Part One Essay: Disillusionment. Depression. Despair. These are the burning emotions swirling in Hamlet's soul as he attempts to come to terms with his father's death and his mother's incestuous, illicit marriage. While Hamlet tries to pick up the pieces of his shattered idealism, he consciously embarks on a quest to seek the truth hidden in Elsinore; this in contrast to Claudius' burning attempts to hide the truth of murder. Deception versus truth; illusion versus reality. Throughout the play Hamlet struggles between them. Hamlet and his sanity can arguably be discussed throughout the play. Many portions of the play supports his loss of control in his actions, while other parts uphold his ability of dramatic art. There are indications from Hamlet throughout the play of his mind's well being. Hamlet's pranking disposition may have caused him in certain times that he was playing a role. Hamlet's mood swings and Machiavellian manipulations are prevalent throughout the play. He pretends to be insane to everyone, in hope of seeking revenge for his fathers death. This link between vengeance and acting is what Hamlet struggles with throughout the play. He then swears to kill Claudius when he says, "I should have fatted all the region kites with the slave is off. Bloody, bawdy villain! O vengeance! Why, what an ass I am?" (Act 2.2) He makes this big build up of what he should have done and how he will be revenged and shoots it down in the next line. He consistently backs down. Hamlet attempts to account for his failure to take revenge . He can't decide if he wants to play the role. In the same scene, where Hamlet speaks his soliloquy, he is portraying self criticism throughout. In the lines where he speaks of Hecuba, he is referring to being an actor on a stage. He goes back and forth with self criticism in this soliloquy. At some point he moves from self criticism to wild words. By having this play, Hamlet feels that he'll be able to tell i...
