... his genuine grief but are more painfully aware of his revulsion at his mother and loathing for Claudius" (Prosser 128). This is Hamlet's first sign of jealousy towards his uncle, Claudius. Johann von Goethe explains this as Hamlet's hopes fading away with his mother's increasing love for Claudius. "He hoped in the company of his surviving noble-minded parent, to reverence the heroic form ... is torn between killing his uncle and involving his mother. "Feelings of intense jealousy at the sight of her giving herself to another man, a man he had no reason to love or respect" (Jones 84). No...

• Word Count: 1687
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... shattered idealism, he consciously embarks on a quest to seek the truth hidden in Elsinore; this mission of Hamlet's is in stark contrast to Claudius' fervent effort to obscure the truth of King Hamlet's murder. The question of Hamlet's sanity is irrelevant, but instead his melancholy disposition is ... to the political, economic, social and intellectual conditions of the age."1 Politically, Hamlet feels left down and put aside for the crown. Claudius assures himself the crown by murdering the King while Hamlet is away at Wittenberg. Not only is Hamlet offended that he is not King, ... he...

• Word Count: 4821
• Approx Pages: 19
• Grade Level: High School

... times in the play, whether it is grief, hate, or love. Hamlet appears lost in a blanket of emotions that overrule his ability to think clearly. In all of his pent up anger at himself, his mother, Claudius, and everything that is "rank and gross in nature-, Hamlet ... happens to drink the poisoned wine and dies. These fortunate events finally give Hamlet enough incentive to follow through with his plan of murdering Claudius, and of fulfilling the ghost's wish. These irrational events are the most powerful and influential forces in the play. The theme of irrationality ... in the value of ...

• Word Count: 1742
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... twists and turns. The only thing that is certain is that Hamlet's emotional side was repeatedly put to the test. When King Hamlet was killed by Claudius and he moved in the spot light, Hamlet and his mother's relationship was changed forever. I think their relationship was broken. Hamlet felt first the ... death demands. He proved he wasn't going to allow his uncle to put him where his father lies. I believe when Hamlet became aware of Claudius" deceitful intentions that he began to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and found out, truly what kind of person his mother's husband ....

• Word Count: 1433
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... if Hamlet ever loved his father, he will "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder" (I.v.25). Hamlet "swears" his duty to prove his loyalty and love. He tells the Ghost to tell the story of the murder, and the revenge will follow: "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift ... / As meditation or the thoughts of love, / May sweep to my revenge" (I.v.29-31). Yet the ghost adds one specification, he tells Hamlet not to cause harm to his mother, telling him ... waits and confronts Ophelia, which adds complication to his mission as she confides in her father, the conniving Polonius....

• Word Count: 1975
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... world. No other important English novel seems to offer quite such a stark illustration of an 'Oedipus complex' "4 What is "Oedipus complex"5? In psychoanalytic theory, it is a son unconscious sexual love for his mother and his subsequent hostility and jealousy toward his father. A similar attraction of a daughter to her father and rivalry with her mother; more specifically called the Electra complex ... his mother enjoyably. In his subconsciousness, he reckons that he almost replaces his father in the family and wants such situation emergence. When he becomes involved with Miriam, the l...

• Word Count: 4216
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... /But I am pigeon-liver;" meaning he is cowardly (Hamlet/Line 532-533). If he had actually acted out his father's revenge, he would have fed Claudius' guts to all of the region kites of scavenging birds, by now. As we continue, Hamlet condemns the way he's been handling the situation so far. ... in which he further bashes and disparages himself (Hamlet/Line 542). This is a pretty powerful simile because a whore, by definition, is a woman who trades real love for false lust. She may say the words, but she doesn't really feel them emotionally. Hamlet states that he is like this in that he ca...

• Word Count: 932
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... that it was the devil or his own thoughts and emotions taking over. Hamlet also shows the ability to reason when he has the chance to kill Claudius. When Claudius is praying Hamlet begins to sneak up on him. He was going to kill him. He could have gotten away with it because there was no one ... . This supports that he was not insane. Hamlet also has the ability to foresee his own fate. When Hamlet is sent to England, he is aware of Claudius plot for his death. Hamlet has the reasoning skills to see this and change it. He found the letter to the king of England, saying Hamlet should be ....

• Word Count: 1128
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... that it was the devil or his own thoughts and emotions taking over. Hamlet also shows the ability to reason when he has the chance to kill Claudius. When Claudius is praying Hamlet begins to sneak up on him. He was going to kill him. He could have gotten away with it because there was no one ... . This supports that he was not insane. Hamlet also has the ability to foresee his own fate. When Hamlet is sent to England, he is aware of Claudius plot for his death. Hamlet has the reasoning skills to see this and change it. He found the letter to the king of England, saying Hamlet should be ....

• Word Count: 1067
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... in Polonius' best interest. Her desires become mere fantasy, due to the perpetual oppression and presence of the men surrounding her. With her brother Laertes away in France, and her love Hamlet mentally distant, Ophelia had no emotional outlet, which inevitably led her to a crazed and distracted state. "Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord. Farewell, Ophelia" (Act ... of powerless and desperation."I shall obey my Lord" (1.4.10). It is this principle that gave Ophelia virtually no say in anything in her life. Ophelia was used as a pawn in Claudius and Polonius' game, and she had no c...

• Word Count: 652
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the burial of Ophelia. He could have stayed hidden, yet when he found out that it was Ophelia that was dead, he went out to say good bye to his love one last time. Seeing Ophelia dead was a reality shock to Hamlet, and his true feelings were brought out. The things he told Ophelia about not loving her were not true ... , he actually "loved Ophelia" (V i 285). He also stated that "forty thousand brothers/ could not with all their quantity of love/ make up [his] sum" (V i 285-287). The other clues that shows that Hamlet was not mad was that he was able to write a play to fit the crime that...

• Word Count: 644
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School