Question

In a way, Hamlet and Claudius play a complicated and deadly chess game throughout the play, and both use pawns to accomplish their goals. Three characters in particular are either unwitting or witting pawns in the game: Ophelia, and Hamlet's school friends, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. Choose either Ophelia or the pair of school friends, and, in at least 150 words, trace the manipulations that act on her or them. What is the outcome for the character(s), and what comment on power might Shakespeare be suggesting?

Answer 1

Characters chosen:

Guildenstern and Rosencrantz:

Answer:

Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are two of Hamlet's old acquaintances who agree to spy on Hamlet upon king Claudius' request in turn for a reward.  Claudius appears concerned for Hamlet's welfare, however, he only has mischievous intentions involving his status as king and him remaining in it. Then, when Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to 'visit' Hamlet they are once again manipulated, this time by Hamlet, into admitting their real reason for being there. The pair of friends both belong to a lower social class than the hierarchy, thus, Shakespeare may be alluding to the social concept of social class restrictions. Those in a lower class were characterized as weak and easily manipulated.

Answer 2

Ophelia is a character who is manipulated by almost every other character in the play at some point or another. She is manipulated by her father and Claudius as they use her to try and bait Hamlet. They make her return the gifts he had given her and when she is yelled at by Hamlet they just watch and make no effort to relieve her of the trauma. She is manipulated by Hamlet, as he told her he loved her and then either in madness, faked madness, or sincerity took it all back and screamed at her. This drives her into a madness, escalated by her father's death, that leaves her helpless and leads to her drowning. Shakespeare, through the way the characters treat Ophelia and the result of her eventual death, is recognizing the lack of power that women have and how sometimes they were barely even treated like people, more like pawns in a chess match.