Hamlet: Good To Evil Essay, Research Paper

Hamlet s Transformation from Good to Evil In the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, Hamlet endures exorbitant amount of pain and anger because of his father s death, his mothers hasty remarriage, and the loss of his only love, Ophelia. The losses that Hamlet has to deal with, the anger and lack of forgiveness that he allows to build within himself, allows Hamlet s true thoughts and character to be revealed through his soliloquies, which are reviewed and discussed throughout this essay.

In his first soliloquy, Hamlet reveals his wishes that he could just melt away and be no more, with death comes relief from this world, but he beliefs that suicide is immoral and that the whole business of the world is useless and unprofitable. Hamlet reflects on the greatness of his father and how the leadership went from a noble and glorious King to a atrocious man that does not desire in any way to serve the country or its people, but thrives the power and extravagance that is provided by being King. Hamlet also shows his anger and disbelief with women in general Frailty, thy name is women and towards his mother with her hasty marriage to Clauduis. Hamlet now becomes informed that his uncle, Clauduis, has killed the King, Hamlet s beloved father, from a ghost, his father s ghost. The ghost requests that Hamlet pay revenge to the evil murderer, Clauduis. Hamlet is to kill Clauduis to avenge his father s death. Too commit a murder of his own, to get his now innocent hands full of his Uncle s blood, all in the name of revenge.

Hamlet is now developing into a cunning, deceitful person. He is now devising a plan to exploit Clauduis for his crime, the re-enactment of his father s murder. Also, Hamlet questioning his ability to avenge his father s death, he wonders if he too much of a coward. Hamlet admits that he does lack gull, a character trait that cannot be compromised when he is to avenge his father s death. Although Hamlet might perceive himself as a coward, by re-enacting his father s murder, he is exposing his knowledge of his father s murder, which puts his own life in danger.

Hamlet s most famous soliloquy shows Hamlet s deepest thoughts since the beginning of the story. Hamlet first contemplates whether is better to just live with the pain of his father s murder or to take action and seek revenge for his father. Hamlet also believes that death is the same as going to sleep, forever. He thinks that if he could end all his troubles and sorrows by going to sleep, this is something that he would most welcome. His hesitation to kill himself is because when you sleep, you have dreams, which would be disturbing. Hamlet also believes that a corrupt leader, Clauduis, is now ruling the country that once was ruled by a very noble king. Hamlet believes he has to live with the tyrant s injustice, the rudeness of man, the slow process of receiving justice for their crimes and the unfairness that the innocent or humble have to suffer. Hamlet also reflects on that how our conscience makes cowards of us all, because it makes us think of what we are doing and the consequences.

Hamlet is now, for the first time, is able to meet his mother in privacy. He will discuss his feelings towards her, but he vows that he will speak daggers, but he will use none. Polonius has devised a plan to seclude himself behind a curtain in the room listen in on Hamlet s and his mother s conversation to determine if Hamlet is really insane. But when Hamlet discovers that there is something behind the curtain, which he believes to be Claudius, his quest to avenge his father s death, his ambition proceeds his intelligence, and now he slays the great Polonius. Throughout the play and up to this point, Hamlet has been one to use his intelligence before he commits to a task, but this one action seemed to seal his fate.

Hamlet now takes time to reflect on how all events that have taking place and how they have not been in his favor and how these unfavorable events have spurred his revenge. If a man that does virtuous and immaculate acts, does this make him a man. He that hath made us with large discourse and the incapability of making godlike reason, made us only contain one part wisdom and three parts coward. With this he questions why he still lives to say these words. Witness this army of such mass and charge, led by a delicate and tender prince, whose spirit, with divine ambition puff d. Hamlet emphasizes on how a righteous and pure spirit becomes crushed by ambition; the aspiration of becoming renowned and accepted. My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth. Hamlet has now revealed his own crisis; a righteous and pure spirit that has been crushed by his longing revenge towards Claudius.

In the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, Hamlet s character that is perceived at the beginning of the play is one of virtue and integrity. He becomes a victim to evil and corruptness by allowing himself not to forgive Claudius for his father s murder and his mother for her hasty remarriage to Claudius. Hamlet s full character transformation is very apparent in his last line of his last soliloquy my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth. He allows himself to become someone that thrives off the thought of revenge and this ultimately gets him killed.

32f