Essay on Hamlet- The Characters - 766 Words

Hamlet The prince of Denmark, and a student at the University of Wittenberg. At the beginning of the play, Hamlets father, King Hamlet, has recently died, and his mother, Queen Gertrude, has married the new king, Hamlets uncle Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle and disgust at his mother for marrying him. When the ghost of Hamlets father appears and claims to have been murdered by Claudius, Hamlet becomes obsessed with avenging his fathers death but keeps thinking of reasons why he should wait before killing ClaudiusÂâ€"then chastizes himself for failing to act boldly. Hamlet is a character of contradictions. He admires characters like Fortinbras and the Player King, who behave passionately†¦show more content†¦Polonius The Lord Chamberlain of Claudiuss court, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Polonius has good intentions, but he tends to be somewhat conniving and underhanded. He frequently leaps to the wrong conclusions, and his speeches are comically pompous and long-winded. He is completely incapable of figuring out what Hamlet is up to. Horatio Hamlets close friend, who studied with the prince at the University of Wittenberg. Hamlet trusts Horatio above any of the other characters, valuing him for his even temper and equanimityÂâ€"qualities that Hamlet seems to despise in himself. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlets death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlets story. Ophelia Poloniuss daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. A sweet and innocent young girl, Ophelia dutifully strives to obey her father and her brother, Laertes, allowing Polonius to use her in his scheme to spy on Hamlet. When her father dies, her sanity unravels, and in her madness she paints a scathing picture of young men as sexually exploitative and unfaithful, and her mad speeches about flowers conceal implied condemnations of Claudius and Gertrude. Laertes Poloniuss son and Ophelias brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is a foil for the reflective and agonized Hamlet.Show MoreRelatedHamlet Character Essay1189 Words   |  5 PagesThe Troubled Prince: An Analysis of Hamlet â€Å"To be, or not to be: That is the question†(3.1.58). This is probably the most famous quote in all of Shakespearean literature and was uttered by the main character, Hamlet, of the play â€Å"Hamlet† written by Shakespeare. It demonstrates his instability and suicidal thoughts. Throughout the play he comes off as a very unpredictable and complex character. 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