Isolation as the Root of Hamlets Torment Essay -- Essays on Shakespear

Isolation as the Root of crossroadss Tor handst Does Hamlet stand alone? Does this magnate of English literature hold any bond of fellowship with those around him, or does he forge through his quandaries of indecision, inaction and retribution in purdah? Though the young Dane interacts with Shakespeares entire slate of characters, most of his discourse lies below a cloud of sarcasm, double meaning and contempt. As each atom of Claudius royal court offers their thickly veiled and highly motivated spoken language Hamlet retreats further and further into the muddled depths of his conflict-stricken mind. Death by a cause, betrayal by a mother, scorn by a yellowish brown and abhorrence by an uncle leave the hero with no place to turn, perhaps creating a sense of isolation painful enough to push him towards the marge of madness. With the supporting cast of detractors circled around him, Claudius clearly constitutes the core of Hamlets opposition. The kings animosity towards Hamle t spreads to the rest of his entourage in the same way that his refusal to mourn his brothers transient left only the prince in black attire and dark-eyed melancholy. Claudius and the others each serve weakly shrouded attempts to gain Hamlets support, but the deafening falsity of their gestures leaves little discredit about their true sentiments. The first appearance of King and nephew together begins with the twisted greeting, But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son- (1.2, 64) to which Hamlet sardonically retorts, A little more than than kin, and less than kind (1.2, 65). This initial encounter between the two men reveals a sea of mutual hostilities and as a broker of the kings will, Polonius parallels such an antagonism. The advisors first meeting with Haml... ...is inaction. The tragic hero walks a very unaccompanied role, and this seclusion probably deserves a mention in literatures eternal search for the roots of his torment. With words more sage than he realizes, Polo nius condenses Hamlets entire postulate into a single poignant idea The origin and commencement of his grief / Sprung from neglected love (3.1, 180-181). Polonius and Laertes derail Ophelias tenderness, and Claudius persuasion steals the heart of Gertrude. A self-coloured lack of mourning scoffs at Hamlets deep esteem for his fallen father and even the companionship of his childhood friends succumbs to Claudius menacing demands. The end result is a huge gulf between ally and adversary, a gulf that eventually plummeted Hamlet to the depths of psychological torment. Works CitedShakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. David Bevington. New York Longman,1997.