Wayward Child’s comment > Likes and Comments

I'm not sure that I would agree that Hamlet is ever kind-hearted. Even at the very beginning he shows a cruelty. Now, there is definitely some strong parallels between him Laertes, however they are not in the same situation. Yes, both lost a father, but Laertes has also seen his sister, his only remaining family as far as we know, lose her mind and die as well and then he is manipulated by a very smart and ruthless man. Hamlet has lost his father, but still has a family and numerous friends. He is being manipulated by a ghost, however he reacts to that manipulation very differently from the way Laertes reacts to Claudius (for one thing, Hamlet is absolutely aware that it is manipulation and potentially unreliable). Hamlet may be hesitant about killing his uncle, his stepfather, however he shows very little qualms about lesser cruelty and even about killing other people (his friends, for example, who he absolutely didn't need to have killed to save himself). I'm not saying that he doesn't get decidedly more cruel throughout the play, however from his very first appearance he is rude and even mean. Even the scene with Ophelia, the Nunnery scene, is fairly early in the play before he is far into his "madness", and that's dreadfully horrid and cruel - not the behavior of someone who has a kind heart.