Hamlet's Evolution

Change is an essential aspect that many people face throughout the course of their life. Whether it is a change of environment, a physical change or even a change in how someone thinks we all make a few in our lifetime. Now this concept isn’t just seen in the “real” lives of ordinary people but is also apparent in many forms of literature. For example in the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, the author takes us on a journey following the lives of both static and dynamic characters. Hamlet, the protagonist, is one of the most dynamic characters. Due to the tragic loss of his father the audience gets to see the changes Hamlet undergoes: how he acts, how he is viewed by others and the change of his thoughts.

Throughout the play Hamlet is never truly himself. The death of his father and they betrayal of his mother force Hamlet to start acting and thinking in different ways. Not only was he feeling angry to start with, the appearance of his father’s ghost only escalated the problem further. Hamlet begins to truly hate the antagonist, King Claudius, and wants to seek revenge since he killed his father. In order to due so Hamlet changes how he acts thus changing everyone’s views on him. Hamlet creates the illusion of acting crazy to people such as his mother, Ophelia, and Polonius. As the plot of the play thickens people truly start to believe he is lovesick and not stable. Not only do his actions and appearance change, so do his thoughts. Hamlet is often considered a man of thoughts and not actions due to him overthinking and being too analytical. He is even considered borderline suicidal as he questions life itself. The murder of his father and corruption of the kingdom takes an enormous toll on Hamlet as a character and Hamlet as a play.

The changes of Hamlet are a big contribution to both the themes and tone of the play. Since Hamlet is the main character many of the themes that come across are because of him. One of them being revenge. This is a huge theme since the play is mainly focused around Hamlet getting revenge on his uncle, King Claudius. Another huge theme we see Hamlet contemplate with is human nature. This is apparent in the challenges he faces while making decisions. Hamlet says way more than he actually acts because is always stuck arguing with himself about whether or not he is doing the right thing. Trust is also a theme that Hamlet struggles with. If he can not trust his own mother, who can he really trust? The answer is very few. Throughout the play we only really see Hamlet trust the guards and Horatio. These themes and the evolution of Hamlet establish a tone that is uncertain and introspective. The play takes many different twists and turns all while there is internal reflection by the characters such as Hamlet.

Change can be both good and bad. In the case of Hamlet we can come to the conclusion it was bad since it eventually led to his tragic downfall. Literature often showcases the big and small changes of characters. Hamlet’s changes were more on the big side as he not only changed other people’s opinion on him but also changed how he thinks and acts. Change is something that we can not escape but maybe it can be limited.