The Importance of Self-image in Hamlet Essay examples -- GCSE English

The Importance of Self-image in Hamlet  Ã‚   Self-image plays a big role in how people act. Hamlet’s inability to know himself or to understand his own motives leads to the restless battles between right and wrong in his conscience, which is the reason for his unpredictable tragic actions, and behaviors. Hamlets’ confusion is clearly shown in his soliloquies. His confused mind can be broken into five categories. Hamlet suffers from his own moral standards, the desperate need to seek the truth, lack of confidence and trust in his own impulses, self-hatred, and melancholy. Each of these categories contribute to Hamlet’s troubled mind. Hamlet based a lot of his actions on his religious moral standards. Although Hamlet had high morals, he still had many impulses that were against his moral standards that he wanted to carry out; such as the murder of his father and his thoughts on suicide. "His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!" (I, ii, 36-138) Hamlet is saying that if it wasn't against his religion to commit suicide, he would do it. In his fourth soliloquy, Hamlet says, "Thus, conscience does make coward of us all." (III, i, 91) Hamlet blames his inability to act out his impulses on these moral standards that have been ingrained into his conscience. He finds the restrictions in his world unbearable because it is confined within religious and social class barriers. As a young man, Hamlet's mind is full of many questions about the events that occur during his complicated life. This leads to the next two categories of his mind. His need to seek the truth and his lack of confidence in his own impulses. Hamlets’ confusion in what he wants to ... ...tude of the medieval men in his time. He thinks a lot, considers his motivations and finds evidence for his fathers’ deed before he executes his actions. This is why Hamlet couldn’t understand himself, his character differs from the typical man of his times and therefore his motives will be different too. Hamlet lost his confidence and therefore couldn’t decide on whether to act or not since he lost his understanding of himself. So therefore, a little corruption in Hamlet’s world, mixed with his characteristics that just weren’t right his time lead him to his tragic end; as a result of his actions and inactions. In conclusion, confidence in ourselves can lead us to do great and reasonable things. Losing that self-assurance will lead us to become indecisive and weak individuals. This corruption of character can ultimately lead to a tragic decline in our ideal world.