Running with Hamlet

As a notice coming into the "Hamlet" experience, through the Acts and soliloquies I began to appreciate Hamlet as a character. When avenging his father he creates his anti-disposition, putting his acting talents on full display; performing in crazed manners and speaking in riddles. Hamlet is considered Shakespeare's "smartest" character, why? He is unlimited in his ways, witty and clever and a sword fight. How does he discern reality from performance, it seems that throughout the play we never see Hamlet for who he is or get a good sense of the "real" Hamlet. In his soliloquies Hamlet questions the famous "to be or not to be" and his consideration of suicide. Hamlet is not content and dissatisfied in the closing acts he compares himself to Prince Fortinbras and aspires to model his action. Yet there are moments as Jeff mentioned today when Hamlet is hubristic, in the scene when Claudius believes he has gotten rid of Hamlet by sending to him to England thinking his intentions were concealed while Hamlet is completely aware of Claudius' scheme. These moments contrasts, is there a balance or is Hamlet pleased with himself as a character. Do you believe that Hamlet is all that he seems? He doesn't necessary admits his faults but he addresses them and thinks them over, does that make him better? Can someone create this alter-person or isolate oneself by "radical individualism"? There are a lot of ideas here and on the analysis of Hamlet as a character. So take something and run with it. -melissa

Comments

[Evan J. Biederstedt]

I really don’t buy the view that “Hamlet was just too damn smart for himself”. Does the awareness of his limitations as prince and as a human being make him too smart? I’m not sure if incessant inward criticism and sheer distaste for the environment is terribly conducive to solving problems. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with the act of revenge; he’s just reluctant to decide on a plan of action (i.e. undecisive). There’s a fine line between skeptical humility of the type Montaigne presents and being wishy-washy. For me, Hamlet is a character aware of an uncontrollable angst---he’s the man in Edvard Munch’s Skrik…I would even have an issue with the proposition that he’s a radical individualist. Does Hamlet act as if he’s independent of the situation, not concerned with his result? Then why the rather lame activities of feigning madness, putting on play, fighting, etc. His concerns with the norms of society are overwhelming! …I think I touched on some of the question…

[Zach Lundin]

I agree with Evan about Hamlet perhaps not being a radical individualist. I still think that the fact he was in school for so long and that he never really had a relationship with his father plays a big role in his character. What I see more in Hamlet is a confusion as to where he fits, what his role is. He has been at school for so long, and upon his return he is greeted by a dead father, a conniving uncle-king, and a slutty/emotionally unavailable mother. Even Ophelia plays a really convoluted role in Hamlet's life, and I see here, more than anything, "an uncontrollable angst" as Evan said. I think Hamlet is so confused as to next steps in his life that the only thing to which he really feels he can cleave is his father's death. In short, I just think Hamlet is a young twenty-something with too much schooling and a serious philosophical depression. Poor guy...

[Lulu Garcia]

Hamlet pretends to be crazy in the beginning of the play to throw Claudius and the court fools off of his track. However, I think as the story progresses, Hamlet does literally become crazy. An actor, Hamlet turned his role into a 24 hour part, and over time such steady acting becomes natural. Hamlet pretended to be crazy for so long, he actually began to think like a crazy man and by the end of the play I don't think he was thinking as clearly and rationally as he originally was.

Hamlet is definitely a little hubristic and considers himself more intelligent than the other characters in the play (though he is). His hubris shows when he talks down to the people of the court, such as when he constantly insults Polonius or makes clever but snide remarks toward Claudius.

[Jennifer H.]

Although Hamlet does not seem to have had a very close relationship to his father, as Zach pointed out previously, or his mother for that matter, since he has been away at school for much of his life, Hamlet is very upset at his mother for seemingly wronging his father by mourning for only a brief time and remarrying quickly after her late husband’s death to, of all people, Claudius, her late husband’s brother. This seems to suggest that it is extremely important to Hamlet that people uphold the duties and responsibilities they owe their friends and family. Hamlet expects Gertrude, as his late father’s wife, to be deeply pained by her husband’s death and to mourn the loss of a loved one more than she has thus far. Also, he expects Claudius to mourn the loss of his brother and not be so eager to take his brother’s place as king and as Gertrude’s husband. However, Gertrude and Claudius act otherwise. Hamlet is shocked to see them shirking their responsibilities towards his father and selfishly concentrating on their own happiness and well-being. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Hamlet decides to take on an antic disposition; since Hamlet sees his mother and uncle playing roles they are not supposed to play, he feels the need to do the same.

[Bryan chiou]

Going to take something and run with it. Shakespeare wrote his plays at the time of the Renaissance, the revival of humanism, meaning the revival of exploration of human thought, value, dilemmas, arts, etc. As such, Hamlet could be looked at as the epitome of the humanistic guy. He represents humanity in allllll its complexity and its capacity. He is able to philosophize about a lot of stuff; and he does just that--he philosophizes and contemplates every single thing he does. In light of this, Hamlet is an excellent illustrator of the human condition, showing us both what we are capable of mentally (a positive portrayal) and what kind of unecessary and impractical troubles that mental capacity brings us (negative portrayal).

-Bryan