Introduction
The infamous The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or simply Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is a powerful literary composition presenting the protagonist’s multidimensionality and complexity – Hamlet himself. The play traces Prince Hamlet and his contemplations on the topics like life, death, love, and revenge. The point of contention for the protagonist is centered mainly around his revenge against uncle Claudius, a throne usurper who murders Hamlet’s father and intends to marry Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet’s grief, torment, hesitance to pursue revenge, conflicted feelings about his parents, and deep melancholy is all made timelessly relatable by closely aligning Hamlet’s point of view with that of a reader.
Persona
Existentialism and Torment
Some of the most defining characteristics of the protagonist are shown early in the narrative. In reflecting on life’s value and forcing his imagination to grasp the grim reality of death, Hamlet seems to be preparing for the latter (Stockholder and Scott 88). This effort underlies his earlier description of Polonius’s dead body decomposing and the process by which kings may pass through beggars’ guts (Shakespeare 197; Stockholder and Scott 88). Hamlet questions and redefines many concepts that typically seem inevitable, such as revenge, mourning, and honor. Stockholder and Scott note that Hamlet grieves not only for his father but also because he cannot do so openly, and this grief pervades everything Hamlet says or does (76). The culmination of Hamlet’s meditations on life and death occurs in a graveyard, where he holds Yorick’s skull close enough to feel sickened, forcing himself to look death in the face (Shakespeare 249). Death’s presence thus becomes the truth of his life, just as the bare bone is the truth beneath the skin (Stockholder and Scott 88). The author shows the depth of internal contemplation that riddles the protagonist’s mind, thereby offering readers insight and a chance for empathy.
In this chance for empathy may lie the unique relatability of this character. Stockholder and Scott contend that Hamlet acts as a literary liberator for many young people since his internal dialogues and troubles are reminiscent of those of their ‘secret self,’ the person they feel they are on the inside (74). Hamlet recognizes societal decay and its all-encompassing nature, continuing to recognize the irony of human actions (“Hamlet: Character Analysis”). De Grazia argues that Hamlet’s value is timeless because each subsequent generation finds his torments timely (355). The intimate kinship that can be thus established reassures the reader that they are, after all, a normal part of humankind (Stockholder and Scott 74). Readers may apply everything that occurs in the narrative and is seen through Hamlet’s eyes because Hamlet applies it to himself as a means of common reasoning (Hazlitt). Hence, through the opportunity to access the protagonist’s thoughts, the readers can commiserate easier with him.
Point of View
Stockholder and Scott argue that Hamlet’s character dominates the play to such an extent that the circumstances in which he reacts often remain unclear (79). While Hamlet’s gaze is directed to his world, readers are focused on his reactions, not on what he is reacting to. Moreover, his point of view is so closely aligned with the narrative that sometimes the audience cannot know if events occur or if Hamlet views and interprets them (“Hamlet: Point of View”). De Grazia argues that the play builds its strength by staging the protagonist’s struggles with similar questions and questioning the gap between what is known and trusted and the unknown and feared (356). Hamlet’s struggle for clarity and acute awareness creates paranoia about the competing notions of reality (de Grazia 356). Hence, a reader can sense it through the detailed depiction of the protagonist’s doubt.
Relationship with Mother
The last point of the protagonist’s inner struggle is his relationship with his mother. Lewis (638) argues that Hamlet’s disgust at human sinfulness and corporeality, the general phenomena of sexual and moral decay, and even at himself as complicit in these shortcomings distract him from revenge. Moreover, much of Hamlet’s misanthropic disgust seems to be personified by womanhood in general and Gertrude, his mother, in particular (Lewis 638). Referring to the Freudian interpretation, Cummings suggests that this hatred may manifest since Hamlet harbors a subconscious attraction to his mother. The Freudian analysis states that a child may maintain his sexual fixation on a parent of the opposite sex (Cummings). Further, Stockholder and Skott speculate that the rejection and horror of realizing this desire may torment Hamlet to the extent that he then expresses it through disgust (75). This disgust simultaneously addresses the mother figure and her behavior.
Hence, the thought of his mother’s sexuality disgusts the protagonist deeply. This repulsion is exacerbated by the Ghost’s suggestion that Gertrude committed adultery with Claudius (Shakespeare 59). Hamlet says that his father is like “Hyperion to a satyr” to Claudius, where the former is the sun god, and the latter is a lustful monster (Shakespeare 29). In addition to becoming sexually corrupt in Hamlet’s eyes, his mother becomes his political enemy through her alliance with Claudius (Stockholder and Scott 82). She does not seem to fully understand Hamlet’s feelings about Claudius, although she correctly guesses his father’s death and her marriage (Shakespeare 85). Thus, the profound disconnect between the characters grows.
The protagonist’s intense distress over Gertrude’s depravity and betrayal alienates him from her. However, Stockholder and Scott contend that this alienation also stems from Hamlet’s fruitless attempts to convey the consequences of her actions (83). As much complexity the protagonist shows in his thoughts, as little complexity Shakespeare endows his mother with. Perhaps, it is done to symbolize the estrangement of the grieving man from those closest to him, unable to convey experiences beyond words and actions (Stockholder and Scott 83). When he confronts Gertrude in her private chambers, he asks her to remain seated so that he can show her through the mirror her real self (Shakespeare 171). Hamlet does not merely want to reflect on what has happened; he wants her to acknowledge and reveal the reasons for her actions and emotions (Stockholder and Scott 83). However, the alienation process between the protagonist and his mother remains inevitable and irreversible.
Delay of Revenge
One of the narrative’s most intriguing aspects may be Hamlet’s delayed revenge on the guilty king. Hazlitt argues that when Hamlet needs to act, he remains puzzled, indecisive, and skeptical, idly pondering his goals until he misses an occasion. In contrast, Lewis argues that Hamlet consciously rejects revenge, recognizing that no act can be commensurate with his grief, not even killing Claudius (640). Thus, the protagonist abstains from murder for the length of the almost entire narrative. De Grazia asserts that in doing so, Hamlet’s character ultimately overshadows the plot (363). Therefore, the delay in taking revenge becomes a central characteristic of the plot.
Further reconsideration of the place revenge occupies in the narrative occurs through the figure of the father’s Ghost. The shocking construction of the narrative would seem to predispose the protagonist to act without reason to hesitate: his father is dead while his mother marries a usurper. However, de Grazia argues that reason does appear in the plot: had he done so, the play would have ended as quickly as it began (365). The Ghost first calls on Hamlet to avenge him, but this call is later transformed into a request for Hamlet to “remember” him (Shakespeare 57; 61). Further, Stockholder and Scott interpret the hesitation to mean that Hamlet knows that by taking revenge, he will fall into a cycle of violence that will make him no better than Claudius (76). Consequently, the author presents postponement as a psychological rather than a dramaturgical problem, a symptom of character rather than a sign of a protracted plot (de Grazia 365). Henceforth, conscious inaction or stalling becomes a central feature of the protagonist’s character.
Hamlet consisted essentially not of a plot representing action but of a character incapable of action. Therein lies the contemporary relevance of Hamlet, with an internal drama that transcends the coordinates of time and place (de Grazia 366). De Grazia suggests that through this understanding of Hamlet, as a tragedy detached from the plot and centered around the character, the play acquires its transcendent qualities (367). Therefore, unbound from its plot, time, and place, the narrative opens to any inner postulates of its audience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Hamlet’s deeply observant and reflective nature is shown to be the central defining feature that enables the progression of the plot. His hesitation around the murder drives much of the narrative; his torment in the process allows the readers to relate to the internal struggle in a unique way. Through the eyes of the protagonist, the readers can understand the existential nature of his thoughts and feelings about his surroundings as much as he does. The dramatic effect created by such an invisible presence allows the struggles in Hamlet to transcend place and time.
Works Cited
Cummings, Michael J. “Hamlet Study Guide.” Shakespeare Study Guides with Complete Texts That Define Difficult Words and Explain Difficult Passages, 2019, Web.
de Grazia, Margreta. “Hamlet Before Its Time.” Modern Language Quarterly, vol. 62, no. 4, 2001, pp. 355–376. SIRS Issues Researcher, Web.
“Hamlet: Character Analysis.” CliffsNotes, Web.
“Hamlet: Point of View.” SparkNotes, Web.
Hazlitt, William. “Hamlet.” Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays, C.H. Reynell, 1817. SIRS Issues Researcher, Web.
Lewis, Rhodri. “Hamlet, Metaphor, and Memory.” Studies in Philology, vol. 109, no. 5, 2012, pp. 609–641. EBSCOhost, Web.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2016, Web.
Stockholder, Kay, and Amy Scott. “Hamlet.” Thinking about Shakespeare, 1st ed., Wiley, 2018, pp. 74–93.