The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy that may be defined as one of the most well-known tragedies in world literature. It focuses on moral sensitivity and reflection that lead to the gradual alienation of the main character affected by the necessity to act. Prince Hamlet is initially presented as a man of privilege and comfort determined by his status, however, he is too sensitive, melancholic, and highly reflective. The death of his father, King Hamlet, the assumption of power by his uncle, Claudius, and his mother’s hasty marriage with Claudius has plunged the prince into sorrow and languor. However, the occurrence of his father’s ghost who tells his son that he was murdered by his brother and asks for revenge forces Hamlet to take actions that do not correspond with his nature.
In general, Prince Hamlet is a man with a philosophic mindset and moral sensitivity that values justice and thoughtfulness. After the ghost reveals to him the reason for his death, Hamlet starts to reflect on whether evil may undo evil without remaining evil. In addition, affected by his ambiguous and contradictory personality, he hesitates to act in order not to act foolishly as he knows that passion may lead to negative consequences. Thus, the prince wants to know whether the King’s ghost has told him the truth or not. Being a quintessential doubter, Hamlet tries to evaluate and question every action searching for hidden meanings. His alienation starts with moral frustration and the increasing complexity of his psychological state caused by the growing tension between the question of guilt, morality, and justice and the urgent necessity for revenge.
Hamlet’s unstable mental state is caused by the deception typical for the royal family and a lack of trust from older relatives. For instance, Claudius spies on Hamlet to know if the prince is aware of why his father died. As a result, Hamlet starts to suspect everyone thinking that there are his enemies everywhere. In addition, the main character alienates throughout the tragedy after he realizes that his actions lead to devastating consequences related to other people. For example, he accidentally kills Polonius and this incident leads to Ophelia’s suicide. Thus, it is possible to say that Hamlet subsequently becomes mentally deranged due to his father’s pressure related to revenge, uncertain and sensitive nature, doubts, morality, guilt, and his family’s deception. His madness demonstrates the inability of a man to face reality and act in a calculated and rational manner searching for the meaning of life.
At the same time, Hamlet’s personal revenge tragedy has led not only to the tragedy for the family but to the tragedy for Denmark and the whole society as well. Neighbouring Norway and Denmark have a long-standing feud, and Hamlet’s father contributed to the stability of his country by defeating the king of Norway several years ago. At the same time, the threat of an invasion still existed – that is why, Denmark required a strong leader to be protected from Prince Fortinbras, the son of the dead Norwegian king. However, at the end of the tragedy, the entire royal family of Denmark is dead. However, before his death, Hamlet names Prince Fortinbras as his successor. As a result, the Danish crown was taken by Norway, and the Norwegian prince began to rule the country.