William Shakespeare s The Tragedy Of Hamlet Essay

In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† the characters Hamlet and Laertes are character foils. Both are young men whose father’s have been murdered and who set out to avenge and restore their family honour. The contrast of Hamlet and Laertes’ initial reactions to their fathers’ death, their journey of revenge and their actions taken to restore family honour are two very different paths. Prince Hamlet, the protagonist of the works, is portrayed as a very sensitive and intelligent character. His mother, Queen Gertrude and Uncle Claudius, now King, clearly, do not share his open grief of his father’s death. By marrying the queen and taking the throne for himself Claudius has quickly taken full advantage of his brother’s death, and, with Gertrude closely by his side, states that Hamlet is â€Å"sweet and commendable in your [his] nature† (1.2.87) to still be mourning his fathers’ death. This declaration immediately shows a separation of family values and loyalties between Claudius, Gertrude and Hamlet. By staying silent, Gertrude shows full support of her new husbands’ statement, leaving Hamlet isolated and detached from his mother and uncle. Feeling alone and betrayed, Hamlet feels his mother and uncle are treacherous and disloyal. His anger is shown towards the end of his first soliloquy â€Å"She married. O most wicked speed, to p ost/With such dexterity to incestuous sheets:† (1.2.56-57). This shows Hamlets’ revulsion to his mother and uncles’Show MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of William Shakespeare s Hamlet Essay1216 Words   |  5 Pages Shakespeare is most commonly known for his poetry and playwrights. He is globally regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Plays such as Macbeth, Romero and Juliet, and King Lear were some of his most successful tragedies. What made them so famous was the use of creating the main character to be tragic heroes. 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