The Conflict between Son and Self in Hamlet (Abridged)
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 A name is a very important aspect of a person. It helps to define who that person is and what is important to that person. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the use of the same names for fathers and sons creates a dilemma that is not easily overcome […]
Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, shares his name with his father, Hamlet, the former King of Denmark. This sharing of names blurs the identity of the Prince with the King. Since the King precedes the Prince, he is able to develop his own distinct identity. He is "a goodly king" (1.2.186), a noble, brave, and self-assured man. Thus it falls on Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, to define himself beyond the confines of his father's name. Abraham Fraunce suggests the definition of someone consists of two parts, "the generall and the difference… A man is a sensible creature endued with reason, where sensible creature is the general, and endued with reason is the difference" (Qtd. in Calderwood 10). Hamlet is genetically related to his father as are all sons to their fathers. However, Hamlet is even more closely related due to their common name. Hamlet also inherits the act of filial obligation when the ghost returns and demands revenge for his murder. When he swears to avenge his father's death, he is promising to "relinquish his personal identity and to unite with his father not merely in name but in actional fact" (Calderwood 10). Hamlet "adopts his father's cause- to make his father's enemy his own enemy, to assume his father's motives, goals, and pains- is to adopt his father's identity" (Calderwood 10).

Prior to the ghost's appearance Hamlet is beginning to define himself as an individual person instead of as the son of his father. He has been away at school forging his own path in life. When his father's ghost demands him to exact revenge on Claudius, Hamlet struggles trying to decide if he will take the role of "son" and blend with his father or to become the "self" and breakaway from his father. The need to make this decision is what leads to Hamlet's confusion and inaction throughout the play. […]

Aas Hamlet realizes what he has promised to do, he is plagued with his own inaction. Hamlet cannot bear to think of himself as a murderer. He realizes that a man is defined by his actions. If he were to murder Claudius, he would be classified as one in the same with Claudius. For this reason, Hamlet cannot compel himself to exact revenge on his father's killer. Not only did the ghost require revenge but he also urges Hamlet that "howsomever thou pursues this act [of revenge], Taint not thy mind," (1.5.84-85). If a person is defined by what he does, then the ghost must know that it would be impossible for Hamlet to carry out his request without going mad. Because of the ghost's demand, inaction and action are both equally hard for Hamlet. "To remain true to himself [. . .] Hamlet must of necessity betray his father. To adopt his father's cause[. . .] he must betray himself" (Calderwood 21).

Shakespeare parallels the father son relationship of Hamlet with that of Fortinbras. Young Fortinbras' father was also named Fortinbras, old Fortinbras. […] Young Fortinbras becomes a true individual by burying the cause of his father. In this play young Fortinbras as shown as an example of self-definition by breaking away from his father. This shows the difference between young Fortinbras and young Hamlet. Fortinbras is able to break free of his father but Hamlet is not. This could be because of the appearance of the ghost which makes Hamlet's sense of responsibility seem even greater.

Calderwood explains that Claudius also has a similar problem with his name defining who he is. Not one time in the play is he referred to as Claudius. The only way the reader knows his given name is from stage directions and the list of "Dramatis Personae" at the beginning of the play. He is called the "King," "Denmark," "Majesty," and "uncle." Never once is he called Claudius; hence, in Shakespeare's time the audience never knew his name. Therefore, Claudius is not really given his own identity. He gives up his "self" when he murders his brother and usurps his throne. Hence, he becomes his brother in every way. He takes his role as King, as husband, and even as father to Hamlet. However, Claudius, unlike most of the other characters, never has the desire to develop his "self." This is because his greatest desire in life was to be his brother and acquire all that he had. However, he is never able to truly become his brother because even though he has everything that his brother had, he could never become the brave, caring, noble man that his brother had been. He murders his brother and issues the death of his nephew. By becoming his brother through such a violent act he was doomed to failure, he would never have a guilt free conscience which would allow him to be a great king remembered for generations for the wonderful deeds and courageous acts he would do. His need to be someone else eventually leads to his downfall. In a way, his death is the most pathetic. While the other main characters were struggling to define themselves, Claudius is trying to become someone else. Hamlet also dies but he dies for a noble cause whereas Claudius dies being greedy and wanting something he can never have.

According to Calderwood, Laertes also faces the overwhelming task of trying to define himself as something other than his father's son. Even though he does not share his name with his father, he is still defined as a "son" rather than "self." Although Polonius admonishes him "to thine own self be true" (1.3.78), he does this amid listing things that he should and should not do while he is away from home. Polonius takes his control even further by sending a man to spy on Laertes while he is in France. Laertes is a grown man but his father cannot let him go and be his own person. When he learns of his father's murder, he rushes home, not to attend the funeral, but to seek revenge for his father. Throughout the rest of the play, Laertes never bends from his desire to revenge his father's death. He acts quickly, unlike Hamlet, which makes him similar to Fortinbras. However, while Fortinbras eventually ends his march of revenge and breaks away from his definition of "son" to become "self," Laertes never gives up, and therefore, dies in the state of "son." Although Laertes was not goaded on in his need for revenge by a ghost, as was Hamlet, Claudius did help to feed the fire of his hatred and need for retribution. Claudius asks him, "What would you undertake, / To show yourself your father's son in deed / More than in words? (4.7.122-124) At the time of his death, Laertes gains a small bit of personal identity. He tells Hamlet, "the King, the King's to blame" (5.2.299). He also forgives Hamlet, which shows that he was not willing to give up everything for his father.

For most young adults today, it is very important to define themselves as someone other than their parents. It was not much different hundreds of years ago. Shakespeare captures this struggle from "son" to "self" in one of his most intricate plays, Hamlet. Hamlet and Fortinbras are connected to their fathers by both name and genetics which is very difficult to overcome. [..] Claudius actually regresses from the role of "self" to the role of "son." He tries to live his brother's life; this leads to his downfall and that of virtually every other player.

Works Cited


Calderwood, James L. To Be and Not To Be: Negation and Metadrama in Hamlet. New York: Columbia U P, 1983.