Hamlet Character Analysis - 918 Words

In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare raises the question regarding deception and the differences between â€Å"seeming† and â€Å"being†. Each character is trying to decipher what each other are truly thinking, contrary to what they are pretending to think. Shakespeare sets Hamlet up to illustrate the complexity of how one must deceive others to reveal the truth.  ¬Ã‚ ¬The coexistence of appearances and reality develops as the Danish court gets engulfed in a web of corruption, lies and deception. Through how Shakespeare develops his characters, specifically Hamlet, it reveals the tension between reality and illusions which allows the reader to question what is real and what is a product of our illusions. Regarding character development, Shakespeare really†¦show more content†¦From a reader’s perspective, there should be no doubt to the artificiality of his insanity. Hamlet’s â€Å"antic disposition† reveals Hamlet’s wit in which even Po lonius recognizes when he claims, â€Å"through this be madness, yet there is a method in t’† (II.ii.195). A truly mad person does not have a method to his madness, which is a result of a force other than will. Even though Hamlet initially has control over his madness, as the play progresses Hamlet gradually loses the power to control his â€Å"antic disposition†. Hamlet explains how â€Å"thus conscience does make cowards of us all, and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought† (III.i.84-86) and how his conscience is holding him back from getting revenge, but his obsession with killing Claudius only serves to pull Hamlet away from his conscience. His obsession for revenge only serves to exacerbate his madness therefore, controlling Hamlet. Shakespeare also begins to question the extent in which a lie can possibly become the truth if acted on for long enough, establishing dramatic tension in Hamlets fate. Sha kespeare utilizes Ophelia to describe Hamlet’s â€Å"antic disposition† as well as how it affects her character. An important scene that affect’s Ophelia is when Hamlet tells her to â€Å"get thee to a nunnery† (III.i.138). Hamlet denies ever having love Ophelia after revealing that he did love her once. It is ambiguous if this is just a gameShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of the Characters in Hamlet Essay1592 Words   |  7 PagesAn Analysis of the Characters in Hamlet Hamlet by William Shakespeare has been considered by many critics as one of the best plays in English literature. It has also been considered as one of the best tragedies among the many Shakespeare wrote. It is a story which revolves around this person called Hamlet, prince of Denmark. It is set in the Elizabethan times in the 16th century. 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