The way Hamlet changes over the course of the play is called .

The way Hamlet changes over the course of the play is called .

A. building suspense

B. character development

C. plot events

D. rising action

Answer: B. character development

Character development is a situation where the character in a story change from one state to another improving one in the course of the story. A wonderful example of dramatic irony is the transformation of the protagonist in Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet.”

Hamlet himself is depicted as a young prince who is brooding, morose and grieving over the recent death of his father and the hasty remarriage of his mother. Hamlet’s character development also unfolds through the play; the initial action presents a person more inclined to brood and ponder than act, and by the play’s end, the prince is a more proactive hero. His soliloquy, ‘to be or not to be’ in the third act is a great step in his character development, it shows his confusion and metaphysical contemplation on existence and suicide.

Looking at the transformations in characters, Hamlet has changed a lot and is well portrayed when interacting with other characters. His behaviour towards Ophelia for example when he is fond of her suddenly turns into roughness and cruelty when he has to seek revenge for his father. Likewise, the audience witnesses the change of trust in friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to mere suspicion as the protagonist senses the degeneration of Denmark.

At the end of the play, the character of Hamlet evolves from passive to active, and he takes a stand to avenge his father’s death or meet other challenges. This gradual metamorphosis of character is what hooks the audience and propels them forward hence making character transformation a staple wheel of Shakespeare’s creation.