In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the characters fight injustice and lies, each for their own truth. The main events take place in the royal castle in Denmark. The main character Hamlet is young, witty, brave, driven by the goal of avenging the death of his father. This image is multifaceted and attractive for its belief in truth, the desire to understand the essence of human existence. The character's characteristics are his masterpiece monologues, sincere friendship and love, actions prompted by the dictates of his heart. Despite the tragic ending of the play, Hamlet remains the winner.
History of creation
William Shakespeare
In Shakespeare's time, the case of a certain Katharina Hamnet, a girl who went to the River Avon, fell into the water and died, was widely discussed. Officially, it was believed that the girl drowned accidentally due to the fact that she was carrying heavy buckets and lost her balance. However, there were rumors around that Katarina committed suicide because of unhappy love. This happened in December 1579, when Shakespeare was sixteen years old. It is believed that this episode with the drowned girl could have inspired the playwright to create the image of Ophelia.
"Hamlet". Who are the main characters and their characteristics?
In the tragedy " Hamlet " by William Shakespeare, the characters fight against lies and injustice, each of them for their own truth.
Characteristics of the main characters of the work:
Hamlet is a young, brave, witty man, revenge for the death of his father is the primary goal in life. With his belief in truth and desire to understand the essence of human existence, his image is attractive and multifaceted. His actions, inspired by the dictates of his heart, sincere love and friendship, masterpiece monologues are the fundamental characteristics of this character. Hamlet ultimately remains the winner, despite such a tragic ending to the work.
The play "Hamlet"
At the beginning of the play, Ophelia says goodbye to Laertes, her brother, who is about to leave for France. The brother talks about Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, and how the girl should respond to his advances. Laertes believes that it is better for his sister to reject the prince’s claims, since Hamlet, being the heir to the throne, will still not be able to marry Ophelia. The same is repeated later by the girl’s father, Polonius, who does not believe that the prince’s intentions are pure.
Ophelia and Hamlet
Later, when Hamlet supposedly goes mad, Polonius decides that Ophelia's coldness towards the prince is the cause, and reports this to the king. The king sends Ophelia to Hamlet to see how the prince will talk to his beloved. While talking with Ophelia, the prince behaves harshly and tells the girl to go to the monastery. Ophelia, in a conversation with her father, regrets the “madness” that has gripped Hamlet.
Communicating with Ophelia, Hamlet continues to behave inconsistently and cynically. For example, in a scene where traveling actors perform the play The Murder of Gonzago, the prince first makes remarks with obvious erotic overtones, and then begins to talk about female fickleness.
Hamlet and Ophelia (painting by Vrubel)
When Hamlet kills Polonius, Ophelia's father, the heroine's mind becomes darkened. Ophelia's speeches become incoherent, the heroine wanders around, singing meaningless songs. Later, Queen Gertrude says that Ophelia died by accidentally falling into the river, and one of the gravediggers at the cemetery is convinced that the heroine committed suicide. This concludes Ophelia’s short and tragic biography.
The image of Ophelia especially inspired Pre-Raphaelite artists. The famous painting of Ophelia drowning in flowers was painted by John Everett Millais.
"Hamlet" main characters
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the characters fight injustice and lies, each for their own truth. The main events take place in the royal castle in Denmark. The main character Hamlet is young, witty, brave, driven by the goal of avenging the death of his father. This image is multifaceted and attractive for its belief in truth, the desire to understand the essence of human existence. The character's characteristics are his masterpiece monologues, sincere friendship and love, actions prompted by the dictates of his heart. Despite the tragic ending of the play, Hamlet remains the winner.
- Characteristics of the heroes of “Hamlet”
- Main characters
- Minor characters
