Sample Character Analysis Essay printable pdf download

Sample Character Analysis Essay - "Hamlet"

Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Existentialism

What is mankind? Who am I? What is the meaning of life? These are multifaceted

existential questions that ancient and modern philosophies have yet to adequately answer.

Countless philosophers have spent their lifetimes in search of answers to these questions but died

before finding a suitable answer. Certainly, the philosophy of existentialism is an interesting

phenomenon. The dictionary defines existentialism as a "philosophical mo vement . . . centering

on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual

who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will" ("Existentialism"). The character

Hamlet from Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet explores these existential questions, seeking truth

and understanding as he tries to come to grips with his father's death. In the end, Hamlet proves

to be an exceedingly existential character.

Prince Hamlet is a university student who enjoys contemplating difficult philosophical

questions. When his father, king of Denmark, dies, he returns home to find evidence of foul play

in his father’s death. The Ghost of Hamlet (the dead king) tells Prince Hamlet that his uncle

Claudius is the murderer. Throughout the rest of the play, Hamlet seeks to prove Claudius’ guilt

before he takes action against Claudius. However, Hamlet is pensive ad extremum, at times even

brooding; he constantly overuses his intellect while ignoring his emotions and ignoring what

"feels right." His extreme logic causes him to delay his revenge against Claudius until the final

scene of the play where he kills Claudius and proves that he has progressed into a truly

existential character.

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet acts out of pure intellect and processed logic. He

suppresses his natural instincts, his emotions, and trusts only in the power of his intelligence. For

instance, when Hamlet encounters his father's ghost, he does not believe it is his father—even

though he has an emotional reaction upon seeing it. Hamlet says “Let me not burst in ignorance;

Sample Character Analysis Essay