Character analysis on hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Character analysis on hamlet - Essay Example ." (Eliot, p. 32). This essay is a character analysis of Prince Hamlet. In examining Hamlet one of the most pervasive understandings is that his character changes throughout the play. Still, there is a general degree of despondency that is clear from the beginning. Consider Claudius when he asks Hamlet, â€Å"How is it that the clouds still hang on you?† (Act I, scene ii). This statement indicates Hamlet’s general despondency even before he discovers that his father has been murdered. As the play advances Hamlet is revealed to have further character dimensions including great intelligence and wit. Perhaps the most complex consideration in these regards is the extent that Hamlet is truly insane or faking his insanity. In these regards, it appears that in specific circumstances Hamlet has used his intelligence as a means of concealing his true character. One considers his interaction with Polonius as a strong indicator of this perspective. Still, in other instances, such as his violent outbursts, Hamlet appears to be clearly insane. Another central aspect to Hamlet’s character is the nature of his unwillingness to act. While early on in the play Hamlet vows to kill Claudius and avenge his father’s death he perpetually refuses to carry out this action. One insight into Hamlet’s character is the argument that he is subject to Oedipal repression. It’s argued, â€Å"The call of duty to slay his uncle cannot be obeyed because it links itself with the call of his nature to slay his mothers husband, whether this is the first or the second; the latter call is strongly "repressed," and therefore necessarily the former also† (Jones, p. 74). In these regards, Hamlet is motivated out of love for his mother, yet has psychoanalytically repressed this love so is unwilling to kill Claudius. In other instances, Hamlet appears to be motivated out of a general rational desire to determine Claudius