the fact that despite his royal blood, he does not believe himself to be better than anyone else. For example, Horatio greets him as "... my lord, and your poor servant ever" (1.2.162). Hamlet then replies that if Horatio is going to address Hamlet in such a formal, honoured way, Hamlet will return the favour by addressing him as "sir". Of course, this belief that all are equal could just be reserved for Horatio because he is Hamlet's dear friend; however, Hamlet's lack of self-confidence and lack of evidence to proving he looks down on others also implies that Hamlet does, in fact, believe in equality.

Hamlet, however, is neither loyal to, nor holds the same high regard for his mother as he does his father. In his first scene, he speaks with his mother, and mocks her lack of grief for his father, her dead husband. He says, "I have that within which passeth show/ These but the trappings and the suits of woe" (1.2.85-86). He may merely mean that his grief for his father is genuine, but "passeth show" may also mean that he has some sort of feeling that cannot be shown by his black clothing and cloudy face. Later, when alone, Hamlet says in his soliloquy, "Frailty, thy name is woman" (1.2.146). He is expressing disgust at the speed with which his mother went from his father's grave to his uncle's bed. He even jokes about it with Horatio, bitterly. He says that the real reason his mother's remarriage came soon after her husband's death, was so she could save money by serving the leftover funeral refreshments to the wedding guests.

Even though Hamlet is bitter and straightforward, another strong trait of his is his sensitivity. This is shown by his proneness to depression as well as his tendency to get into conflicts. His sensitivity, however, is not only personal, but also pertains to the thoughts and feelings of others. When the ghost of his father, for example, somewhat describes his treacherous life in the burning pits of hell, Hamlet shows a great sympathy for it. He does not like suffering of any sorts, whether the subject is human or non-human. He does not believe that spirits are much different tha

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Approximate Word count = 1472
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English