The Paradox Of Hamlet In The Play Hamlet By William Shakespeare

In the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, the character hamlet is such a complete and unusual character. You would be hard-pressed finding a better-developed dramatic personality. Hamlet’s seems to be a paradox. Whenever I try to understand him, he changes. This is what I think has attracted audiences to the play for ages and what I found most compelling. The moment we see Hamlet we are captivated by his contradictions. He is irresponsible and responsible, uncontrolled and controlled, friendly but also unfriendly. Hamlet is furious bout his father’s death, but shows no remorse for the killings he committed. His appearance shows he is full of mourning and that he is a troubled character. When everyone continues on with his or her
lives, hamlet is still distraught over his father’s death. He is burdened by the fact that it seems like no one seems to care, especially his mother for marrying her brother-in-law soon after Hamlets father died. Hamlet loved Gertrude at one time, but this act really tears him up. This passage shows how much he loved, respected, and cared his father, “So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly; heaven and earth, Must I remember?” (I.ii.141-45). The actions of Gertrude could be what changes Hamlets perception towards woman, based on how you interpret the play.
We see from the letters that Hamlet wrote Ophelia that he loved her at one point and probably felt the same way that his dad did towards his mother, however, after Gertrude’s actions, the love in Hamlet has vanished. The paradox in Hamlets relationships is intriguing. Hamlet could have had a changed perception towards woman because of Gertrude or he could be having a love for his mother. After all Hamlet hates the relationship between Claudius and Gertrude and could show that he wants a relationship with his mom. Hamlet tells Gertrude, "Good night, but go not to my uncle's bed" (IV. iii.180). Hamlet does not want her with Claudius. Maybe he wants a relationship with his mother, or is it that Hamlet is frightened to love because he is scared of woman? However you interpret it, Hamlets character is very
intriguing. Hamlets dialogue with Ophelia suggests that he has gone completely mad.
He hates Ophelia at one point and then wants to engage in sexual acts with her the next, or is he just being cruel and mistreating her? It could be that he is just using her to put on a front for Polonius who already thinks Hamlets has gone mad. I think Hamlet still loves Ophelia, which is evident in one of the scenes where he talks about loving her after her death, but also wants justice, which makes him act the way he does. Here we see the character Hamlet as callous and honorable. Hamlet was so distraught over his father’s death that love has left him and he even despaired. His famous line shows it here, “To be, or not to be, that is the question; Wheather 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. To die; to sleep, No more.” (3.1.56-61) Hamlet was in such a state of despair that once he sees his father’s ghost and the ghost asks him to revenge his death, I think he has no chance of being happy again. Hamlet realizes that killing the King would be wrong, but he also hates Claudius and wants him to suffer for his father’s death. As much as Hamlet hates Claudius, he has perfect opportunities to kill Claudius, but he passes them up, which shows that he would of abstained from killing him if it was not for the
ghost. The next time we see Hamlet when he returns from exile he seems to have come to grip with himself, “Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting, That would not let me sleep: methought I lay
Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Rashly, And prais'd be rashness for it, let us know, Our indiscretion sometime serves us well When our deep plots do pall, and that should learn us There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will.” (V.ii.4-11). Hamlet is now ready to revenge his fathers death and commit the act he is trying to revenge. At the end Hamlet had changed greatly and is finally ready to die. After reading hamlet a few times now, I have come to the conclusion that Shakespeare created the most dramatic, complex well-developed character of all time. There are many different ways you could interpret his relationship to Gertrude. Does he love his mom? Did he kill Claudius because he loves his mother or to avenge his fathers death? However you interpret it, you would be hard pressed in finding a better developed character.