Sample Character Analysis Essay (Page 3 of 4) in pdf

captain under the command of Fortinbras. When Hamlet asks the captain about the cause and

purpose of the conflict, he is shocked to learn that the countries' armies will go to war over "a

little patch of land / That hath in it no profit but the name" (IV.iv.98-99). After Hamlet recovers

from the shock of the captain's honesty, he is dumbstruck by the thought that Fortinbras would

sacrifice the lives of thousands of men for an admittedly inferior "patch of land." At this point in

the play, Hamlet is still struggling with his own inaction, unable to kill Claudius even though he

knows of his guilt. Hamlet has a good reason to kill Claudius, yet he fails to do it. How can

Fortinbras sacrifice so much for such a futile purpose? In this scene, Hamlet realizes the brutality

of humanity and first ponders the idea that no one is safe—another central pillar of

existentialism.

From this point on, Hamlet declares that he will have bloody thoughts. "My thoughts be

bloody, or be nothing worth!" (IV.iv.9.56). Hamlet is impressed by the forcefulness of characters

like Fortinbras and Laertes, who turn thought into action quickly (Phillips). Laertes, who, like

Hamlet, has a father to avenge, does not hesitate for a moment when seeking vengeance on his

father's murderer. As Hamlet decides to strive for this personal quality, he begins to act

increasingly existential and decreasingly reflective.

When Hamlet finally does achieve his father’s vengeance, he was not spurred to it on his

own, but by watching his mother and Ophelia die in front of his own eyes. Furthermore, as

Hamlet realized that he had only two minutes to survive, he really had nothing to lose; this is

when he made his move to stab and poison Claudius.

Prince Hamlet is introduced as a reflective, slow-to-act character. While he stays true to

this characterization for almost the entire play, he does undergo a transformation by the end of

the play. By the end, Hamlet decides that he is no longer going to deprive himself of the revenge

he so badly desires against Claudius, so he kills him. At this point, Hamlet is existential. He is

the only character who fights back against Claudius’s usurpation of the throne, and he accepts

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