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In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlets interactions with Horatio, Laertes, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern give the reader a better understanding of Hamlet himself. The changes that occur within Hamlet are revealed through his interactions with these young men. Horatio is Hamlets loyal friend who throughout he play is on Hamlets side. Laertes on the other hand is more of an acquaintance of Hamlet, but as the play draws to a close they become enemies.
Laertes brings forward a side of Hamlet which acts on impulse instead of thinking everything over in detail. Finally Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are friends with whom Hamlet attended college... They cause Hamlet to do things that even the reader thinks he would never do. Hamlets interactions with these people demonstrates how a person can be affected by the personalities and actions of the people around them. Horatio is the only person in the play who is always on Hamlets side. In the play some people believe in Hamlet while other dont, but throughout, Horatio is a loyal friend to Hamlet.
With the quote, A man that Fortunes buffets and rewards Hast taen with equal thanks; and blessed are those Whose blood and judgement are so well Com meddled That they are not ripe for Fortunes finger To sound what stop she please. , in Act Three, Scene Two, lines 71 - 76, Hamlet is describing all of Horatio's qualities which he admires. Hamlet is saying how noble, well to do and down to earth Horatio is. Hamlet admires Horatio's character so much because he sees many qualities in Horatio that he, himself, is lacking. Throughout the play Hamlets character undergoes changes and Horatio is the person who keeps Hamlet from going completely insane. In (I. 2. 97), Horatio says to Hamlet, My Lord, I think I saw him yester night. , speaking of Hamlets father.
Since Hamlets father is dead, Hamlet is baffled until Horatio tells him that it was the ghost of his father. The way in which Hamlet reacts to the news gives the reader a better insight into his character. If any other person had told him this, he would have been skeptical but when his friend Horatio informs him of the ghost of his father, he believes it. This demonstrates that Hamlet is a very trusting person.
The next piece of evidence in which Hamlets interacts with Horatio gives the reader better insight into Hamlets character occurs in (III. 2. 85 - 95). In these lines Hamlet asks Horatio to watch the King during the play and to make sure that what he sees is the same thing that Horatio sees. This is important to Hamlet because in order to be certain that he can prove his theories about the King, he needs to have someone else who can back him in what he sees. This is significant to the readers understanding of Hamlets character because it demonstrates Hamlets lack of self confidence, which causes him to constantly second guess himself. Horatio is the figure who steadies Hamlet throughout the play; he allows Hamlet to be mad and sane at different times. Everyone has someone they can rely on through the bad and good times.
For Hamlet this person is Horatio. Hamlets interactions with Laertes create a version of Hamlets character which is quite different from Hamlets character in the beginning of the novel, . therefore giving the reader a better understanding of his character. Hamlet and Laertes characters are very different. This is apparent in the contrast to how Hamlet acts when given the chance to take revenge on his father and the way in which Laertes acts in the same situation.
In (III. 3. 77 - 92), Hamlet has an opportunity to kill Claudius, but fails to do so because since Claudius is praying he will go to heaven and Hamlet does not want this. In contrast, in (IV. 7. 144), Laertes says To cut his throat I th church, speaking of the revenge that he intends to take upon Hamlet, indicating that he would even kill him in a church which would send Hamlet straight to heaven. Laertes is characterized as being a person who will do something without thinking about it while Hamlet puts too much thought into what he wants to do, causing him to be unable to act. The final two pieces of evidence are from Act Five. These events occur in Act Five as this is the point at which Laertes effect on Hamlets character is most apparent.
The first is from Scene One, lines 261 - 262 where Laertes says -Hold off the earth awhile, Till I have caught her once more in mines arms. , and then leaps into Ophelias grave. This characterizes Laertes as being passionate and loyal, while up to this point we have seen no passion in Hamlet. A few lines later in the same scene and act, Hamlet jumps into the grave and attacks Laertes, telling him that Laertes has no right to be as upset as Hamlet. Hamlet was not supposed to be in Denmark, but he reveals himself to everyone in a rage. This indicates that Hamlets interactions with Laertes has caused him to react passionately and without thinking, revealing a huge change in his character. Laertes is the person in Hamlets life who challenges him and causes him to change, although not necessarily for the better.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have somewhat of the same effect on Hamlet as Laertes does. For most of the play, Hamlet is able to put up with them but as the play comes to a close he becomes fed up with them. Although Hamlet does not like them he shows a little faith in them, when in (II. 2. 402 - 403), he says I am but mad north-north-west. When the / wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw. With this quote he shows some trust in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern by telling them that he is mad when he wants to be and sane when he wants to be. He soon realizes that they are not his friends, but that they are puppets sent by the King to investigate and keep Hamlet in line.
This interaction has an effect on Hamlets character because Hamlet is coming to realize that people are not always what they seem and that he has to watch out for people. His increasing annoyance with these two questionable friends is exemplified in (III. 2. 399 - 402), when Hamlet says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Stood, / do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? / Call me what instrument you will, though you (can) / fret me, you cannot play upon me. He feels that they are attempting to use him and he does not like this at all. Although he is becoming increasingly annoyed with them he is not willing to do anything drastic to them. Hamlet character trait of being easily annoyed but not willing to take any permanent action is being revealed through his interactions with these two friends. In (V. 2. 33 - 41), Hamlet is telling Horatio of how he killed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
This is something that the reader would never have expected Hamlet to do. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the kind of people who hang around and wont leave a person alone, thus causing them to go insane and take drastic action. Throughout the play Hamlet, Hamlets interactions with people give the reader greater insight into his character and reveal changes that occur within his character. In the beginning of the play Hamlet is a trusting person who, in the course of the play, is transformed into a person capable of almost anything. The actions of the people around Hamlet have a profound effect on his character. Each and every person is affected by people around them in different ways.
Some people are positive influences on people while others are negative influences and still others push a person to new heights. Everyone has these outside influences, and each person needs to make sure that they are not adversely affected by these people as Hamlet was throughout the course of the play. 358
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