Brendan Lynch

Mrs. Tantillo
English 12 C
March 3
rd
2014
Hamlet: Fate s. Free !ill
The actions and decisions that Hamlet ma"es thro#gho#t the co#rse o$ Hamlet res#lt in the
death o$ eeryone he "no%s and loes. &ll o$ the deaths that ha''ened d#ring the 'lay %ere aoida(le.
Had Hamlet #sed his (etter )#dgment %hen deising his 'lans* no(ody %o#ld hae needed to die
e+ce't $or Cla#di#s himsel$. !hat ha''ened d#ring the story %as (y no means fated to ha''en ,
eerything that ha''ened %as ca#sed directly (y Hamlet-s o%n decisions. The 'eo'le %ho die d#ring
the d#ration o$ the 'lay are: .in this order/ 0oloni#s* 1'helia* 2ertr#de* Laertes* Cla#di#s* Hamlet
himsel$* and at the end o$ the (oo" %e receie ne%s o$ the e+ec#tions o$ 3osencrant4 and 2#ildenstern.
This essay %ill 'roe that ca#sed $irst5hand the deaths o$ all o$ them* incl#ding himsel$.
2oing chronologically* 0oloni#s is Hamlet-s $irst ictim. &$ter his death* 3osencrant4 and
2#ildenstern are the ne+t to $all. There is no reason to dis'#te these deaths , $or Hamlet "ills 0oloni#s
%ith his s%ord in &ct. 3 6cene 4 , and he re%rites 7ing Cla#di#s- letter* ordering the e+ec#tions o$
3osencrant4 and 2#ildenstern. The $irst death %ith a dis'#ta(le ca#se that occ#rs is the s#icide o$
1'helia. 8B#t %ait* didn-t 1'helia "ill hersel$9 Hamlet co#ldn-t (e at $a#lt:; !ell* not so m#ch. Hamlet
droe 1'helia to insanity. &ll o$ his interactions %ith her $rom a(o#t a <#arter o$ the %ay thro#gh the
(oo" and on made her lose her mind. 6he thin"s that he-s in loe %ith him .this essay is on %hether or
not he ca#sed her death* not %hether or not he loed her/ and %hen he s#ddenly starts acting cra4y .the
scene that 0oloni#s %atches/* she starts to lose her cool. 1er the co#rse o$ the entire 'lay* all o$
Hamlet-s interactions (et%een 1'helia and himsel$ only sere to ma"e her more stressed o#t and
$rantic. 6he (ecomes ery mentally #nsta(le as a res#lt. =t-s not #ntil the death o$ her $ather* ho%eer*
that she com'letely goes o$$ the dee' end. 6he goes irreersi(ly insane a$ter Hamlet m#rders 0oloni#s.
1'helia is #na(le to acce't or deal %ith the $act that Hamlet .the man she loes .9// has "illed her
$ather* and she does not "no% ho% to react. 6he (ecomes incom'rehensi(le , she (egins to (a((le* and
cannot hold a coherent conersation %ith any(ody. Eent#ally* she )#m's into a rier and dro%ns
hersel$. 1ne thing he co#ld hae done di$$erently is to immediately go to 1'helia a$ter "illing 0oloni#s.
=nstead* he com'letely disregarded her e+istence , %hich did not hel' her mental state. Hamlet-s
o(sessie h#nger $or reenge and his #ncaring and o(liio#s nat#re to%ards 1'helia are %hat ca#ses
1'helia to go insane and , to commit s#icide.
1ther than those $o#r 'eo'le , 1'helia* 3osencrant4 and 2#ildenstern* and 0oloni#s , eeryone
else %ho dies in the story die at the same time* in the same scene. >o% , Hamlet did not 8m#rder;
eery single one o$ them , altho#gh he does "ill %ith his o%n hands t%o o$ the remaining three. He
stic"s his s%ord thro#gh Laertes* and $orces Cla#di#s to drin" the 'oison. =t-s <#ite o(io#s that Hamlet
8ca#ses; the death o$ the 'eo'le he "ills in this scene .&ct ?. 6cene ==/* (#t in this section the eents
leading #' to that scene %ill (e analy4ed* and it %ill (e clear that Hamlet co#ld hae aoided all o$ it.
The eent %hich ca#sed all o$ the anger $rom Laertes to%ards Hamlet %as Hamlet-s m#rder o$
0oloni#s. =t-s not ery dis'#ta(le that none o$ this %o#ld hae ha''ened i$ Hamlet had sim'ly re$rained
$rom "illing 0oloni#s. B#t een %ith that occ#rring* there are some things he co#ld hae done
di$$erently to change the o#tcome o$ his sit#ation.