Alexa Birckbichler

Skirtich
November 18 2016
English 10: World Literature
One action, unthinkable consequences
Whose heart the accustomd sight of death makes hard -William shakespeare. In this
famous play it is easy to see death as just another casual event that continuously occurs. But
the deaths in this play have more of an overall effect than seen originally. We have to truly look
at the characters and what their lives did. Specifically focusing on King Hamlet, without his
death there would have been no initial vow of revenge, it sets the plot for the entire play. His
death was the most important and influential death in the play. King Hamlets death starts a
string of wrongful deaths, drives Hamlet to insanity, and shows to become to much for Claudius.
King Hamlets death started a string of wrongful deaths. The first death (after king Hamlet
himself) is Polonius, he dies at the hands of Hamlet but it was truly his own stupidity that got him
killed. If he had 1) been a better spy and 2) not been spying at all he wouldn't have died. The
next Character being Ophelia. Ophelia probably the most innocent character (other than
Gertrude) to die. She was truly a victim of circumstances and defiantly has a wrongful and
unjust death. She goes mad because of how she is treated by everyone. No one truly
appreciates her or shows her love until after she is dead. Allas then she is drown (IV.7.209.)
Ophelia drowns, but in a way it is suicide. She doesn't try to help herself, she just lays in the
water awaiting death, that shows how she felt. She was so beaten down it just wasn't worth it to
live anymore. She is physically and mentally abused until a breaking point. All by people who
are supposed to love her; her boyfriend, father and brother. Another very innocent character
dies next, Gertrude. NO, I am poisoned (V.II.340-341.) Gertrude gets poisoned because
nobody really cares about her. Throughout the entire play she is pushed around and mostly
ignored (like ophelia). She is kept out of the loop and doesn't know what is going on. She still

always had her sons best interest at heart. Although sometimes she was manipulated by
Claudius, to do things that didn't help Hamlet, she loved her son and really was a good person
who didn't deserve to die. Laertes is next to go, he dies fighting for what he thinks is right. I truly
do believe Laertes thinks Hamlet is at fault until his very last moments. He was tricked and used
as a pon by Claudius. Finally Hamlet, Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (III.1. 57-61.) Although shakespeare had been
alluding to Hamlets death the entire play, it was not expected like that.
The death of King Hamlet embarked prince Hamlets insanity. Before the ghost of king
hamlet even came back hamlet himself was a disaster. A little more than kin and less than kind
(I.II.65) He was already suspicious of Claudius and not very fond of his mother and new stepfather, old uncles marriage. To do obsequious sorrow. But to persever In obstinate condolement
is a course Of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief. (I.II.92-94) He was not allowed the
grieve the loss of his father which only furthered his hatred and suspicion of the new king. So
uncle, there you are now to my word (I.v.110) Once the ghost of king hamlet talks to hamlet and
tells him the truth it propels Hamlet for the entire play to seek revenge. He feels he owes it to his
father to kill Claudius and show the kingdom the truth. His plans start out crazy from the
beginning, there are many ways Hamlet could spy on Claudius, and to out him but he choses to
act crazy.I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a
handsaw (II.II.351-352) It really doesn't get him anywhere. If anything it sets him farther back.
People will see his madness and just override his ideas about Claudius. His madness doesn't
just get in the way of peoples perception of him but in the way of many things, the most
important being his relationship with Ophelia. From the point on after talking to the ghost, he
acts crazy and treats ophelia very badly. He blames all this on an act but we come too see that
it might be serious. If Hamlet had maybe gone about the whole revenge thing a different way

maybe he wouldn't have ended up dead and he couldn't have out-smarted Claudius. But
because he chose to crazy route he and everyone he loved ended up dead.
In the end, King Hamlets death proves to be too much for Claudius. When Claudius
takes over, the whole kingdom practically bows down to him. This defiantly progressed Hamlets
insanity. Claudius acted like a someone trying to help his new steps-son get better and move
on, and the whole kingdom believed him, even Hamlets own mother fell for his act. This not only
progressed Hamlets insanity but also his suicidal thoughts. He was all alone (aside from
Horatio) in knowing what a bad person Claudius was, although his crazy act did not advocate
for himself. At first Claudius is at ease and thinks he has gotten away with it but once he starts
putting together Hamlets behavior, his paranoia increases and so begins his plan to get Hamlet
out of the way. My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never go to
Heaven (III.III.98-99) Claudius does not want to give up the crown, but he does realize what he
did was wrong. Still his owe selfishness and greed stops him from doing anything good. Instead
the opposite is done and he choses to just get rid of the problem. But hamlet being so driven
wouldn't go down without a fight. He is justly served, It is a poison tempered by himself (V.II.
328-329) Claudius own actions will ironically kill him. Claudius was very smart about what he
did and how he manipulated the people around him. He got very far but his evil actions caught
up to him. King Hamlets death would prove to lead to the down fall of Claudius and his kingdom.
But I do prophesy. the rest is silence (V.II.357-360) Now that most everyone of importance
is dead, Fortibras takes over and Hamlet is okay with that. He knows Fortinbras will do good by
the kingdom.
King Hamlet may have been a minor character but his death was most defiantly the most
major in the play. During the duration of hamlet we see many deaths,you really have to look at
these deaths and see them as something of importance. Everything action has a consequence,

some bigger than others. Its easy to overlook King Hamlet but in the end it really all comes back
to his death .