Central Tension of Hamlet's Identity Crisis

Student
Professor
Course
Date
Central Tension of Hamlet's Identity Crisis
Throughout the play, Hamlet undergoes multiple swings in his perception of reality. Hamlet's anxiety is pivoted around the uncertain view of the world and his agnostic stance on the matters pertinent to his existence and that of the existence of powers beyond his perception, such as God. A careful study of the plays reveals that Hamlet's agnosticism, combined with what he internalizes from his exposure to the twists in his life, is behind his persistent shift to a materialistic and nihilistic view of life manifests itself in how he makes sense of relations and unleashes his wrath.
Hamlet's struggle with identity begins with his father's murder by Claudius. Hamlet is deeply grieved by the loss of his father, whom he recognized as his benefactor and a source of inspiration. This bitter experience marks the beginning of his dilemma, the glimpse of which is evident in his subsequent soliloquies. His first encounter with the dual face of reality is the inner urge to mourn over his father's death in the face of his mother's and other fellows' consoling remarks. For example, he remarks, " But I have that within which passes show, These but the trappings and the suits of woe (Shakespeare 27). Here, he means that he expresses his sorrow through his appearance while ironically thinking that what a person shows can be a deception. Therefore, he finds no authentic way to articulate his reaction to his father's death. His mother's consoling remarks infuriate him, which means his father's death is not to be taken as lightly as others may perceive. Therefore, he uses his appearance instrumentally to show how grieved he is to set a precedence for others. The conflict arises out of the fact that if Hamlet believes appearance can be fake, her mother's apparent calm behavior and his mournful demeanor don't have to be the true depiction of their inner feelings.
Another example of Hamlet's uncertainty interposing between him and his happiness is his unbridled conversation with Ophelia. Unexpectedly, he takes a vulgar turn by pronouncing "country" as "cunt-tree" as he inquires, "Do you think I meant country matters?" (Shakespeare 144). Despite the apparent reluctance shown by Ophelia to indulge in a romantic exchange of views, Hamlet presses Ophelia, which ultimately makes her suspect Hamlet's intents and approve of the doubts nurtured in her by her brother and father, who tend to be in charge of her sexual agency. Even though Hamlet has no ill intentions toward Ophelia, his inner confusion prompts him to act uncertainly and ambiguously without fearing the consequences. The overwhelming thought of avenging his father's death takes precedence over all his affairs, making Hamlet's responses to various stimuli spontaneous and impulsive. Therefore, despite having no foul intention at their bottom, his precarious advances to Ophelia indicate Hamlet's struggle to make sense ...