Theme Of Manipulation In Hamlet

Tragedies may have different plots yet, they all have similar elements. Manipulation is one of those elements, where characters end up with different fates. Hamlet feigned madness, Agamemnon was victimized, and J. Alfred Prufrock manipulated us. One thing that is common, about all three tragedies, is that they ended up in a bad place.

Hamlet faked his madness after learning of his father’s death. He felt betrayed by his mother who married his uncle, shortly after King Hamlet’s death. Prince Hamlet promised revenge to avenge his death thus he looked for a plan. He decided to feign madness as he spoke with Polonius so that Claudius questions him. The rest of the play questions Hamlet’s motives and whether he is, indeed, mad or acting. He’s convinced Claudius of his madness, although he knows not of his fate he delays the King’s murder. He goes into the duel, where he meets his destiny against Laertes with a poisoned sword. Manipulation exists throughout Hamlet from the prince acting mad to Claudius killing Gertrude. Claudius manipulated Hamlet by convincing Laertes to duel him a poisoned battle. He provided a poisoned cup with which Gertrude drank to her death. Claudius manipulated Gertrude to death, and with loving manipulation to her son. Hamlet felt depressed and lonely, at times wanting to give up and not fight the battle. “To be or not to be” ~Hamlet

We see manipulation when Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter to go to the Trojan War. Upon his return he felt save to enter his home yet, Clytemnestra manipulated him to his death. Agamemnon seems to fall of his pious level after Clytemnestra’s linguistic manipulation. He is a mysterious character who is of higher status like Hamlet. Clytemnestra planned his murder for the revenge of her daughter’s