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Character Analysis

Eric Kroetsch

To be, or not to be: That is the question. Hamlets most famous lines in Shakespeares The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Hamlet is in love. He is crazy, hes angry; vengeful. However, Hamlet is most simply described as a coward. Hamlet was, almost madly, in love with Ophelia. Early in the play he acted towards Ophelia with hatred solely for his antic-disposition of being crazy. Hamlets love was never proven until the last act, and second to last scene. Once Ophelia died, and Hamlet and Laertes started arguing his love was finally confessed publically. He stated: I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers Could not with all their quantity of love Make up my sum. (Act V Scene i) Vengeance. Revenge. Requital. Hamlets main goal of the play is to revenge the foul murder of his father, King Hamlet. Claudius, his Uncle-Father, is the murderer. This was proven when he screamed out Give me some light (Act III Scene 2) after the reenacted murder of the late King Hamlet. Throughout the play, Hamlet has several opportunities to kill Claudius. He always talked his way out of doing so. He did, however, murder Polonius under the belief that it was Claudius hiding in his mothers room. Hamlets character is a coward. Given all of the opportunities he had to enact his revenge, and kill his fathers murderer. He could have killed the king when he was praying, yet he did not. He decided it was not right, as he would go straight to Heaven due to being in prayer. Now might I do it not he is a-praying, And now Ill do t. And so not he goes to heaven. (Act III Scene 3) As readers of the play, one knows that

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Character Analysis

Eric Kroetsch

Claudius was not at prayer, and was happy with all of his choices. If Hamlet had killed him, he would not have gone to Heaven. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a timeless play. It has qualities relating to all eras of human life. Relating to Hamlets cowardice, his paradoxal love of Ophelia, and even his need to avenge his fathers death.