First Impression of Hamlet

In the second scene of the first act of Hamlet, Shakespeare introduces Hamlet, the protagonist of the play. In his interactions with his uncle and mother, he appears noble, compassionate, and in possession of a strong moral compass.

When Hamlet’s mother disapproves of his black, sorrowful clothing, he describes mournful activities and then states, “These indeed ‘seem,’/For they are actions that a man might play;/But I have that within which passes show,/These but the trappings and the suits of woe” (1.2.86-89). He responds respectfully to maintain his nobility as prince, yet he also expresses resentment by implying that his mother does not understand the grief within him resulting from the death of his father. The subtle criticism toward his mother reflects Hamlet’s integrity and his ability to maintain unbiased opinions as an individual in a persuasive environment.

After everyone but Hamlet exits the scene, he reveals the extent of his grief and his feelings toward his mother and uncle. First, he comments on his outlook on life, “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,/Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,/Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter” (1.2.133-136)! His inclination toward suicide indicates the extreme degree of sorrow that the death of his father inspires, and it leads me to believe that Hamlet possesses a compassion that his mother and uncle seem to lack.

Hamlet continues his soliloquy, “Why she, even she/(O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason/Would have mourned longer!), married with my/uncle,/My father’s brother, but no more like my father/Than I to Hercules” (1.2.153-158). When he speaks without anyone listening, he reveals his real opinions toward his mother and uncle, and his opinions denote disapproval and resentment. He claims that even a beast would spend more time mourning the death of his father than his mother does, and then he compares his father with his uncle and concludes that his father represents a hero of superhuman strength and courage while his uncle represents an ordinary person. In my opinion, these internal beliefs of Hamlet suggest the existence of a strong moral compass because they imply his dissatisfaction with his family’s lack of compassion and his desire to have a strong, courageous, and heroic king.

I believe that Hamlet is an honest and uncorrupt prince with decent intentions. He does seem to harbor a lot of resentment toward his family that could potentially manifest itself in an aggressive manner, but as of the second scene of the first act, he makes an effort to conceal his feelings and remain passive.