Essay: Explore The Family Dynamics of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s Tragedy

In The Tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, there are many family conflicts that play a crucial role in the whole play. The relationships in the play cause a constant hostility between the characters, especially Hamlet, who’s resentment for his uncle causes him to question the wisdom of his father, and himself. Throughout Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, a lonesome and angry Hamlet revolts against his family and for his fallen father.
We don’t know much about the past relationship between Hamlet and his father, King Hamlet. Hamlet does seem to respect him though, when he comes back in the form of a ghost. When Hamlet is called by the ghost to go off alone and listen, he does. “Still I am call’d. Unhand me, gentlemen. By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me!- I say, away!” (1.4.721-23). Hamlet is not scared of his father, he is willing to listen, but knows that this situation is very strange. “Murther most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange, and unnatural” (1.4.761-3). He listens to the pleads of his ghost father, and listens and swears to not tell of their plot to revenge his uncle. This shows the loyalty and trust that Hamlet has for father. Which is uncommon for Hamlet, since he is very lonely and not trusting of many. Although Hamlet doesn’t kill his uncle right away, he still follows through with the plan. Showing loyalty to his father. His father’s wisdom even in a ghost form was enough for him to take another human’s life. Displaying that when his father was alive, Hamlet had respect for his wisdom.
Contrasting Hamlet’s other family issues, he and his mother actually seem to be on positive terms. Although he shows clear anguish and ache towards her marriage of his uncle Claudius, he doesn’t say anything about harming or killing his mother. He looks out for his mother, although he acknowledges that she completely disregards how weird it is that she married his uncle Claudius. “Seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ‘tis common. All that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity”. (1.2.274-76). Hamlet is the only one mourning his father, everyone else has moved on quickly. Gertrude also seems to care for her son, as she is almost dead, poisoned, she still looks out for the well being of her son. “No, no! The drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink! I am poison’d” (5.2.3965-6). In her last seconds, she makes sure that Hamlet stays away from the poisoned drink. This angers Hamlet because he had a good relationship with his mother, and this just further angers him into the rage of killing his uncle Claudius. “Here, thou incestous, murd’rous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion! Is thy union here? Follow my mother” (5.2.3982-4).
Hamlet’s worst relationship in the play is his uncle Claudius. Claudius and Hamlet hate and despise each other. Hamlet does not approve of Claudius for many reasons. He took over the throne after the death of his brother, making him king. “But you must know, your father lost a father; that father lost, lost his and the survivor bound” (1.2.292-5). Claudius tells Hamlet that he must not mourn his father’s death, and that all generations and fathers eventually come to death. But as Claudius is saying this, Hamlet would be the next in line for the throne, since King Hamlet was his father. Hamlet also doesn’t like that his mother married Claudius as soon as King Hamlet died. King Hamlet also shares this hatred for his brother, that’s why he ordered his son to kill him. “Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power, So to seduce! Won to his shameful lust, The will of my most seeming virtuous queen. (1.5.780-782). At the end of the play, the two have at it. Both killing each other. Hamlet killed him in the name of his father and his own satisfaction, but at the cost of his own life.
Hamlet desires relationships and wants to love, displaying his love for Ophelia. She doesn’t desire him as much as he desires her, making him go mad. His weird actions have caught on to Polonius making Hamlet even more threatening to him. Hamlet and Ophelia just weren’t meant to be together, both going mad at separate times. “How say you by that? Still harping on my daugther. Yet he knew me not at first. He said I was a fishmonger. He is far gone, far gone! And truly in my youth i suff’red much extremity for love- very near this” (2.1.1290-93).
Polonius and Hamlet also have a very poor relationship. Polonius doesn’t trust Hamlet, and he also doesn’t approve of him seeing his daughter. Hamlet also does not respect him, and the two are very sarcastic and rude towards each other in each interaction they have. “For the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god kissing carrion- Have you a daughter?”(2.2.1286-8). Hamlet calls his daughter a whore, even though he is interested in Ophelia. Their poor relationship shows that Hamlet is not good at being on good terms with people he does not like, and that he does not know how to keep his mouth shut. The banter between these two characters is a comical part in the play, since both of them just bash each other non stop and you can just feel the despise the two have when in each others presence.They clearly have no respect for each other, and Polonius sees hamlet as a threat.
Hamlet is a character with little family and he doesn’t trust many because how all of family has betrayed him. His confidence in others is low because how the closest people in his life have acted. His mother betrayed him and left for his uncle. Although he still cares about his mom, she is loyal to her new husband and doesn’t listen to Hamlet. His uncle tries to murder him also. Making him skeptical of everyone and very alone. This friction is hard on Hamlet, causing him to go mad and eventually kill his uncle and die. In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Hamlet struggles with his behaviour as he manages living with his family falling apart. He struggles with madness and revolts the people that go against him. Hamlet is torn between how his uncle has betrayed him and his father, stealing the crown when he was in line for it. The dysfunctional family is a large aspect of the play, making it interesting and sometimes comical. If everyone was happy with each other and no one wanted to murder anyone, the play wouldn’t be interesting. Although some of Hamlet’s actions are questionable, I don’t think he is the one to blame for going mad. He had murder plots against him, and killing his uncle was just obeying his father’s request. His father was pretty much the last person who he could truly trust, before he passed away. The conflict between Hamlet and the other characters allow for the whole play to develop into a whole mess in the end where almost everyone dies. This is where Hamlet’s true hatred is shown when King Claudius dies, but Hamlet and his mother show love for each other in her last breaths. Although she has betrayed him and his father, Hamlet and his mother still care for each other and she makes sure he doesn’t drink the poisoned wine that she just drank. The Friction in this play is like no other because the main character does not have many people in his life, and has to revolt against his own family.