... . Of course Hamlet grieves over his father's death. To add to his immense suffering, Hamlet returns home to find his mother married to his uncle Claudius. The haste of this marriage outrages and confuses Hamlet. "Within a month: ere yet the salts of most unrighteous tears had left the flushing in ... result of the lies that he is surrounded by. Hamlet learns that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been spying on him as by order of King Claudius. These feelings of pain and sorrow become embedded deep inside Hamlet and they cause him to become excessively melancholic. Unfortunately, by the e...

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... of the play when he was advising her against believing Hamlet's love, albeit in a domineering way, just like Hamlet's attitude with his mother, the only other female in the play, as when he was advising her against sleeping with Claudius in the future. Therefore, one can note that both characters ... is known for its study of philosophy and religion, where as Laertes studies in Paris and is eagerly waiting to go back after attending the coronation of Claudius in Denmark, not so much for studying but for the life of "drinking, fencing, swearing, quarreling, drabbing" (II, ii, 25). Therefo...

• Word Count: 777
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate

... inaccurate accusations. Hamlet refuses to take any action until he can confirm that the ghost was, in fact, his father. He decides to test Claudius's conscience by putting on "a play within a play." Hamlet is being moral by taking caution in trusting the ghost. Hamlet has ... that his spirit is not able to experience the paradise of Heaven. Others in Hamlet's position would act quickly out of detestation towards Claudius. Hamlet, on the contrary, uses his gift of intelligence to think about the whole situation in great depth. He knows he will ... Claudius murdered the King. Through his...

• Word Count: 1080
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... secretly trying to avenge his death through theatre with the help of his dead father's ghost. Hamlet's encounter's with his mother, Gertrude, and his uncle, Claudius, are not handled in a rational way. His experience with Laertes is not an improvement either. These are three events that set in motion a series of ... tragic events that should have been avoided. Hamlet is angry with Gertrude because of her love for Claudius. Hamlet believes that this affair is incest and his anger is further fueled by the knowledge of Claudius being his father's murderer. Hamlet scolds his mother, "nay but...

• Word Count: 560
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• Grade Level: High School

... forgiveness so he would not be murdered. However Claudius causes the murder of Gertrude and himself, which eventually led to the ending of the play. Despite Claudius" actions there are similarities between himself and Hamlet. They both are murderers and liars and both are passionate men. Both love Gertrude in a unique way and both are very influential. Hamlet gets what he wants in ... avenging his father's murder and Claudius carries out his plans for murder, although neither turned out ... as u would expect. Claudius the villain was a very complexed character. He carefully planned out...

• Word Count: 871
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• Grade Level: High School

... are to deliver to the King of England. The king owes favors to Denmark. Claudius sent letters directing the king to see that Hamlet dies. Ophelia is distraught over her father's death and her loss of Hamlet's love. Her brother, Laertes arrives from Paris to revenge the death of his father, ... Polonius. He discovers that not only has his father been killed but that is sister has gone mad. Ophelia commits suicide. Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet is the right target ... hide and discover that the funeral is for Ophelia. Laertes openly curses Hamlet. Hamlet jumps into the grave and the t...

• Word Count: 1136
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• Grade Level: High School

... . Hamlet is tormented by confusion which prevents him from acting upon his beliefs. When Hamlet first spoke with the ghost, he told him that Claudius killed him and he should seek revenge. Hamlet was not sure whether to believe the ghost or not. This leaves Hamlet confused and anxious to ... past, That youth and observation copied there" (Act I v 100 - 103). Hamlet treated his mother in a rude fashion, because he loved and trusted her, but she married Claudius less than a few months after his father's death. "O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourn'd longer, - marri...

• Word Count: 1089
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• Grade Level: High School

... tells Hamlet that he was wrongfully killed at the hands of his traitorous brother, the present King Claudius. He urges Hamlet that he must take revenge for his murder and kill Claudius, and says, "If thou didst ever thy father love/...Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder" (I.v: 29, 31). With these words, the ghost puts ... he does not want to kill him while he is praying because he will go to heaven. Reed points out that " the prince could not slay Claudius in the purging of his soul without, in all likelihood, securing the salvation of his victim" (95). His sword was drawn and rea...

• Word Count: 988
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... the play, the second scene to be exact, we discover that Gertrude is very greedy. Like Gertrude Claudius is also greedy, he kills Hamlet senior just so he can become king. The love of Hamlet, Ophelia is weak-minded, she cannot come to grips with her fathers death. Ophelias' ... brother, Laertes is greatly impressionable. The father of the two siblings, Polonius is always in everyone else's business and is undoubtedly nosey. The entitled character Hamlet avoids the inevitable of killing Claudius ... the noise from behind the arras. Polonius was killed while being nosey therefore it must b...

• Word Count: 1038
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• Grade Level: High School

... verify the truthfulness of the ghost and also to allow himself more time. After learning the truth, Hamlet still continues to procrastinate the killing of Claudius. Although Hamlet is full of purpose, he lacks the ability to carry out his intentions, and thus allows his character flaw to eventually destroy ... him. Another characteristic that acts against Hamlet is his excessive melancholiness. Hamlet experiences rejection from his true love, anger from the murder of his father, betrayal from his friends and family, and fear from what lies ahead. These feelings of pain and ... speeches....

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• Grade Level: High School

... further rouse, Hamlet persuades a travelling group of actors to perform a play that resembles his father's own demise at the hands of Claudius. After seeing the performance Claudius's reaction convinces Hamlet that he is the guilty party that killed his father. After this Hamlet goes to his mother's bedroom and proceeds ... you question with a wicked tongue". Hamlet however is unaware that Polonius is hiding in his mother's room and stabs him thinking that he is Claudius. Even after killing Polonius Hamlet continues to verbally bash his mother. He tells her "Such an act that blurs the ...

• Word Count: 890
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• Grade Level: High School

... never more to give the assay of arms against your majesty." Immediately after learning about his fathers death, Laertes returns home. He blames Claudius for the murder of his father. Laertes learns that Hamlet was responsible for his father's death. He then decides to kill Hamlet to ... avenge the death of his father. He and Claudius concoct a plot to kill Hamlet. By a poisoned tipped sword, Hamlet. " Hamlet, thou art slain The treacherous instrument is in thee, unbated ... father's death. He spoke to a ghost, and this ghost stated that his father's death was a murder, by the hand of his...

• Word Count: 1080
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... likes to think things through thoroughly before he acts and does stuff. Hamlet does that after the play The Murder of Gonzago when Claudius leaves in an up roar, Claudius goes to pray for forgiveness and Hamlet has the chance to kill him but he thinks about it and decides it would not ... he decided not to capitalize on that opportunity and waited for the end of the play after his mother died after drinking a poisoned drink that was intended for Hamlet from Claudius. "Hamlet: The point envenom"d too! Then, venom, to thy work. [Stabs the King] All: Treason! treason! King: O, yet defend m...

• Word Count: 1071
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• Grade Level: High School

... she pretends to care for. Queen Gertrude is a manipulative, sick, incestuous mother, who helps to kill her husband, emotionally abandons her son, Hamlet, and marries her former brother in-law, Claudius for the wrong reasons. Overall Gertrude is a selfish, two -faced and manipulative woman. Gertrude's significance in the play is central. She creates the situation that Hamlet struggles with throughout the ... play and the tragedy the play ends with. She does this by falling in love with Claudius and collaborating with him to kill King Hamlet, Prince Hamlet's father. She did Claudius a fav...

• Word Count: 558
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• Grade Level: High School

... has an "antic disposition". Many believe that this is simply Hamlet taking one last look at Ophelia before he becomes engaged in his plan to kill Claudius, the fact that he scares her and does not try to alleviate these fears points to the conclusion that he is simply using her to help word ... is really sorry about his father's death or if he is just acting mournful without feeling mournful. Claudius uses these lines to lead Laertes into a plan to kill Hamlet, asking him what will he do to prove his love for his father in Act IV, scene vii. Hamlet comes back; what would you undertake to...

• Word Count: 808
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• Grade Level: High School

... insane only at certain times. You are either insane or you are not insane. Hamlet is pretending to be insane so that he could later kill Claudius and get away with it by saying he was mad. There are many times in the play that Hamlet acted perfectly sane and announced his "antic ... disposition" to people. Hamlet's "antic disposition" begins when the ghost of his father tells him about how he was murdered by Claudius and to avenge his death. Hamlet firmly states to Horatio that he might begin to act odd or weird, and that when he does to not to ... had killed him there, all of Cladius'...

• Word Count: 1177
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• Grade Level: High School

... on his part because it let to his eventual demise. Hamlet displays the antic disposition in order to fool Claudius, although Claudius is the only character to not be fooled. When Hamlet denies Ophelia his love, she goes mad and takes her life. Hamlet becomes confused as to whether he is insane or not. ... For these reasons, Hamlet's decision to portray an antic disposition is a tragic error. When Hamlet found out that Claudius killed his father Hamlet was furious, ... Hamlet went to work by coming up with a plan to act mad so that it would hide the truth from Claudius, which was that H...

• Word Count: 577
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• Grade Level: High School

... and believes that what the spirit tells him is the truth. Hamlet promises that he will kill Claudius, his uncle: "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge" (Act I scene v.p23-24). However, after much examination an ... Although Hamlet anxiously wants to seek revenge and plans it out, he cannot bring himself to commit the murder and is in constant search of justification to kill Claudius. During his soliloquies he gets very emotional and questions and criticizes himself: "Am I a coward?" (Act II scene ii. p49) and "Why,...

• Word Count: 785
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• Grade Level: High School

... the people who are in charge of making sure that Hamlet gets murdered, get what they deserve. Hamlet and his Uncle Claudius don't get along too well because of all the commotion that Claudius has caused. Hamlet's had grown up with two other kids. They had no relation, but the father of this other family ... was just a friend and had a son and a daughter. Ophelia was the young girl. Hamlet led her to believe that he had the most undying love for her and would always love her. ... In his rage to catch the new King Claudius in act of sin he mistakes Ophelia's father for Claudius and ends ...

• Word Count: 374
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... his death and instructed Hamlet to kill Claudius. Hamlet describes the Ghost as, "My father's spirit in arms! All is not well" (1.2). Hamlet says in act one, scene five, "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge" (1.5). ... Hamlet feels passionate about his role until he has time to recollect. Upon recollection Hamlet considers that this may be an evil ghost so he delays killing Claudius. He considers the Ghost may be a, "spirit ... his mother (1.5). Hamlet may wonder if it is Heaven's right to deal with Gertrude then...

• Word Count: 528
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... his death and instructed Hamlet to kill Claudius. Hamlet describes the Ghost as, "My father's spirit in arms! All is not well" (1.2). Hamlet says in act one, scene five, "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge" (1.5). ... Hamlet feels passionate about his role until he has time to recollect. Upon recollection Hamlet considers that this may be an evil ghost so he delays killing Claudius. He considers the Ghost may be a, "spirit ... his mother (1.5). Hamlet may wonder if it is Heaven's right to deal with Gertrude then...

• Word Count: 528
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... to him that he is aware of a killer. He then says "Haste me to know't, that I with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge." (Act 1, Scene 5,). But by the end of the scene he says "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite that ... causes, it is now revealed to him through his father's ghost, that dear old dad was murdered by his Step-Father, and also his Uncle, Claudius. After his own investigation he vows revenge upon his Uncle/step-father, Hamlet begins to mentally falter and eventually, is in such a wild rage that ... he accidentally kills Polonio...

• Word Count: 921
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• Grade Level: High School

... make the actors act out a play similar to the way his father was murdered to, "make mad the guilty and appall the free" (II,ii591), in order to see if Claudius was really guilty or not. A mad man would not be able to think of a plan like this. Also, when Hamlet finds ... he was confessing, the murderer's soul would go to heaven and Hamlet's father would not be revenged. He vows to kill Claudius, "when he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th" incestuous pleasure of his bed" (III,iv,94-95), so that he would go to hell. A crazy person ... like he is insane only around the people he ...

• Word Count: 619
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• Grade Level: High School

... met his father's ghost, he immediately wanted to believe that all that it was saying was true. Hamlet, at first was not sure if Claudius murdered his father because he was always depressed. His "mouse trap" was short-termed and Hamlet had gained confidence easily. When Laertes and others thought ... that his madness was because of love, Hamlet even harshly rejected Ophelia, whom he dearly loved. " you should not have believed me I loved you not" (3.1.118-120). After he is confident that Claudius did murder his father, he goes to seek revenge and murder him, ... in the middle of the most...

• Word Count: 680
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• Grade Level: High School

... and Laertes. These two characters are enemies but have similar qualities and intentions in the play, leaving one difference. Hamlet's approach in taking revenge towards Claudius for killing his father was very slow because he pondered a lot. Where for Laertes, his act of taking revenge towards Hamlet was very quick and forceful ... he has no sense of self-control and he has lost his sanity. Hamlet also appeared to act crazy after discovering that his uncle, King Claudius, notoriously killed his father and then married his mother. Hamlet is hit with so many emotions that he eventually go...

• Word Count: 1084
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School