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Introduction to the Characters in HamletCharacter AnalysisHamlet Although Hamlet himself desires to see Claudius pay for his crime, he realizes the evil in the deed of killing the king, prompted by both "heaven and hell" (II.ii.586). The ghost has placed Hamlet in a most unnatural position by asking him to commit murder. Hamlet hates the king for his treachery, but he would not act on that hate if he were not prompted to do so by the ghost. Read Hamlet's full character analysis. Claudius As with all the supporting characters in Hamlet, Claudius is not developed to his full potential. His primary role in the play is to spawn Hamlet's confusion and anger, and his subsequent search for truth and life's meaning. But Claudius is not a static character. While his qualities are not as thoroughly explored as Hamlet's, Shakespeare crafts a whole human being out of the treacherous, usurping King of Denmark. Read Claudius's full character analysis. Gertrude Gertrude is, more so than any other character in the play, the antithesis of her son, Hamlet. Hamlet is a scholar and a philosopher, searching for life's most elusive answers. He cares nothing for this "mortal coil" and the vices to which man has become slave. Gertrude is shallow, and thinks only about her body and external pleasures. Like a child she longs to be delighted. We do not see much of her in daily activity, but if we could we would see a woman enraptured by trinkets and fine clothes, soft pillows and warm baths. Gertrude is also a very sexual being, and it is her sexuality that turns Hamlet so violently against her. Read Gertrude's full character analysis. Horatio Horatio's role in the play is minor and most critics agree that he is not developed beyond a character foil for the great Prince. However, Horatio serves two purposes central to the drama, and it is through these purposes that we can best discuss those qualities that make Horatio memorable. Read Horatio's full character analysis. Ophelia Of all the pivotal characters in Hamlet, Ophelia is the most static and one-dimensional. She has the potential to become a tragic heroine -- to overcome the adversities inflicted upon her -- but she instead crumbles into insanity, becoming merely tragic. It appears that Ophelia herself is not as important as her representation of the dual nature of women in the play. The extent to which Hamlet feels betrayed by Gertrude is far more apparent because of Ophelia's presence. Read Ophelia's full character analysis. Polonius The Ghost of Hamlet's Father How to cite this article: ______________ More Resources  Daily Life in Shakespeare's London Life in Stratford (structures and guilds) Life in Stratford (trades, laws, furniture, hygiene) Stratford School Days: What Did Shakespeare Read? Games in Shakespeare's England [A-L] Games in Shakespeare's England [M-Z] An Elizabethan Christmas Clothing in Elizabethan England Queen Elizabeth: Shakespeare's Patron King James I of England: Shakespeare's Patron The Earl of Southampton: Shakespeare's Patron Going to a Play in Elizabethan London Ben Jonson and the Decline of the Drama Publishing in Elizabethan England Shakespeare's Audience Religion in Shakespeare's England Alchemy and Astrology in Shakespeare's Day Entertainment in Elizabethan England London's First Public Playhouse Shakespeare Hits the Big Time
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More to Explore Hamlet: The Complete Play with Explanatory Notes Introduction to Hamlet The Hamlet and Ophelia Subplot The Norway Subplot in Hamlet Analysis of the Characters in Hamlet Hamlet Plot Summary Deception in Hamlet Hamlet: Problem Play and Revenge Tragedy The Purpose of The Murder of Gonzago The Dumb-Show: Why Hamlet Reveals his Knowledge to Claudius The Elder Hamlet: The Kingship of Hamlet's Father Hamlet's Relationship with the Ghost Philological Examination Questions on Hamlet Quotations from Hamlet (with commentary) Hamlet Study Quiz (with detailed answers) Analysis of I am sick at heart (1.1) Hamlet: Q & A Soliloquy Analysis: O this too too... (1.2) Soliloquy Analysis: O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!... (2.2) Soliloquy
Analysis: To be, or not to be... (3.1) Soliloquy Analysis: Tis now the very witching time of night... (3.2) Soliloquy Analysis: Now might I do it pat... (3.3) Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me... (4.4) Ophelia's Burial and Christian Rituals The Baker's Daughter: Ophelia's Nursery Rhymes Hamlet as National Hero Claudius and the Condition of Denmark In Secret Conference: The Meeting Between Claudius and Laertes O Jephthah - Toying with Polonius The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character Blank Verse and Diction in Shakespeare's Hamlet Hamlet's Silence An Excuse for Doing Nothing: Hamlet's Delay Foul Deeds Will Rise: Hamlet and Divine Justice Defending Claudius - The Charges Against the King Shakespeare's Fools: The Grave-Diggers in Hamlet Hamlet's Humor: The Wit of Shakespeare's Prince of Denmark All About Yorick Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince Hamlet's Antic Disposition: Is Hamlet's Madness Real? The Significance of the Ghost in Armor The Significance of Ophelia's Flowers Ophelia and Laertes Mistrusted Love: Ophelia and Polonius Divine Providence in Hamlet What is Tragic Irony? Seneca's Tragedies and the Elizabethan Drama Shakespeare's Sources for Hamlet Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy
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"Yorick! the lines are few, and the description brief that Shakespeare has given us of the man, but they are so pregnant with suggestion, so sweet in thought, and so tender in memory that he lives in our minds as completely as though he gamboled on the earth again, and laughingly jingled his cap and bells in our very ears.
How happy must have been those early days at Elsinore, when Hamlet was a child and Yorick his play-fellow. How they must have romped together in the gardens. What fun it was for the little prince to climb upon the jester's shoulders and race pick-back along the terraces, the boy's long fair curls blowing in the wind, and his merry laughter filling the air with music." ©1999-2021 Shakespeare Online. All Rights Reserved.