Hamlet's Success

How would one most generally feel after the murder of a parent? A tidal wave of feelings could overwhelm the mind and give rise to unexplainable thoughts and emotions. Like Hamlet, the majority of us would probably sink into a deep depression and mourn for the loss of our childhood hero. In Hamlet’s case, he was visited briefly by the Ghost of his Father for one specific purpose: to seek revenge for the murder at the hands of his brother. However, taking on the task of avenging the killing of one’s parents is not as easy as it sounds. Upon the appearance of the Ghost, three things were asked of him: do not go insane, leave Gertrude’s fate in heaven’s hands, and seek revenge for his death. Hamlet is not fully successful in following the dictates of the Ghost: rather than acting exactly upon what is implied, he took a more philosophical route that leads to the unnecessary deaths of many others.
Hamlet fails to keep his sanity, which leads to catastrophe. His father even made an effort into mentioning, “But, howsoever thou pursuest this act/Taint not thy mind…” (3.4. 91, 92). The Ghost knew that the task laid before Hamlet would not be as simple as it would for another 14th century man. Everything Hamlet did consisted of well thought out speculation. Although Shakespeare message isn’t implicit, everything from the way characters speak and act is done for a reason. This not only foreshadows what is to become of Hamlet, but also hints to the audience that the level of his sanity adds to the result of what his father was implying. However, this madness wasn’t developed purely because Hamlet had intended it to but because of the suspicions he was coming more in contact with. One by one, all of the people Hamlet trusts and loves in his life were slowly, in his opinion, turning against him. First it began with Claudius’ ruthless killing of his father, which was quickly followed by the disturbing marriage to his mother. With this, the intentions of his friends and even