FREE ESSAY ON WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET

Julian Goldblatt
AP English Extra Credit
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist exhibits a puzzling, duplicitous nature.
Hamlet contradicts himself throughout the play, enduring both the virtues of acting a
role and that of being true to one's self. He further supports both of these conflicting
endorements with his actions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness, only
to become perfectly calm and rational an instant later. These inconsistencies are related
with the internal dilemmas he faces. He struggles with the issue of revenging his
father's death, vowing to kill Claudius and then backing out, several times. The reason
for this teetering is directly related to his inability to form a solid opinion about
role-playing. This difficulty is not present, however, at the start of the play.
In the first act, Hamlet appears to be very straightforward in his actions and inner
state. When questioned by Gertrude about his melancholy appearance, Hamlet says, Seems,
madam? Nay it is. I know not 'seems.' (1.2.76). This is to say, I am what I appear to be.
Later in act I, Hamlet makes a clear statement about his state when he commits himself to
revenge. In this statement the play makes an easy to follow shift. This shift consists of
Hamlet giving up the role of a student and mourning son. Hamlet says, I'll wipe away all
trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and
observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and
volume of my brain (1.5.99-103). Hamlet is declaring that he will be committed to nothing
else but the revenge of his father's death. In the next act, however, Hamlet's status and
intentions suddenly, and with out demonstrated reason, become mired in confusion.
When Hamlet appears again in act two, it seems he has lost the conviction that was
present earlier. He has yet to take up the role assigned to him by the ghost. It is not
until the very end of the act that he even mentions vengeance. If he had any of the
conviction shown earlier he would have been contemplating his revenge. So, instead of
playing the part of the vengeful son, he stays in the middle, pretending to be mad. This
is shown when he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, I know not-lost all my mirth,
forgone all custom of exercise (2.2.298-299). Later he tells them that he is just
feigning madness when he says, I am but mad north-north-west, when the wind is southerly,
I know a hawk from a handsaw (2.2.380-381). Admitting so blatantly that he is only
feigning madness would imply that he is comfortable with it.
It is puzzling that, at this point, Hamlet is comfortable with acting, but not with the
role that he said he would play earlier. If he is to play a role, why not the one that
his father assigned him? When the characters come in a short while later, his attitude
changes. Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again, by the moving speech that is given by
one of the characters. He makes a big buildup of what he should have done and how he will
be revenged. After all of his swearing and support of the value of acting and words, he
backs out of it again. He can't decide whether or not to play the role. Words are a
further condemned when he says, Must, like a whore, unpack my hart with Words (2.2.587).
So, he is now condemning role playing. Being caught in the middle, he decides that he
needs more proof of the Kings guilt when he says, The play is the thing? Wherein I'll
catch the conscience of the King (2.2.606-607). Before the mousetrap is to be played,
Hamlet runs into Ophelia and makes the telling statements. Upon the issue of Ophelia's
beauty, Hamlet says, That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no
discourse to your beauty (3.1.109-110). He is saying that Ophelia can be honest and fair,
but that, honesty being an inward trait, and fairness being an outward trait, but the two
cannot be linked. He goes on further to say that Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will
sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd that the force of honesty can
translate beauty into his likeness (3.1.13-15). So not only can the inner and outer self
not be linked, but acting, or the show of exterior, will transform one's inner self to
match. He says this just after denying that words and acting are important. Whenever
Hamlet is in support of acting, he is also ready for vengeance. 
In the next scene, the conflicting action is similar, but less obvious. When Hamlet is
advising a character on how his lines should be read he says, Suit the action to the
word, the word to the action (3.2.17-18). If Hamlet would follow his own advice he would
not have a conflict. This shows that he is inconsistent within himself. Yet, when Hamlet
speaks with Horatio he praises him for being objective, levelheaded, and for having a
consistent character. Hamlet is praising Horation because he wants him to watch the King
at the play. He is unsure of his uncle's guilt and wants proof. He wants it from someone
whom he thinks is honest throughout. Hamlet says to Horatio, Observe mine uncle. If his
occulted guilt do not itself unkernnel in one speech, it is a dammed ghost we have seen
(3.2.77-80). Proof, however does not have anything to do with the role Hamlet is supposed
to play. Hamlet once again puts off killing his uncle until later and says, When he is
drunk asleep, or in his rage, At gaming, swearing, or about some act That has no relish
of salvation init, Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven, And that his soul may
be dammed and black (3.3.89-94). He is waiting until Claudius fits the part of a villain.
His action is paralyzed whenever something does not fit the part. He needs his revenge to
be drastic, so that he may get into it and finally play it out.
After Hamlet backs out of killing Claudius, Hamlet says to his mother, O shame, where is
thy blush? (3.4.72). He is voicing his distaste for her, not only for marrying his uncle,
but also for not being true to herself. He believes that she should show some shame for
her sins, but she does not. At this point, Hamlet is till not sure as how he is to
proceed. He is caught in the middle of acting and objectivity. Hamlet finally decides to
act the part his father had given him after he sees the soldiers going off to die in the
war. He realizes that he should do what his role dictates, strictly because it is his
role. He does not falter in his conviction after he returns and he fully embraces the
act. Upon confronting Laertes, he says, This is I, Hamlet the Dane (5.1.53-54). The Dane,
meaning the King. He is claiming his right to the throne.
In the rest of the play, Hamlet gets to the point. He barely has time to tell, to
Horatio, his story of escape before he is challenged. He does not refuse the challenge
because as nobility, which he is finally claiming to be, he cannot refuse and keep his
honor. Hamlet goes to the match and, because he has now accepted the role, he does not
hesitate to kill the King when prompted to.
It would seem that being a good actor is paramount to survival in this play. Polonius
could not stick to the role of adviser, and was trying to convince the King that Hamlet
was in love with his daughter. This leads him to spy on Hamlet, and because he could not
do that right either, is killed. Ophelia could not handle the role of mourning for her
father, goes mad and dies as a result. The King could not cover up his guilt, so Hamlet
has the proof he needs to spur him on. If Hamlet had acted as the ghost instructed him to
do, Claudius would have been killed outright. Had Hamlet been truly comfortable with his
role, Claudius would have