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In Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet faced many dilemmas that led to his transformation throughout the play. The people around him and the ghost of his father dramatically affect him. Seeing his father s ghost had changed his fate and the person he had become. The path he chose after his encounter with his father s ghost led to his death.
In the beginning of the story, Hamlet s character was struggling with the sudden marriage of his mother, Gertrude, to his uncle, Claudius, a month after his father is death. For a young man, it s hard to believe that he understood why his mother quickly married Claudius especially since, Claudius is his uncle. Later he learned that his father s ghost was sighted. Intuitively, he knew there had to be some kind of foul play.
At this point, Hamlet is a university student; his morals and way of thinking are defined by books and what was taught to him. This is seen when he speaks about the flaws of men, setting a bad reputation for all, and the man s flaws causing their downfall. (a. 1, sc. 4, l. ) Upon meeting his father s ghost, he learns that Claudius killed his father, and that he must take on the task of avenging his death. This encounter changed who he is completely. He said that he will wipe away books, the past, and all of the things he was taught.
He will live within the book and volume of brain (a. 1, sc. 5, l. ). He only will live through this purpose in life, and everything else is erased from his memory. He is possibly trying to shut down the part of him that knows right from wrong. His purpose his more important than all else, even if it means destroying on people along the way. He was on a mission that was larger than he had ever imagined.
He was driven by grief and ambition. After he meets the ghost, Hamlet begins to treat people cold-heartedly. His is led by his mind, but not his heart. The acts of cruelty on Hamlet s part were done because pity or sympathy no longer exists within.
His treatment of Ophelia (his girlfriend) is disgusting. He also treated his mother in a rude fashion. He felt betrayed by his mother because he loved and trusted her, but she went and married his uncle soon after his father s death. He has no feelings anymore; feelings of love, pity and remorse were no longer a part of him. His thoughts had completely taken over him.
He also became unsure of who he really was, and lost all sense of life and beauty. He could not enjoy life any more. He proves this by sacrificing the lives of everyone in his way, and all that wronged him, such as Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes and his former friends Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and his mother. However, was it worth it? Did they have to be killed? Because of the ghost, life has no meaning for him; he has no sympathy for taking other s lives.
To him, killing them did not matter, revenge was all that became important to him. Hamlet says, I must be cruel only to be kind (a. 3, sc. 4, l. 199). He will do bad things, if that s what it takes to make everything right. Death and sorrow will be brought upon Denmark until a balance is reached in the end.
Then his purpose and task is complete. His new purpose trapped him in a world (Denmark) where he cannot be himself anymore. He changes into someone that will deal with that world and will be able to go through with his sole purpose. I think that Hamlet is fully aware of what he is doing, although he appears to be mad. His awareness is clear because he says that he is going to appear mad to people. His madness was expressed when he spoke to his mother, yet he was able to rationalize with her.
At that point, the ghost that he sees is conscience, trying to battle out his feelings for his mother. This so-called madness was a fa ade to analyze the faithfulness of his mother and friends. That is the main reason he was slow in acting. He s trying to analyze everything and everyone around him, so that he can use it to his advantage to accomplish his purpose. For example, when he puts on a play that will reenact how Claudius killed his father to see if Claudius really did it.
Also, when Claudius was on his knees, trying to ask God for forgiveness, Hamlet could have killed him and get his revenge but he doesn t take on this opportunity. This slow process is what I think caused his death, he should have acted quickly. To resolve the rottenness in Denmark, he does whatever it takes because his task is to restore order. He became a part of a plan, that he had no choice but to do.
His father had chosen his fate to set everything right in Denmark. He was ready for his final action when he knew death was approaching him. With deaths already upon his hands, he final killed Claudius. In addition, little does he know he also killed himself, psychologically, mentally, and physically, because what he was as a person was changed. Hamlet s transformation into one thirsty for revenge was started by his father s ghost. Hamlet was taken by his fate, which lead to his own tragic death.
His contemplation on these only made matters worst. Hamlet waited too long to complete his task, which took the lives of many that, did not have to die.
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