OREZINA SONOIKI

“A little more kin, and less than kind.” Hamlet comes in saying these words and it shows how displeased he is to have Claudius as his stepfather. It can be sensed immediately that he feels some sort of resentment towards him. He refers to Claudius as “more than kin” as he is now both his uncle and stepfather and goes on to say less than kind, probably in regards to his personality. The fact that this was an aside shows that Hamlet is a character of melancholy, who is often sad and deep in thought. These characters usually voice out their feelings to the audience and in Hamlets case, we see that later on in the text during his first soliloquy. Gertrude, the mother of Hamlet can be said to be a very shallow character that cares more about herself than her son. Hamlet like any son, loves his mother and this can be proven in the scene where Claudius and Gertrude try to advise Hamlet about letting go and accepting the fact that his father has passed on and him not going back to Wittenberg. Hamlet listens to everything Claudius has to say, yet acts very passively and only comments on his mother’s wish for him to stay. “ I shall in all my best obey you madam.” This shows that Hamlet respects his mother’s wishes. However, you can see that Hamlet is cheeky as he says “You,” to his mother when it is both his mother and now stepfather who are speaking to him. Hamlet feels a great deal of resentment towards Claudius and it burns him to talk to him. He however cannot be put to blame as Claudius is not the rightful heir to his father’s throne and he has married Gertrude so shortly after his brothers’ death. This makes both Gertrude and Claudius very questionable characters. In continuation, Gertrude appears to be insensitive towards Hamlet when she says “All that lives must die.” Although Hamlet is in agreement, you can see he just agrees with her as a means of getting her to be quiet. Gertrude insists on questioning him further and saying “If it be, why seems it so particular with thee?” Hamlets heartfelt emotions are reflected in his reply as he tells her “Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother.” This portrays Hamlet as a man who is truly distraught. It also emphasizes on how much he loved his dad, for the fact that he is still mourning now. He is trying to prove to his mother that he is not pretending. This is a perfect example of how different characters deal with death differently, as Gertrude is quick to move on, but Hamlet is still stuck dwelling in the past. Hamlets sadness is further expressed in his soliloquy. This is where it is revealed that he is suicidal as he says “O that this too solid flesh would melt.” It is not hard to believe because of how deeply he is grieving his father’s death, handling the fact that his mother is so in love with his uncle so quickly, as well as the dislike he feels towards his uncle. Hamlet can be described to be in a state of emotional trauma and is thinking more in the moment than in general. Soliloquys are the best way into the characters head and we see Hamlets genuine feelings here. Hamlet is amused by how quickly things have changed within a short while of his father’s death. He describes the world as a horrible place, which nothing can be gained from “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seems to me all the uses of this world!” For the fact that Hamlet is sunk deep in all these emotions after the passing on of his father, it shows how much he cherished and sought after Old Hamlet. This is usually normal as most boys, feel utmost respect for their fathers and in Hamlets case, he is also the only son. However, it seems to me that there is more to Hamlets sadness than the death of his father but that is still a mystery as of now. A character that is not scared to show emotion is a sentence that best describes Hamlet. In Hamlets