As the ghost that he saw, caused him to believe that he should do everything to try to avenge the death of his father. This is dysfunctional, in that the majority of people do not let a spiritual being influence their actions in such negative ways. Instead, they will use this to help to motivate them to accomplish a much higher purpose. For example, if Hamlet had decided that he would avenge his father's death by becoming the King one day. He could focus on areas that would help him to live up to the ideals and values that he was known for. This would have meant that the large amounts of death and destruction would not have occurred. At the same time, any kind of animosity would have been dramatically reduced. This is because Hamlet, is attempting to directly control his mind and the actions that he is taking.
Therefore, readers should look at Hamlet as mentally disturbed and delusional. The reason why, is because he is letting these events control his life and the way that he is reacting to a host of situations. Once this occurs, is when is setting off a set a series of negative incidents that will have devastating consequences for everyone. The end result is that nearly all of the characters from the story will die and Hamlet will have his revenge. But, it will come at a high cost for everyone involved. This is troubling, because it is showing how Hamlet's form of mental illness would have ripple effects on the outcome of the play.
Clearly, the best way that readers can account for Hamlet's actions is to look at him as someone who is suffering...
This has an impact by causing him to read different events that happened as a way of avenging his murder. The problem is that Hamlet is dealing with the issue is a very dysfunctional way. This is when he will seek to kill Claudius to extract his revenge. The problem was that during the process there were a number of innocent people who died. This is because both sides are seeking to go after the other. Once this takes place, is when a series of negative events will occur. They are fueled by: even more revenge, pride, arrogance and a sense of entitlement. This is the point the situation will turn from bad to worse. As Hamlet's delusions will help him to believe that he is doing the right thing. Yet in reality, his actions are only making the underlying situation worse. This is problematic, because it means that the entire royal family will die and no one will be able to assume power. Instead, Hamlet should have avenged his father's death by becoming a better king than he was. This is when he would have been able to live up to his values and principles. Over the course of time, this would have redressed the situation by: allowing the policies he enacted to positively influence everyone.
Bibliography
"Hamlet." Spark Notes, 2011. Web. 23 Aug. 2011.
Barlow, David. Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders. New York: Guilford, 2007. Print.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. London: Thompson Learning, 2006. Print.
MLA Format. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
