Old King Hamlet Research Paper

In literature, characters who appear infrequently are significant to the development of the plot.Hamlet, a play by William Shakespeare, has characters of its own who are a tremendous impact to the play. The death of Old King Hamlet, leads to controversy throughout the play. The appearances of the Old King Hamlet are only seen by Hamlet who portrays madness and craziness because no one else manages to actually see the Ghost. With only two appearances, Old King Hamlet, or also referred to as the Ghost, affects the development of his son Hamlet, and leads to the theme of revenge. Prior to the first appearance of the Ghost, Hamlet grieved his father's death, and was only concerned about the marriage between his mother and uncle. Hamlet could not stand the fact that his mother had married his uncle, but he demonstrated constant obedience to his mother.

The Ghost plays an outstanding part into this theme. After the unveiling of the Ghost to Hamlet, Hamlet was set to go after avengement towards his uncle and his mother. Hamlet full of anger remarks, “O, from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth” (IV, 4,68-69). Full of madness and frustration, Hamlet is careless, but with one thing set in mind, revenge. Not only is Hamlet's madness and frustration towards his uncle, but his mother too. Brimming with appalling emotions, Hamlet confronts his mother to disclose, “Mother you have my father much offended” (III, 4, 13). Hamlet cannot wrap his mind around the idea that his mother married his father's murderer. He believes there are no excuses as to why she did it, and now that he discerns Claudius slaughtered his father, his fury towards the Queen rises. Abounding with hatred Hamlet proceeds to affirm to his mother and accost her to break the silence. Hamlet asserts to his mother “...good mother, As kill a king and marry with his brother” (III, 4, 34-36). The conjecture Hamlet declares puts