Hamlet: Speaker of the Ages
Speech is a way of life for all the people of the world. From our first words to our last, we can convey emotions, ideas, and thoughts to others around us. Without speech, we are nothing, which is why Hamlet is such a powerful work. Hamlet is eloquent and persuasive, which powers the entire plotline of the play. Hamlet made the entire play move and twist to his liking.
The entire play of Hamlet consists of the lead character, Hamlet, using his powers of speech to turn the tide of the play and therefore the mindsets of the other characters to his advantage. He plays Polonius like a fool by making him believe that he, Hamlet, was madly in love with his daughter and it was affecting his mental state. In actuality, Hamlet was throwing Polonius off his trail so that he could take revenge on his uncle. While he was confusing Lord Polonius, who was just as much of a talker as Hamlet just not as eloquent, Hamlet was busy pulling the calm-cool-collected card on his friends and parents, making all involved seem like they were in they know.
Hamlet’s power of persuasion proved a powerful asset when convincing others of his madness. Hamlet brought down his uncle’s entire mental guard and was able to slip in his revenge on his dead father. The only flaw in his plan was his inability to hold off Laertes in a swordfight, which would have enabled Hamlet to get off with his revenge without a scratch.
While Hamlet was an eloquent and persuasive speaker, his tragic flaw was his lack of confidence in his ability to avenge his father. He second-guessed his plan on multiple occasions, and would not follow through with a single plan until he was forced in his fight with Laertes. Then fall Hamlet.
