Bad Parenting

Ophelia has legitimately gone insane, and it is largely due to bad parenting on the part of Polonius. She is a fairly flat character, who, like various other women in Shakespeare’s plays (Gertrude being one of them), is seen in terms of her sexuality, chastity, and ability to reproduce, and shows no evidence of having a mind of her own as she is consistently told what to do and think by the men in her life, particularly her father. Because she is accustomed to having little to no control over her life and to live off of the instructions given to her by men, she becomes lost after her father’s death and goes completely mad. She speaks mostly through song in act 4; this is a moment in Shakespeare play where song is meaningful and the lyrics should be closely considered (like a couple of the songs in Much Ado About Nothing).
Right away, in her talk with Gertrude in scene five, she sings, “How should I, your true love know / From another one?” (IV.v.22). She expresses confusion and is perhaps questioning her feelings for Hamlet which stands to reason given the history of their relationship. Throughout Ophelia’s entire relationship with Hamlet, she has been told how to act and feel by her father and Laertes. In fact, it is quite likely that throughout her entire relationship with Hamlet, she never acted on account of solely her own feelings, without the influence of her father and brother’s opinions and demands. Because of her dependency on her father--especially in relation to her relationship with Hamlet--she is left not only without a father, but also with a lack of direction and mind of her own. 
It is part of a parent’s job to encourage their children to think for themselves and to make their own decisions in order to better prepare them to go out into the world as an individual, away from their parents. Polonius does not prepare Ophelia for a life without him at all. He essentially raises her to be dependent on the men in her life, not encouraging her to develop her own sense of self, individuality, or independence. He does not account for their potential separation/his death and therefore leaves her feeling lost, confused, and vulnerable which leads to her eventual insanity. Maybe it was normal to raise daughters to be dependent on men in those days, or maybe this situation just further characterizes Polonius as being controlling of his daughter. Either way, it is an irresponsible and unfair way to raise a child as it leaves them defenseless against the world on their own. Polonius illustrates a sheer lack of good parenting throughout the play. Not only is he controlling of Ophelia, but he shows little concern for Laertes as well, and when he does concern himself with him, it is only to ensure that he is not tarnishing the reputation of the family as Laertes is said to be somewhat of a reckless young man who gets into trouble without regard for others--a stereotypical product of bad parenting.

Revenge- Or Lack of

As I continue the reading, I keep thinking about the revenge theme, and how no revenge seems to be happening quite yet. I find it quite interesting that when Hamlet first encounters the ghost, he seems so willing to take action. As the play goes on, though, Hamlet still can’t seem to actually do it. By act IV, there are three revenge plots taking place. Leartes now seeks vengeance for the death of his father. Also, in the background, Prince Fortinbras is still attempting to reclaim the lands of his deceased father. The difference between these sons, though, is that the other two are taking action. They are actively attempting to get revenge. I picked up on the fact that these characters seem to contrast Hamlet by not being as conflicted as Hamlet is. They simply do what they feel is right. Rather than just simply killing Cladius, Hamlet spends a lot of time trying to prove his uncle’s guilt first. He puts on the play to see the new king’s reaction, and contemplates the situation. He is thoughtful and philosophical, and yet by act IV, his sanity is questionable. When he kills Polonius, it is an irrational, unpredicted move. He does not act as his usual, intellectual self.  It is then in act IV that he speaks to a captain under Fortinbras and learns of Fortinbras’ willingness to sacrifice the lives of many men over land. Hamlet is struggling with his own inaction, and seems somewhat impressed by Fortinbras’ ability to turn his thoughts into actions. From then on he decides that he will have bloody thoughts and will begin to act as Fortinbras has. He wants to be able to carry out a plan without giving it much thought.
Overall, I find Hamlet to be a very confusing character. I have never read this play before, but I hope his character will somehow come full circle or will at least learn something valuable. It bothers me to have such a complex character who may not resolve anything. Perhaps it is his complexity that makes him one of Shakespeare’s most well known characters.

Hamlet's Character Revealed

The title of the play ensures that the character development of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play would undoubtedly take a prominent role.  The first three acts establish aspects to his temperament that most would consider good or at least understandable.  He is despondent yet shrewd, loyal and brave.  These actions show Hamlet as working in revenge of his father’s untimely death thus giving a heroic stance to his actions.  However, when Hamlet murders Polonius at the end of Act 3, it is disturbing.  Before this seemingly senseless act it was possible to consider Hamlet’s actions as laudable, as a son who will avenge his father not rashly but with cunning and intelligence.  The complexity to Hamlet’s character is further revealed in Act 4, Scene 2.  Hamlet is shown not to be the prince hero but one who may actually be mad and not just feigning madness.  He is not remorseful for Polonius’ murder, he acts self-righteously, and his manic behavior reveals that his madness may not be faked. 

A hero would be remorseful for a murder even if it was justified, yet Hamlet does not repent following his murder of Polonius.  This is obvious when, following the murder, he tells his mother, “This man shall set me packing.  I’ll lug the guts into the neighbor room” (3.4.186-187). He does not describe Polonius, a man he knew well, even as a person, but now is reduced to just “guts” that he will “lug” into the next room.  However, the coldness of his response is more clearly illustrated when, at the beginning of Act 4, he flatly states of Polonius’s dead body, that it is “Safely stowed” (4.2.1).  At this point he is not even able to give Polonius the respect of even naming his corpse.  He further reinforces his disrespect for Polonius’s body and its decent burial when he tells Rosencrantz that he has “Compounded it with dust, whereto ‘tis kin” (4.2.5).  Thus he has disintegrated Polonius already from a living person to “dust.”  Finally, when he ends the scene by not refusing to tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern where the body lies and instead playing a game of “Hide fox,” he shows he could care less about a proper interment of Polonius’s body which may not even exist in his mind any more (4.2.28).  Hamlet’s lack of remorse for murdering his girlfriend’s father reflects a cold temperament not in keeping with that of a hero and barely reflecting that of a human being.  

Despite such immoral behavior, Hamlet presents himself as self-righteousness in this scene.  All kings of the time relied on courtiers to provide them with information, yet for those roles Hamlet condemns Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  When he calls Rosencrantz a “sponge,” he shows that he has no respect for him as friend or courtier (4.2.10-11).  Furthermore, he puts blame not on himself for the heinous murder of Polonius, but turns the tables on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern by accusing them of pandering to the king.   When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ask Hamlet where he disposed of Polonius’s corpse, he is insulted that they would even ask him. This is evidenced by his reply that “to be demanded of a sponge—what replication/should be made by the son of a king?” (4.2.11-12). He asks why he, the king’s son, should listen to two panderers who are beneath contempt to him. Furthermore, when he tells them the king will use them “like an ape an apple in the/corner of his jaw, first mouthed to be last swallowed,” it illustrates his utter contempt of them and the king they pander to by comparing the king to a lower form of animal and to both of them as even lower, as a piece of food kept waiting in the mouth until ingested (4.2.16-17).  Finally, he refers to Rosencrantz twice as a “sponge,” describing him not as the sponge who can easily grasp a situation intelligently but as an inanimate object that can be indiscriminately “squeezed” whenever the King wants. 

Hamlet’s true manic-depressive behavior is now revealed to be not feigned.  He committed murder with a reliable witness, his mother, and would be expected to be fearful.  Nevertheless, he is seemingly calm as represented by stating those two words, “Safely stowed.”  Before this instance with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet treated them as friends, although a little crazily.  Not being privy to Hamlet’s secret pact to act crazy, they do not understand when he tells them that if he takes Polonius’s body to the chapel, he will no longer be thought mad.  This is evidenced when he says, “That I can you’re your counsel and not mine own” (4.2.10).  In addition, Hamlet’s mania and lack of trust for his friends through his repetitive speech: “The body is with the King, but the King is not with the body.  The King is a thing--” (4.2.25-26).  Finally, by running away from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern instead of seriously considering how to dispose of Polonius’s body, Hamlet exhibits childish and manic behavior.  This is emphasized by Shakespeare since this is the first direction of Hamlet’s action exhibited yet in the play.  In Act 4, Scene 2, Hamlet displays glimpses of his still-evolving complex character traits that hint at disastrous consequences of actions still to come.