Hamlet Close Analysis
Extracts: Act 1 Scene 2 (129-159)
Act 1 Scene 5 (1-112)
Act 5 Scene 1 (222-260)
These three extracts depict Hamlet growing and continuous changing throughout the play.
The portrayal of Hamlet at the beginning of the play suggests that he was depressed, mourning and
suicidal ‘His canon gainst self-slaughter O God! God’. Hamlet was experiencing the loss of his
father, the King of Denmark. Hamlet goes on to discuss his anger for his mother marrying his uncle
barely two months from his father’s death ‘But two months dead, nay not so much not two’.
Hamlet’s tone here is perceived as irritated and enraged. Shakespeare cleverly uses analogies
between the Greek God’s and his characters within the play to depict their behaviour and
personality. There are three references within this passage. Two of the analogies referring to the
new King of Denmark, King Claudius. Hamlet refers to Claudius as ‘Hyperion to a satyr’ meaning
Hyperion as his father to Claudius an un-worthy man Satyr. Hamlet’s next referral ‘I to Hercules’
His father’s strength and power to Claudius as weak and frail. The factor of his mother’s quick remarriage deeply contributes to Hamlet’s madness which is introduced during the middle scenes of
the play and is seen within this seen within this scene whilst Hamlet debating suicide. Hamlet ends
his words with ‘but break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue’. Hamlet stating he is in a very
difficult position whether to keep quiet for his anger and problems or to share them and become
severely criticised for them from his mother and uncle.
The next passage of Hamlet shows another side of Hamlet. As he only has a small part within this
scene as the ghost of his father does much of the talking suggesting that Hamlet was eager to what
the ghost had to say and trying to take as much information in as possible. The Ghost of Hamlet’s
father in a crucial and pressing tone explaining to Hamlet how he was betrayed by Claudius and
murdered by him. ‘I am thy father’s spirit…that incestuous, adulterous beast’. The ghost never
reveals to whom murdered him but he leaves cryptic clues about the spells on his wife and to fall in
love again’. The ghost asks Hamlet to ‘avenge him’. This gave Hamlet a whole new perspective on
life as now he is on a mission to avenge his father and save the kingdom.
Within in the last passage Hamlet becomes distressed by the arrival of Ophelia’s coffin
approaching him with many mourners including Gertrude, King Claudius and Laertes. Hamlet is
devastated and starts to vowel how he loved her more than anyone else ‘I loved Ophelia; forty
thousand brothers could not with all of their quantity of love make up my sum’. Though everyone
is perceiving Hamlet as mad Gertrude screams ‘for the love of God forebear him’. Hamlet
continues to seethe over his love for Ophelia and how it was infinitely greater than Laertes. It is at
this moment he comes to reality with himself and realises for how great Claudius’s sin was and
even though he may suffer and endure much heart ache and pain for his lover’s death. ‘The cat will
mew and the dog will have his day’ Hamlet meaning that the truth will soon to known to the world
and that he is not really mad and did not purposely treat Ophelia so dreadful before leaving to
England but it was to help her. And the truth of Claudius’s wrong doings will be publicised but it is
all in time.