In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, the character of Hamlet is shaped by his interaction with others in the play due to him being regarded as a key figure in the progressive decline of the state of Denmark. He insists on deceiving those around him, despite a well-intentioned desire to uncover the truth. Consequently Hamlet becomes implicated in the further corruption of Denmark by being linked to the deaths of those closest to him. The collapsing relationship between Hamlet and Claudius leads to Hamlet’s loss of his child-like innocence and Ophelia’s implication and death also contributes to this loss which pushes Hamlet to take his revenge. …show more content…
Hamlet employs subversive humour in his response to Claudius’ offer, representing his disgust for the new king and his actions. His first soliloquy at the beginning is an exploration of the crisis he finds himself in due to the death of his father and the hasty marriage from his uncle to his mother. Hamlet expresses deep despair over the death of his father and laments the coronation of Claudius. Through the use of juxtaposition, Hamlet compares “Hyperion to a satyr” representing his father and Claudius respectively. Hyperion is the god of light, symbolising honour and virtue- traits that Hamlet attributed to his late father, whereas the satyr is representative of the half human and half beast creature found in Greek mythology representing lasciviousness and overindulgence, much like