The Many Characters in 'Hamlet'

The Many Characters in 'Hamlet'

1. Hamlet

   • The rightful king of Denmark after his late father's death, but due to him studying in Wittenberg Claudius, his uncle, has already married his mother and is the new king of Denmark.
     • Does Hamlet want his throne? does he want to be a royal?
       • "It is a custom more honoured in the breach than the observance."
   • Has supposedly got a loving relationship with Ophelia, Polonius' daughter.
     • Hamlet doesn't love her and is only using her for his entertainment
       • "Get thee to a nunnery"
     • Hamlet truly loves her
       • Is she the reason for his insanity
         • "I love thee best, O most best"
       • Would their marriage be accepted by the court and the people of Denmark
         • "I hoped thou shouldest have been my Hamlet's wife"
   • His best friend is Horatio
     • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
       • They are his friends
         • "My excellent good friends"
         • "Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours
       • They are not actually his friends anymore, but they were before. He now only sees them as the king's spies
         • "So Rosencrantz and Guildenstern go to it"
         • "Why look you now how unworthy a thing you make of me"
     • Does he love Horatio? Is Hamlet a homosexual?
       • "Good night sweet prince"
       • The constant rejection of Ophelia and the close bond with Horatio
       • Is Hamlet actually a woman made to disguise as a man for status reasons?
         • Can be played by a woman without changing any of the text.
         • Hamlet's gender-benders article by Charles Marowitz
           • www.Swans.com/library/art15/cmarrow155.html
         • Sarah Siddons
         • 'The Mystery of Hamlet'
   • Does he respect his father enough to commit not only a murder, but the murder of the king.
     • He procrastinate in the murder of Claudius, why is this?
       • Does he truly believe the ghost to be his father or something else?
         • "May be the devil and the devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape"
       • Is he a coward?
         • "But break my heart for I must hold my tongue"
       • Doesn't he hate Claudius also?
         • Or is it his mother he is annoyed with.
           • "Frailty, thy name is woman"
         • "Bloody, bawdy villain"

2. Claudius

   • Killed the old king, Hamlet, his brother, and his took his throne
   • Wants to kill Hamlet
     • Sends him to England with R+G
       • Does he believe his royal power is strong enough to make Hamlet's friends kill him?
       • He is using them as pawns
     • Cannot do it himself?
       • He could order the guards to kill him?
       • Has already killed someone.
   • Married Gertrude, his sister in law
     • Does he actually love Gertrude?
       • He lets her drink the poison
         • He tries to stop her
       • "Imperial jointress'

3. Gertrude

4. Ophelia

5. Polonius

6. Laertes

7. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

8. Horatio