... to him. He is a severely puritanical fanatic in regards to love and lovemaking. He reacts more against what he views as lust driving the relationship between his mother and Claudius than his father's death. He suffers from an Oedipus complex, and hates his mother for her abandonment of him. This confusion prevents his from having a loving relationship with anyone else. Hamlet: "She ... them. Gertrude has no real power; even though she is Queen, her social status depends on that of her husband. She has been seized in the same fashion that Claudius has seized the throne. Claudius is the i...

• Word Count: 999
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... by this? ([IV.iii.16-31] Bloom 62); Hamlet verbally plays with the King and the King unable to match or understand the obviously superior wit and mind of Hamlet, presents Hamlet with a weak antagonist. The King however is not alone, in the play no character matches Hamlet's intellectual and existential vision; Hamlet sees beyond the characters about him and his language at times, moves into meta-speech rising ... , Hamlet still stands above this passion and no other characters in the play gain this objective vantage point. Hamlet, like modern characters in literature, is conscious of him...

• Word Count: 1115
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School