merous occasions in this play in which Hamlet is split against himself. Amid all of this chaos, the stage is set for the passionate and bloody tragedy of Hamlet.When Hamlet arrives in Denmark and learns of the calamities that have taken place in his absence, he instinctively begins analyzing all possibilities in order to choose the best path for himself. Hamlet constantly tries to think his way through his problems and rationalize them. In fact, even when Hamlet knows exactly what he must do in order to get what he wants, he shows a great deal of difficulty in doing it because he spends too much time thinking. A fine example of this is when Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, but decides not to, merely because he is too busy considering what will result of the act. As he proceeds to commit the act, his inclination to do so is arrested by the following thought:“A villain kills my father, and for that,I, his sole son, do this same villain sendTo heaven.” (III.iii.76-78).This demonstrates Hamlet’s proclivity to think excessively. He tries to attain a clear and controlled mind, but his inflated emotions make this impossible. Therefore, he is forced to keep mostly to himself, being mindful never to reveal his raging emotions to anyone that may be in a position to do him harm. Although he would prefer to be honest, he is unable to, due to the fact that he is living in a dishonest and corrupt society. If Hamlet is honest, the King will undoubtedly have him killed. Therefore, he is forced to sustain his silence and only release his true feelings when he is alone. One example of this comes during a soliloquy, late in the fourth act:“O, from this time forthMy thoughts be bloody or nothing worth!” (IV.v.66-67).Hamlet, not wishing to be killed, speaks words such as these only when he is alone. However, when in the presence of others, he is clever, calm, and witty and never fully reveals hi...
