Group+5

Group 5

__I Find Thee Apt__ Hamlet is a well thought, complex, creative figure that undergoes more stress and tough situations in this play than most recorded figures in our known lives. Ever since the death of his father he has been in somewhat of a depression and a burning anger. In Act 1 he meets up with the Ghost of his past father King Hamlet and he receives the command to seek revenge on his new king and uncle, Claudius. “I find thee apt.” Throughout the play this statement is put into question. Is Hamlet really able to commit murder and avenge his father’s untimely death?

One important aspect of Hamlet’s ability to take action is his relationship and his view of Claudius. Throughout the play Hamlet’s feelings toward Claudius slowly evolve and take fold. In the beginning of the play in Act 1, when his uncle all of a sudden becomes king, he was upset with his uncle. He could not blame his uncle for the entire situation, but still frustrated that he took the throne from him. After Hamlet encounters the Ghost of his Father, he instantly finds hatred towards Claudius. In Act 2, the King and Polonius are spying on Hamlet. First they use Ophelia to spy on him and also Claudius calls up Hamlet’s old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to try to get info out of him. This could make Hamlet feel that he is not trusted and also that Claudius is trying to hide things by not directly confronting him. In Act 4 Hamlet finds out as he is being taken to England that the king ordered him to be killed. This is probably the breaking point in their relationship. Since Claudius was willing to kill Hamlet, Hamlet must feel the need to kill Claudius.

The other important aspect is Hamlet’s constant and almost ever-changing state of mind. In Act 2, Hamlet already starts to doubt his encounter with the Ghost wondering if Claudius really did kill him. So he comes up with this devious plan to form the play in Act 3 to see if Claudius has any conviction to it. If he does he knows that Claudius is guilty. When Hamlet finds out in Act 3 that Claudius did do it he gets ready to kill him. When he has the chance, he thinks really deeply into it and decides not to when Claudius is confessing his sins. Hamlet believes at this moment if Claudius were to die he would just go to heaven. So Hamlet waits for the right moment to strike. In Act 4 Hamlet is questioning himself and calling himself a coward. But when he sees Fortinbras’ army coming, he receives this new found inspiration and swears that he will seek his revenge.

Really the statement “I find thee apt” was really questionable until Act 5. In the big conclusion in the mist of all the fighting and death, Hamlet finally kills Claudius out of enormous rage. In the end Hamlet was apt to do the deed because he accomplished it. But the journey he took to get there really was a challenging one. Hamlet was able to kill Claudius and seek revenge.