What Is Hamlet's Relationship With His Father

In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, there are many allusions to greek mythology that lend to a deeper understanding of the characters in the play. Hamlet’s thoughts about his father, mother, and himself are made clear through his references to allusions. Hamlet compares his father to Hyperion while comparing his uncle to a Satyr, Hamlet compares his mother to Niobe, and states the contrast between him and Hercules.

When Hamlet compares his father to Hyperion and uncle to a satyr it shows how much he admired his father, and his disgust towards his uncle. Hyperion was one of the 12 the children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Heaven) known as the Titans. He is the Titan god of the sun. Satyrs on the other hand are goat men that are portrayed
In greek mythology, Niobe was the Queen of Thebes, married to Amphion King of Thebes, and together they had fourteen children, seven sons, and seven daughters. At a celebration honoring Leto, Niobe bragged about her children to Leto and mocked the goddess, who only had two children, Apollo and Artemis. Apollo and Artemis came down to earth, and murdered all of Niobe's children. After this Niobe’s tears continuously flowed, and could not stop. She was changed into a stone which forever was wet with tears. Overall, Niobe is symbolic of eternal mourning in mythology. When Hamlet speaks about his mother he says, “A little month, or ere those shoes were old/ With which she follow’d my poor father’s body,/ Like Niobe, all tears:-- why she, even she.” (I, i) Hamlet feels his mother did the opposite of mourning after his father died. Unlike Niobe, instead of grieving, she is about to marry Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet is angry that his mother is so quick to remarry, instead of taking to time to mourn his father, the way Niobe mourned her children. After making the contrast about his mother and Niobe, he points out the dissimilarity to himself, and Hercules.

Hamlet states the contrast between him, and Hercules when talking about the difference between his uncle, and his father. Not only, does this again clarify the great difference Hamlet sees between his uncle, and his father, but it also shows that Hamlet does not view himself in a heroic way. Hercules is known as a great, strong warrior, and demi-god who earned a place on Mount Olympus after his death. Hercules may not have been the most intelligent hero, but he was very passionate about seeking atonement for his wrong