Minor characters play a very crucial role in Shakespear’s Hamlet. They serve as narrators for events that occurred outside the immediate play: the Dane’s ghost. Distinct contrasts are created through the usage of the play’s minor characters. The reader gains new perspective on Hamlet’s character when he is compared with Laertes. The presence of these minor characters can also have a direct effect on the action of the play. The actors in the play within the play are used to expose the guilt of Claudius;
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Ophelia the Victim In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet‚ the character of Ophelia is being portrayed quite like a victim. This simple‚ innocent young woman falls victim to many things. She is the victim of Hamlet’s harassment‚ the victim of manipulation by many‚ the victim of her own flaws of being obedient‚ indecisive‚ and weak both mentally and eventually physically. Ophelia is unfortunately not very strong willed and is placed in the crossfire between many things and is unable to escape them. Gerald
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The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare exemplifies entrapment between characters. Polonius manipulates Ophelia into spying on Hamlet‚ Hamlet has the players add a scene of murder to a play in front of Claudius‚ and finally Claudius and Laertes devise a scheme to murder Hamlet during a fencing match. Each trap set between characters epitomizes themes occurring throughout the play. Shakespeare shows irony in his work‚ however‚ because none of the characters ’ plans end successfully. Closer to the
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Hamlet’s major antagonist is a shrewd‚ lustful‚ conniving king who contrasts sharply with the other male characters in the play. Claudius is bent upon maintaining his own power. He strikes us an intelligent and capable ruler. He gives a speech to make his court and country proud‚ addressing his brother’s death and the potential conflict with Norway. Claudius knows that a change in government could ignite civil unrest‚ and he is afraid of possible unlawful allegiances and rebellion. His speech juxtaposes
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nearly every tale‚ the story line contains multiple characters whom depict both good and “evil” qualities. In other words‚ they reveal opposite interpretations. These drastic differences can be drawn due to the lack of specifics in the reading. One interpretation may portray a character as pure and innocent. In another‚ they may appear at fault. Shakespeare’s famous play‚ Hamlet‚ illustrates this notion through an accumulation of characters. Of the many‚ Ophelia may strike one as the innocent
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fraudulent conduct by those in power. When Hamlet is truly analyzed‚ along with the characters‚ you would see corruption is a similar trait going along. One could say corruption is the play itself. To quote William Shakespeare‚ ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’ (1.4). The first character to talk about‚ the obvious one‚ is Claudius. Claudius’ need for power causes him to murder his brother and take the throne. In act 1 scene 5 the Ghost of Hamlet Sr. says “The fat weed that roots itself
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In this paper I will discuss the character changes throughout the story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. This change of ideals make characters round and dynamic which they then can influence other characters to follow suit. These changes can have a drastic effect upon the story. Throughout the play of Hamlet various characters change their existing personality’s making them dynamic and round. At the start of the play Hamlet is has a pleasant attitude for everyone he comes across and he has a loving
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Of all the characters in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet‚ Fortinbras is perhaps the strangest. He is barely seen and speaks little. Other characters often speak of him in low tones. Oddly enough‚ though‚ Fortinbras is a stabilizing force in the action of the play and he also functions as a framing device for the play itself. He makes his presence known only at the beginning‚ middle and end. First and foremost‚ Fortinbras is a soldier from Norway. Early in the play‚ the reader learns there is a history
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Claudius is ambitious man that craves power and unlike other characters of the play he gets and maintains his power in a very immoral way. Claudius‚ because of his obsession to get the power of his brother‚ poisons him and this ignites the start of the revenge going to take place by Hamlet‚ “the serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown” (1.5.46-47). Claudius’s brother was a great warrior that probably ruled with ideas of justice and moral balance but Claudius is a corrupt politician
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definitely a central figure in the play – Hamlet spends a whole lot of time dwelling on her incestuous marriage to Claudius – but her character is also pretty ambiguous. Was she having an affair with Claudius before the death of Old Hamlet? Does Gertrude know that Claudius killed her former husband? Why does she drink the poisoned wine her husband has prepared for her son? Does she know it’s poisoned? Or‚ is she just really thirsty? Like so many other issues in Hamlet‚ Shakespeare leaves these questions
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