... to except his father's death is because of his great love for his father. Hamlet is the only one still mourning when the play opens because his loyalty to his father is so strong that he would not just simply forsake it as many of the other characters did. While talking to Horatio, Hamlet reveals ... one in a million, and knows that he will not be replaced, as no man's father should. King Hamlet held a great deal of honor and loyalty to his people and the kingdom, therefore Hamlet feels great respect for his father and great honor towards him in death. Hamlet reveals more of his love ....

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• Grade Level: High School

... then? Would you make up excuses to keep yourself in the light, to remain blameless? But...what if there was no loyalty in the first place? Who would be held responsible then? True loyalty is shown through Horatio's friendship with Hamlet. Indeed, throughout the entirety of the play, Horatio is the only one out ... watch to bring the matter straight to Hamlet rather than Claudius. 'Hamlet,' he had said. 'And only Hamlet should be told of this strange apparition.' Loyalty is synonymous to love. So, Hamlet's, or even Laertes' love toward Ophelia could be used as a proper example. Laertes b...

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... 's yet some liquor left. Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing to thy rest" (V.ii.375-97). This touching quote says a lot about Horatio's loyalty to Hamlet. His love towards him is so great, he would rather exchange places with him than to see him go. Ultimately, throughout the major conflict between Hamlet and Claudius ... , Hamlet and Horatio's loyalty to each other exemplifies in every aspect of this play. Hamlet needed Horatio during all his pain and hardships, especially when he did not have a family member to lean on ... . Without Horatio, Ha...

• Word Count: 662
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• Grade Level: High School

To Trust or not to Trust In William Shakespeare's tragic play Hamlet, many relationships are put to the test throughout the play. Both loyalty and betrayal prevail in many of them during the play, and it is through the actions of these people that one is able to ... determine the degree to which these people care for Hamlet. Two people at complete opposite ends of the spectrum are Horatio, and Claudius. Horatio remains true and loyal to Hamlet throughout the course of the play, and proves continually that he truly does cares for Hamlet. Claudius shows his lack of care towards ... that Hamle...

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... be killed without justification in their respective plays. Ophelia's only crime was that of love for Hamlet, and Cordelia's lone wrongdoing was that of loyalty to her father. These circumstances classify Ophelia and Cordelia as not only innocent victims, but stock characters as well. The parallels continue as they ... We must understand thedevotion with which the Earl of Kent serves King Lear? (Andrew. Vol 2. Pg 63.), and also the loyalty that Horatio has for Hamlet. Loyalty is one of the most important characteristics of this specific type of stock character. Horatio and Kent are extrem...

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... the risk of their own freedom, reputation and lives. The presence of this dynamic throughout the play touches on the themes of revenge and loyalty, and this differs for each of the three relationships. Hamlet's relationship with his father drives the events of the play into eventual tragedy, as ... his undying conviction to avenge his father causes him to make rash decisions. Laertes and his father Polonius seem to share a mutual loyalty, and this drives Laertes to nearly kill the king, and then kill Hamlet. Fortinbras' relationship evolves throughout the play, changing his conviction f...

• Word Count: 1017
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Comprehending Hamlet's struggle in avenging his father's death helps understand the play Hamlet. Hamlet was a true renaissance man with great qualities who struggled with fulfilling his promise to his father. This was due to his moral questions, his mother's ... , his struggle, frustration and doubt showed his great qualities, which are his loyalty to his father, over-analytical mind, and his religious belief. Hamlet was an ideal man by showing his loyalty towards his father in avenging his death. In the first place, loyalty was the reason why Hamlet chose to avenge his father's death. In Act...

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... , however they do serve an important role within the play. For example, the reasons for each set of men's loyalty is the opposites, as is their manner of recounting events, and what their true values are. As well they each show similarities to the noble late King Hamlet, or the deceitful King Claudius. Voltimand ... agreement with him. In contrast Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are loyal to any king because they desire to be in the king's favor. All the shows of loyalty to the king are to keep the king happy, and thinking that the duo is worth their keep in the castle. This is shown by the...

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... make a character heroic (or admirable or exceptional) may also cause his suffering or destrucion. To what extent is this statement true of a character in Hamlet?" Who is Hamlet? Whoever has become thoughtful and melancholy through his own mishaps or those of ... play as his best resource is to shove off, to a second remove, the evils of life by a mock representation of them - this is the true Hamlet. And the qualities, which make this masterpiece of Shakespeare -Hamlet - a heroic character, have certainly laid him vulnerable to sufferings and destructions in ... This fear prevents Hamle...

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... because they are both tragic heroes. Hamlet's inability to act and his character trait of thinker versus man of action prolong his revenge and lead to his death, where Maximus' loyalty to Marcus Aurelius and his family led to his death. Hamlet even acknowledges his tragic flaw, when he sees Fortinbras' men and says: "Now whether it be Bestial oblivion, or ... I live to say, "this thing's to do,"" (Act 4, Scene 4, lines 38-43). Hamlet is criticizing himself for not being able to take action and is only able to communicate his true feelings. He is also comparing himself to Fortinbras' men...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... this is his relationship with the King. Polonius was King Hamlet's loyal servant, well liked and trusted by King Hamlet and Prince Hamlet. But his loyalty to King and Prince Hamlet is partial. Polonius declares his loyalty to Claudius, the new King in the following speech, "I assure my good liege, I hold my duty as I hold my soul, both to God and to ... two-faced, betraying nature. Polonius sends Laertes off to France with a few words of wisdom in Act I Scene iii, lines 59-81. "This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be fa...

• Word Count: 398
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... hard. His mother questions his grief he answers in a defensive manner "seems madam? Nay it is; I know not seems". His grief is real and true, not an act. The soliloquies reveal a lot about Hamlet they contain all the major themes, including death, suicide, suffering, action and the emptiness of existence ... It is later commented on by Ophelia that neither her father nor Hamlet's were properly mourned, "which bewept to the grave did not go with true-love showers". His revulsion is so intense he thinks of suicide. Hamlet comes across as a very emotional and unstable character. He is clear...

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... versus Deceit The Shakespearean play, Hamlet, is a story of revenge and the way the characters in the play respond to grief and the demands of loyalty. Of all the characters in the play, two of them display the theme of sincerity versus deceit superbly. These two characters are Polonius and Horatio, ... appear sincere as a politician, to look good rather than actually be good: "And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!"...

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... of a soliloquy is to outline the innermost thoughts of a certain character at a point in the play. These thoughts deal with the true feelings of a character and give insight into what a character is thinking about and how their mind works. It emphasizes the difference ... appearance in contrast to their inner thoughts and desires. There are many instances throughout the play that the external appearance of things appears to be true when in reality it is the opposite. The actions others expect to see from Hamlet are constantly postponed through questioning, while he tries to ... and cont...

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... tragic situation with out giving in to easier ways and temptations along the way. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are more common man than universal, for though they have loyalty to Hamlet as they have been his friends for many years, they still have their own ambition. (Gertrude) "Your visitation may receive such thanks As ... be too naive of Hamlet if he just took the shade at its word and used it as provocation to confront Claudius. Instead the only way available and true to his character is to reveal Claudius's guilt, with a witness to conform him. It is his subtle methods and slyness th...

• Word Count: 1998
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• Grade Level: High School

... Hamlet because she put her sense of love and duty for another man above her sense of love and duty for him. This proves to Hamlet that deceit is the true nature of a woman. Now, Ophelia is broken hearted and later learning that her father was murdered by the one she loves, was just enough to steer Ophelia into complete insanity ... mother, before he can confront her about marring his father's murderer. Hamlet, while observing his mother in action comes to the conclusion that deceitfulness is a woman's true nature. So he decided to test Ophelia's loyalty. Ophelia, who truly does love Ham...

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... mostly impulsive actions which creates an environment both confusing and intricate, but most importantly vulnerable. Among this cast of brash characters is Hamlet, the only true character who "thinks- rather than "acts- while weighing his responsibilities to himself, to his father, and most importantly to his country. Essentially Hamlet ... most people would falter due to stress, that will not act too quickly and without proper justification. The first example within the play that shows Hamlet's true character occurs when Hamlet sees the ghost of his father, "Ghost: Revenge his foul and...

• Word Count: 992
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... ghost that Claudius murdered him, he exclaims, "O my prophetic soul! / My uncle?" (1. 5. 41). This means that he already had a feeling that this was true, and makes Hamlet feel justified in having all the other bad feelings he has had about his uncle. Hamlet comes up with a plan to find out if what ... he has heard from the ghost is true. He tells Horatio he plans to put an "antic disposition" on, which means he will act crazy. Hamlet meets with Ophelia, acting very strangely, ... then talks crazy to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the king's spies, who are pretending to just be concerned...

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... , when thou shalt hear"(I.v.7). He says that 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 ... he was performing his called act. He falls into deeper agitation when his schoolmates, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, pay an unexpected visit. Here he tries to outwit them with determining their true reason of appearing. Thus creating another ob...

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... madness. The majority of the people in Denmark feel that the mixture of a lost lover and a lost father is what causes Hamlet to become mad, but the readers know the true cause of Hamlet's madness. While talking with Horatio, Hamlet explains that he is going to act insane for a while so that no one will suspect anything from Hamlet. While Hamlet ... very clear, but there is much more evidence to refute the opinion that Hamlet is actually mad. Hamlet is a very passionate character. Throughout the play, Hamlet is filled with passion, loyalty, and anger. Hamlet is constantly seeking revenge...

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... , we learn that Claudius murdered Hamlet's father - and then remarried his mother far too quickly. For Hamlet, and for the audience, his mother's behavior is coldly disconcerting; she shows no loyalty to her dead husband, and far too much base desire in her decision to remarry so quickly. Even more significant to Shakespeare's overall treatment of women is Ophelia, Hamlet's love ... is metaphorically doomed - but Hamlet is unaware of the damage she will cause. When Hamlet goes to his mother's chamber and kills Polonius, Ophelia's father, by accident, Shakespeare reveals Ophelia's true ch...

• Word Count: 2278
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , or he would attempt to conform and be devoured. In Hamlet's case, he exhibits both. His attempted transformation is impossible, as he forces himself to be corrupt, to hide his true idealistic perceptions. Whatever the reason, he is not mentally able to fulfill his desires. Although he avenged his father's death, it only cost him his life! Perhaps he forgot that ... loyalty is its own reward.. "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is the truest statement made in the play. In fact, everything is rotten in the state of Denmark. ... could not take the appropriate action, and his ...

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... the King but his own demise as well. In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Act 2, Scene 1, it is possible to view love as a destructive force in regards to Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship. Ophelia's loyalty and love for her family, namely her father, is potentially what is stopping her relationship with the young Prince. Shown in her dialogue between her and her father after she ... romantic relationships. Lawrence presents love as a destructive force through familial relationships as it is due to Gertrude's relationship with Walter, William and Paul that neither William nor Paul ever experience...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Some would say that Hamlet is the best work of William Shakespeare, and there are many points that prove this to be true. The play seems so well put together that there are many connections that can be made. One of the biggest connections is the difference and similarity of Hamlet and Laertes. ... and Laertes both show their feelings on their sleeve in this play and both seek the revenge that they want. I think in a way I am like them both. I think I have the loyalty and kindness Laertes has, and I also think that I have the wittiness of Hamlet and the love he has for others. I think everyon...

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... king or queen to discover the nature of Hamlet's madness. Being the king's Lord Chamberlain, it is his duty to obey the king and queen's wishes and it is this loyalty that eventually proves to be fatal for him. An example of Polonius" innocent involvement with the royalty results in his death can be found at the beginning of Act III ... , scene iv, when Hamlet stabs him while he is hiding behind the arras in Gertrude's room. This shows how Polonius, a man unaware of the true nature of the situation he is in, is killed by a member of the royalty during the execution of one of their scheme...

• Word Count: 808
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School