A Critical Look at Shakespeare's Character Hamlet

In the midst of the emotional unraveling of his character, Hamlet begins to question himself and the problems that are at hand. He acknowledges the notion of suicide as a solution to his qualms as he begins to deconstruct his life in the soliloquy that begins with the timeless phrase "To be or not to be..."

Hamlet questions, "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles / And by opposing, end them. To die to sleep ..." (Lines 65-68). In stating this it is evident that he is beginning to contemplate suicide rather than suffer the "slings and arrows" of the "outrageous fortune," he has been left with. The tribulations which he now faces, the burdens of seeking revenge and all that is encompassed within it (the pain that he still faces after his father's death, regret and guilt for murder , fear of committing murder, and utter remorse for his mother and Claudius). All these emotions plague his mind constantly forcing consider even the most drastic solution and remedy " the heartache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to..." (Lines 70-71).

Stressed by the pressures of all that has come to him as of late, young Hamlet naturally would be inclined to take the easy way out. He discloses all of his problems with Ophelia, Claudius, his mother all of the issues that are included by stating, "Th' oppressors wrong, the proud man's contumely,/ The pangs of despised love, the laws delay,/ The insolence of office, and the spurns/ That patient merit of th' unworthy takes..." (Lines 79-82). However, despite the extent of his misfortune he does not glorify this possible resolution but cleverly acknowledges it as a possibility due to the extremely arduous and painful realities of human life. He further entertains the notion of suicide and death as the solution to pain by stating that humans would resort to death more easily if they were more secure in the after-life. It is this fear of the after-life that forces us to endure our earthly suffering for as long as we do.

He states, "Thus conscience does make cowards (of us all,)/ And thus the native hue of resolution / Is (sicklied) o'er with the pale cast of thought..." (Lines 91-93). Thus those who do not acknowledge the notion of salvation and a better existence in the after life, are those who can tolerate the flawed life that we live now.

Through his deep thought, one can easily see the personal traits of Hamlet shine through. His young, naïve demeanor is apparent by merely considering death. If he were older and more secure and able to act on his emotions, he would look within himself for the strength to surpass the trifles of his life and the burdens that his emotions have on him. However his pride and lust for power combined with his flawed view of love and the hatred aimed at Claudius and his mother overwhelm him. Hamlet's lack of life experience and under-developed character culminate in the uncontrollable takeover of his emotions. At the end of Scene I, after Hamlet encounters the ghost he promises to seek revenge for his father in compliance with the ghost's requests.

Toward the end of this encounter he states, "...O cursed spite/ That ever I was born to set it right!" (Lines 210-211). This is the foundation of his flaw, as he forces himself to believe he is obligated to avenge his father and set all the problems of Denmark right. This obligation and the pressures which come along with it result in two major factors in his downfall. The pressure further weakens him and leaves him vulnerable to a breakdown. On the other hand, the belief that he has the paramount task of controlling and re-establishing order in Denmark gives Hamlet a self-inflicted belief of power. Based around this early flaw, his emotions continued to grow resulting in the fall of Hamlet.

Life is composed of a series of obstacles. How we react to these obstacles defines who we are. Hamlet's naïve and hasty character has succumbed to the problems he has encountered thus far in life. It is because of his inexperience that he fails to surpass the burdens of life and contemplate suicide to escape to a better existence in the afterlife.