Essay, Research Paper: Hamlet

Hamlet
"The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right!"
Shakespeare profoundly epitomizes the dominant character in his play, Hamlet. In the
tragedy, Hamlet is both a hero and a victim. At the start of the play Hamlet's character is
an intelligent scholar who is admired and respected by the townspeople. The plot begins
when Hamlet's father appears to him as a ghost and asks his son to kill Claudius, the man
who murdered him, disrupting the lives of Hamlet and everyone in the castle.
Hamlet is intensely emotional at this time. His mother's incestuous marriage to
his uncle and his father's sudden death contribute to his grief. To make things worse,
Hamlet must now kill his father's murderer, which aggravates his distress. At this point
in time, disgusted and disappointed, Hamlet breaks down and recites the quote above,
expressing his state of turmoil. The ghost's demand is almost more than he is able to
bear, leading Hamlet to question his life.
At first Hamlet is passionate about taking revenge on the man who secretly
murdered his father who was the former King. Yet, Hamlet quickly realizes the heavy
burden of his duty. As a result, he becomes unsure of himself and is unable to arrive at a
quick decision and take action. He changes from a reflective and thoughtful prince to a
man filled with melancholy and madness.
When Hamlet is given a task that is unfamiliar to him, he does not know how to
handle the situation. The situation demands him to make a decision which goes against
his morals. Consequently, he signifies his feelings with this phrase and says how cursed
he is to be born to set the problem right.



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Word Count: 293