Exam (elaborations)
Hamlet Characters + Motivations Detailed Questions And Expert Answers
- Course
- Hamlet
- Institution
- Columbia University
Hamlet Characters + Motivations Detailed Questions And Expert Answers
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Hamlet Characters + Motivations DetailedQuestions And Expert Answers
Hamlet - ANS The Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist.
About thirty years old at the start of the play, Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude
and the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius. Hamlet is
melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle's scheming and disgust
for his mother's sexuality. A reflective and thoughtful young man who has studied
at the University of Wittenberg, Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at
other times prone to rash and impulsive acts.
Motivations:
- Revenge: hatred for his uncle; drive for revenge from his father
-Resentment towards his mother
-The feeling of betrayal from women
Claudius - ANS The King of Denmark, Hamlet's uncle, and the play's antagonist. The
villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his
sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt
and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere.
Motivations:
-Love for Gertrude
- Power and status
- Cover up the murder he committed
, Gertrude - ANS The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet's mother, recently married to
Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply, but she is a shallow, weak woman who
seeks affection and status more urgently than moral rectitude or truth.
Motivations:
- Driven by emotions and not thought
- Longs for attention and sexual desires
Polonius - ANS The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius's court, a pompous, conniving old
man. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia.
Motivations:
-Desire to control
- Manipulative to get what he wants
- Only cares about his reputation and the way he looks
- Self-absorbed
Horatio - ANS Hamlet's close friend, who studied with the prince at the university
in Wittenberg. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After
Hamlet's death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet's story.
Motivations:
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