Essay on The Evil In Hamlet - 1169 Words

The Evil In Hamlet Throughout the play Hamlet, evil thoughts and actions can be seen. The characters Hamlet, King Claudius, and Queen Gertrude consistently are influenced by the forces of evil. Evil becomes the controlling factor of the play and causes the characters thoughts and actions to be blurred. Hamlet’s thoughts are constantly darkened by suicide and death. Hamlet can be seen as suicidal in one of his first soliloquies. â€Å"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt / Thaw and resolve itself into a dew, / Or that the Everlasting had not fixed / His canon gainst self-slaughter. O God. God† (Ham. 1. 2. 129-132). This shows Hamlet wishes his flesh would melt because his mothers actions have made the world completely†¦show more content†¦Hamlet is fascinated by the power of death to transform a human into an object such as a skull that he can hold in his hand. Hamlets thoughts are darkened by evil which makes life seems pointless to him when he is looking death directly right in the face. King Claudius is so poisoned by the evil of death he becomes obsessed with covering up his evil murder. In the beginning of the play King Claudius gives a speech on how the kingdom should move on quickly from the death of the old king Hamlet. â€Å"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brothers death / The memory be green, and that it us befitted / To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom / To be contracted in one brow of woe, / Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature† (Ham. 1. 2. 1-5). King Claudius’ actions are based on the fact that he murdered the old king and wants to try and cover it up and move on as quickly as possible. The king’s thoughts are so clouded by evil he only thinks to protect himself and he doesn’t care about anyone else. King Claudius, driven by his evil murder, tries anything he can to get rid of Hamlet. â€Å"I like him not, nor stands it safe with us / To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you. / I your commissi on will forthwith dispatch, / And he to England shall along with you† (Ham. 3. 3. 1-4). This shows King Claudius being so consumed by evil he attempts to cover his own safety at the expense of shipping Hamlet off to England. King Claudius’ thoughts are even moreShow MoreRelatedIs the Ghost in Hamlet Pure Evil? 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