How the Power or Reputation affect a Person

1. Laertes disagrees about his sister Ophelia's love for Hamlet. Laertes thinks that Hamlet may love Ophelia now but he will finally marry princess from other countries because he can not marry for love, can not choose who to marry, he will only choose what is good for his family reputation, “The virtue of his will; but you must fear/His greatness weighed, his will is not his own/For he himself is subject to his birth/He may not, as unvalued persons do/Carve for himself ; for on his choice depends/The safety and health of his whole state” (Shakespeare 1.iii.L.16-21). His position as King of Denmark means he can not actually make his own decisions, he will not be dictated by love of motion, but political. Hamlet has many responsibilities placed upon him so he may not be able to act as freely as other people. Thus, Laertes believes that Hamlet simply wants to use her for sexual reasons. Laertes wants Ophelia to be smart, Hamlet is immature, he will dump her eventually. Otherwise, their marriage will not work out, and Ophelia or the family's reputation will be damaged. Hamlet will ruin their family, Laertes is afraid of his dad? Polonius who is the first advisor of the new King losing his job. Laertes warns Ophelia that loving him will have a bad end, as his intention is not serious. Furthermore, Laertes is also jealous about Hamlet because of their social status. Hamlet is the prince of Denmark, however Laertes is only a nobleman, the son of the first advisor for the king. Their future position is doomed from birth. Shakespeare establishes Hamlet and Laertes as foil characters. For example, contrast in their behavior, when Laertes is shown to be more concerned with his own reputation but not her his sister’s love. Hamlet is more concerned about justice and the truth of his father’s death. Moreover, these plots foreshadow the tragic end for Ophelia. When Ophelia follows his brother’s advice and rejects Hamlet's love, this will make Hamlet mad and may cause a conflict between Hamlet and Ophelia. Their love will be inevitably end in tragic. Furthermore, Ophelia is obedient and respect to his brother’s authority; she promises to take his advice to heart. However, she is perceptive and intelligent, she is naive but not stupid, “but, good my brother/Do not, as some ungracious pastors do” (I.iii.L. 46-47). She does not want his brother to tell her how to do it.

2. Both Laertes and Polonius warn Ophelia to be cautious and to be wary of Hamlet’s true intentions, “And that in way of caution—I must tell you/You do not understand yourself so clearly/As it behooves my daughter and your honor” (Shakespeare 1.iii.L.95-97). Hamlet is not serious about this relationship, he is using Ophelia as an object, treating her as garbage, beguiling or lying to her in order to gain power. If she is abandoned by Hamlet because of their different in social status, her investment value will be lost. She better be smart or they will lose everything such as Polonius’ job, financial security, and their family reputation. If they have a kid, it is worse for the family since it is considered very bad during that time. Polonius suggests Ophelia to keep pushing Hamlet away, not reveal too much of her own feelings. Furthermore, Ophelia is smitten with Hamlet because she is attracted to his passion and sincerity, “My Lord, he hath importuned me with love/In honorable fashion.And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord/With almost all the holy vows of heaven” (l.iii.L.110-114). Hamlet has already sworn to her that he loves her and would never forsake her. However, there is no choice for her to not break off all relations with Hamlet now. Ophelia symbolizes fragility that she has no courage to rebut his father. In addition, Polonius wants Ophelia not to reject Hamlet entirely, because he wants to get all the information for Hamlet through his daughter. This may foreshadow the conflict between Ophelia and his father in the future. Polonius words are meant to protect Ophelia from getting hurt, however, he does not really want to understand the depth of his daughter’s feelings and the true nature of Hamlet’s personality, only care about his reputation, “That may be given you. In few, Ophelia/Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers/Not of that eye which their investments show/But mere implorators of unholy suits/Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds” (1.iii.L.126-130). Polonium thinks that Hamlet is insulting Ophelia, she is so idealistic and simple minded. Polonius is truly an arrogant, vain and manipulative man. In his opinion, Ophelia is better to marry a noble man in the future. She is an object, this is commerce, her feelings are not important.?

3. The ghost is Hamlet's father, the king of Denmark, he returns because he wants to tell significant information to his son, “Doomed for a certain term to walk the night/And for the day confined to fast in fires/Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature/Are burnt and purged away” (Shakespeare 1.v.L.10-13). The ghost return is significant because it brings to light the mystery surrounding Hamlet Sr’s death, and sets Hamlet on a path of revenge. Hamlet Sr. wants to tell his son the reason for his death and asks his son to fix the wrong in his kingdom. He hoped his son could give this villain the punishment he deserved. Furthermore, the ghost is angry, his brother Claudius who is the new King of Denmark murder him to steal his Kingdom, his power, “But know, thou noble youth/The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown” (1.v.L.37-39). Claudius also cheated and married the queen Gertrude in two months after Hamlet Sr died, “So to seduce!—won to his shameful lust/The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen” (1.v.L.45-46). This was a premeditated plan, because his mother is the ticket to control Denmark. If the kingdom is a garden, Claudius is the weed which gradually corrupts and pollutes the garden, thus someone needs to get rid of him. Hamlet has already suspicious of Claudius and the reason for his father’s death, but he does not have any concrete secret to evidence his suspicions. The ghost’s words confirm his guess. Hamlet feels sad for his father who was cruelly treated by those for whom he cared. His outlook on life changes, his character become complex and suspicious. The huge changes make Hamlet see the reality and the darkness of the society. Moreover, it is difficult for Hamlet to get revenge, he is alone and has not enough power against the new king. His father did not point out how to revenge, it is difficult for him to have the power to fight against the new king. However, Hamlet still decides to dedicate most of his time and energy trying to take revenge for the death of the king. Finally, Hamlet’s quest for revenge against his uncle may foreshadow his tragic ends.

4. Hamlet Sr was murdered by his own brother, Claudius who poured poison into his era while he was sleeping in the orchard, “Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole/With juice of cursed hebona in a vial/And in the porches of my ears did pour” (Shakespeare 1.v.L.61-63). His wife, his life and his kingdom have all been stolen by imposter in one day. Others only know that the king is died by the heart attack. This is so humiliating to the king and he can not say anything. Hamlet Sr has flaws like every human, but he did not get to atone for his sins, it allows him to appear in Hamlet in order to seek justice and restore his legacy. Moreover, the ghost is angry at his ex wife Gertrude because she is unfaithful and betrayal to him, marries his brother after two months he died which is too soon. Gertrude marries Claudius because she is situated in a difficult situation. Gertrude was left alone and vulnerable after Hamlet Sr died, thus she needs someone to support her, and that person is Claudius. Marrying Claudius is a method to protect herself and secure her position. Whatever, Gertrude's action is a sign of disloyalty and disrespect, Hamlet Sr thinks that she should have remained faithful to him even in death. This marriage is a shame for Hamlet’s family, “But howsomever thou pursues this act/Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive/Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven/And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge/To prick and sting her” (1.v.L.84-88). However, the ghost does not explicitly state that he wants Gertrude to get punished, he just urges Hamlet to take revenge against Claudius, as sees Claudius as the primary culprit in his murder, However, even though the ghost does not want Hamlet to punish his mother, Hamlet still has a grudge against his mother. Gertrude marries from a hero to a loser, he can’t believe his mother married a murder. However, he can’t say that Claudius is suspicious, or this marry is not good to his mom, because Hamlet‘s critics to Claudiu’s marriage could be seen as a challenge to his authority. If Hamlet will get revenge for his father’s death, he needs to be careful not causing further instability or conflict.

5. When Hamlet returns to his friends Marcellus and Horatio, he wants to reveal that the ghost is real. However, he did not tell his friends anything about the murder, only says, “There’s never a villain dwelling in all Denmark/But he’s an arrant knave/There needs no ghost, my lord. Come from the grave to tell us this” (Shakespeare l.v.L.123-125). Though Hamlet is not revealing the secret to Haratio, he is hinting at it. Hamlet remains exclusive when it comes to the final details. He may be concerned about revealing it too soon, as he is still processing the information and trying to come up with a plan for revenge. He has no enough evidence to prove the new king is the killer. Therefore, if he tells it to his friends, they will help Hamlet get revenge. Thus, they will be in danger if someone loyal to Claudius overheard. Hamlet is hesitant to involve his friends too deeply in his quest for revenge. Furthermore, Hamlet and his friend make a pact. Hamlet wants his friends to promise not to say anything about the ghost and he will sometimes behave strangely. Hamlet does not want his friends to ask the reason, they need to trust him. Everything he does has a reason, when the time is right, they will see, the real evidence will change their mind, “That you, at such times seeing me, never shall/With arms encumbered thus, or this head shake/Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase” (1.v.L.173-175). This allows him to spy on his mother and uncle. Hamlet knows that his friends can not believe the ghost is real, thus he does not tell them the crucial truth, Claudius is the murder. He only tells to his friends, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio/Than are dreamt of in your philosophy” (1.v.L.166-167). Human imagination is limited and there are many things they do not know, do not see and can not prove. Hamlet inhints that the ghost is actually real and he really wants them to believe it. In conclusion, Hamlet’s decision to seek revenge on his own showed his bravery and determination. He is willing to risk everything, including his own life, to avenge his father's death and keep justice to Denmark.