Balti state university a. Russo chair of english philology

Characters 
Hamlet 
The character of Hamlet recalls the titans of the Renaissance. Hamlet is a man of genius, 
highly educated, a man of searching mind and sparkling wit. Hamlet is the pride of all Denmark. 
The common people of the country love him. Hamlet is a humanist, a man who is free from 
medieval prejudices and superstitions. Shakespeare makes him a student of the Wittenberg 
University, a seat of learning. He is very just and noble. This finds expression in Hamlet‟s 
admiration of man a s a creature. It is so characteristic of Renaissance. He says: 
Hamlet: What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason!
How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable!
In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a God!
The beauty of the world. The paragon of animals!” 
 
 
 

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This enthusiastic exclamation could have come only form a man of Renaissance. Such is 
Hamlet, who opposes a cruel hypocritical and treacherous world. His indignation at what he sees 
is summed up in bitter and condemnatory words: “Denmark is a prison”. Hamlet‟s ideas bring 
him to the heights of humanist ideas.
Hamlet had to “oppose the sea of troubles”. And he starts with his family. The immediate 
surrounding of his is his Mother, Gertrude, and her husband, Hamlet‟s uncle, the present king 
Claudius.
Claudius, the present king, personifies the most disgusting traits of the Court – he is a 
villain and a murderer. He pretends to be generous and caring. But in fact he has a destructive 
force which brought Hamlet‟s family and the whole kingdom to destruction. Hamlet calls him 
“the king of strings and patches”. Claudius has lost any sense of decency – after killing his 
brother with cold hand, he perverts Gertrude, his sister-in law. He plays the noble and just man, 
fooling everybody around, using Laertus, Othelia‟s brother, to kill Hamlet. In fact Claudius used 
everybody in disguising his crimes but justice triumphs. All the main characters of this play are 
killed. Before his death Hamlet addresses people with the request not to commit such mistakes 
which were committed in the Kingdom of Denmark. He challenges everyone to live in peace and 
love. 
Hamlet Prince of Denmark is a very humanistic tragedy. It calls for justice, freedom and 
honesty.