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Hamlet's Changing Character - Book Hamlet Essay,

Hamlet's Changing Character ? Book Hamlet Essay, Research Paper

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet's interactions with Horatio, Laertes, Rosencrantzand Guildenstern give the reader a better understanding of Hamlet himself. Thechanges that occur within Hamlet are revealed through his interactions with theseyoung men. Horatio is Hamlet's loyal friend who throughout he play is on Hamlet'sside. Laertes on the other hand is more of an acquaintance of Hamlet, but as theplay draws to a close they become enemies. Laertes brings forward a side ofHamlet which acts on impulse instead of thinking everything over in detail. FinallyRosencrantz and Guildenstern are friends with whom Hamlet attended college.. They cause Hamlet to do things that even the reader thinks he would never do. Hamlet's interactions with these people demonstrates how a person can be affectedby the personalities and actions of the people around them.

Horatio is the only person in the play who is always on Hamlet's side. In the playsome people believe in Hamlet while other don't, but throughout, Horatio is a loyalfriend to Hamlet. With the quote,

"A man that Fortune's buffets and rewards

Hast ta'en with equal thanks; and blessed are those

Whose blood and judgement are so well

Commeddled

That they are not ripe for Fortune's finger

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To sound what stop she please.",

in Act Three, Scene Two, lines 71-76, Hamlet is describing all of Horatio's qualitieswhich he admires. Hamlet is saying how noble, well to do and down to earthHoratio is. Hamlet admires Horatio's charactor so much because he sees manyqualaties in Horario that he, himself, is lacking. Throughout the play Hamlet'scharactor undergoes changes and Horatio is the person who keeps Hamlet fromgoing completely insane. In (I.2.97), Horatio says to Hamlet, "My Lord, I think I sawhim yesternight.", speaking of Hamlet's father. Since Hamlet's father is dead,Hamlet is baffled until Horatio tells him that it was the ghost of his father. The wayin which Hamlet reacts to the news gives the reader a better insight into hischaractor. If any other person had told him this, he would have been skeptical butwhen his friend Horatio informs him of the ghost of his father, he believes it. Thisdemonstrates that Hamlet is a very trusting person. The next piece of evidence inwhich Hamlet's interacts with Horatio gives the reader better insight into Hamlet'scharacter occurs in (III.2.85-95). In these lines Hamlet asks Horatio to watch theKing during the play and to make sure that what he sees is the same thing thatHoratio sees. This is important to Hamlet because in order to be certain that he canprove his theories about the King, he needs to have someone else who can backhim in what he sees. This is significant to the reader's understanding of Hamletscharacter because it demonstrates Hamlet's lack of self confidence, which causeshim to constantly second guess himself. Horatio is the figure who steadies Hamletthroughout the play; he allows Hamlet to be mad and sane at different times. Everyone has someone they can rely on through the bad and good times. ForHamlet this person is Horatio.

Hamlet's interactions with Laertes create a version of Hamlet's character which isquite different from Hamlet's character in the beginning of the novel,. thereforegiving the reader a better understanding of his character. Hamlet and Laertescharacters are very different. This is apparent in the contrast to how Hamlet actswhen given the chance to take revenge on his father and the way in which Laertesacts in the same situation. In (III.3.77-92), Hamlet has an opportunity to killClaudius, but fails to do so because since Claudius is praying he will go to heavenand Hamlet does not want this. In contrast, in (IV.7.144), Laertes says "To cut his

throat I' th' church", speaking of the revenge that he intends to take upon Hamlet,indicating that he would even kill him in a church which would send Hamlet straightto heaven. Laertes is characterized as being a person who will do somethingwithout thinking about it while Hamlet puts too much thought into what he wants todo, causing him to be unable to act. The final two pieces of evidence are from ActFive. These events occur in Act Five as this is the point at which Laertes' effect onHamlet's character is most apparent. The first is from Scene One, lines 261-262where Laertes says "...-Hold off the earth awhile, Till I have caught her once morein mines arms.", and then leaps into Ophelia's grave. This characterizes Laertes asbeing passionate and loyal, while up to this point we have seen no passion inHamlet. A few lines later in the same scene and act, Hamlet jumps into the graveand attacks Laertes, telling him that Laertes has no right to be as upset as Hamlet. Hamlet was not supposed to be in Denmark, but he reveals himself to everyone in arage. This indicates that Hamlet's interactions with Laertes has caused him to reactpassionately and without thinking, revealing a huge change in his character. Laertes is the person in Hamlet's life who challenges him and causes him tochange, although not necessarily for the better.

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Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have somewhat of the same effect on Hamlet asLaertes does. For most of the play, Hamlet is able to put up with them but as theplay comes to a close he becomes fed up with them. Although Hamlet does notlike them he shows a little faith in them, when in (II.2.402-403), he says " I am butmad north-north-west. When the / wind is southerly, I know a hawk from ahandsaw." With this quote he shows some trust in Rosencrantz and Guildensternby telling them that he is mad when he wants to be and sane when he wants to be. He soon realizes that they are not his friends, but that they are puppets sent by theKing to investigate and keep Hamlet in line. This interaction has an effect onHamlet's character because Hamlet is coming to realize that people are not alwayswhat they seem and that he has to watch out for people. His increasing annoyancewith these two questionable friends is exemplified in (III.2.399-402), when Hamletsays to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern " Sblood, / do you think I am easier to beplayed on than a pipe? / Call me what instrument you will, though you (can) / fretme, you cannot play upon me." He feels that they are attempting to use him and hedoes not like this at all. Although he is becoming increasingly annoyed with them heis not willing to do anything drastic to them. Hamlet character trait of being easilyannoyed but not willing to take any permanent action is being revealed through hisinteractions with these two friends. In (V.2.33-41), Hamlet is telling Horatio of howhe killed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This is something that the reader wouldnever have expected Hamlet to do. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the kind of

people who hang around and won't leave a person alone, thus causing them to goinsane and take drastic action.

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Throughout the play Hamlet, Hamlets's interactions with people give the readergreater insight into his character and reveal changes that occur within his character. In the beginning of the play Hamlet is a trusting person who, in the course of theplay, is transformed into a person capable of almost anything. The actions of thepeople around Hamlet have a profound effect on his character. Each and everyperson is affected by people around them in different ways. Some people arepositive influences on people while others are negative influences and still otherspush a person to new heights. Everyone has these outside influences, and eachperson needs to make sure that they are not adversely affected by these people asHamlet was throughout the course of the play.

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