Analysis of Hamlet's Change in "Hamlet"

Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" kicks off with the main guy, Hamlet, going through some major changes. This essay will dive into how Hamlet evolves over the course of the play. We'll dig into his character growth, his rollercoaster of emotions, and what he actually does. By checking out how Hamlet’s personality and behavior shift, we can get a clearer idea of his complicated nature and how deeply his experiences shape him. So, how does Hamlet change throughout the play, and why’s that matter? This question is our guide as we explore Hamlet's journey in Shakespeare’s classic tragedy.

Hamlet's Starting Point and His Evolution

At the play’s start, Hamlet’s this young prince who's super bummed out 'cause his dad, the former king, died. He's all wrapped up in grief and even thinks about life’s big questions like suicide. But as things progress, he shifts a ton. He becomes consumed with revenge against his uncle Claudius for marrying his mom and snagging the throne. This thirst for revenge shakes him up mentally and emotionally as he navigates through all the chaos around him.

Shifts in Hamlet's Emotional Landscape

One huge thing about Hamlet is how much his feelings change. Initially, he's just drowning in sorrow and can't seem to find peace. But when he finds out about his dad’s murder and who did it—boom!—his grief morphs into full-blown anger. Act 1, Scene 5 shows this when he bursts out with “O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!” It shows just how mad he is at Claudius and marks his turn from sad prince to fired-up avenger.

Pretending to be crazy makes things worse for him emotionally too. He's acting nuts to confuse his enemies and sniff out their secrets. But this act kinda spirals outta control until reality gets blurry for him. Like in Act 3, Scene 4 when he's ranting at Queen Gertrude: “Nay, I know not. Is it the king?” This scene highlights how messed up his mental state is becoming and how intense his emotions have taken over.

Hamlet's Choices and Their Consequences

Together with these emotional changes come some pretty dramatic shifts in what Hamlet actually does during the play. He starts off all doubtful about pulling off avenging his dad but grows more assertive as time goes on. In Act 3, Scene 3 there’s this perfect moment where he could kill Claudius but hesitates 'cause he worries Claudius’ soul might end up in heaven if killed during prayer. This moment underscores Hamlet’s moral struggle while showing off newfound maturity about consequences.

You also see Hamlet’s transformation through how strategic he gets at manipulating others to achieve revenge goals without dirtying hands directly sometimes too much maybe? Like when setting up “The Mousetrap” (Act 4 Scene 2), using that play within a play cleverly exposing Claudius' guilt—a smart move showing cunning development & adaptation reflecting deep complexity inherent throughout whole narrative arc quite brilliantly!

Final Thoughts

In closing thoughts then ultimately transforming acts done by our hero reflect deeply layered complexity marking significant growth across plotline itself—from starting sad introspective soul—to determined seeker justice driven sheer force willpower needs resolved satisfying closure finally achieved towards end climax resolution bringing forth various philosophical musings regarding themes explored herein including morality intricacies human condition truly timeless relevance continuing engage audiences centuries beyond original creation indeed fascinating study ever enduring masterpiece known simply "Hamlet."

References

• Shakespeare, W. (1609). The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Folger Shakespeare Library.
• Bloom, H. (1998). Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. Riverhead Books.
• Nuttall, A.D. (2007). A New Mimesis: Shakespeare and the Representation of Reality. Yale University Press.
• Kastan D.S., & Stallybrass P., (Eds.). (1996). The Norton Shakespeare: Tragedies. W.W.Norton & Company Inc.
• Bate J., Rasmussen E., (2010) "The RSC Shakespeare Complete Works", Palgrave Macmillan Limited