Hamlet: To be or not to be (a jerk)?

During Act 3 (particularly in scene 1) Hamlet is very cruel and harsh in his improper treatment of Ophelia. When he first approaches her in this scene, they both appear to behave in a civil way towards one another and the reader almost believes that he or she will see a glimpse of the old and more stable Hamlet. However, he or she quickly sees that Hamlet is in no mood for niceties or formalities when he decides to take a different, more harsh, approach when dealing with Ophelia this time around. She reminds him of all of the beautiful gifts and things that he had done for her when they were in love, and he responds by going on to tell her that he never gave her anything, and that he “loved [her] not.” Although her response, “I was the more deceived” seems to indicate that she took this blow rather calmly, I think that it is a safe assumption that the actress on stage shows the hurt and heartbreak on her face and in her inflection. Although her response is not hysterical or weepy, she must be heart broken, as to be told that a previous relationship in fact meant nothing and was quite meaningless cannot possibly be taken without sadness. What makes Hamlet so heartless in the scene is his callous manner and sarcastic tone. His words are made all the more cutting by what I imagine is the actor playing Hamlet mocking Ophelia’s obvious pain by means of an “I could care less” attitude. He sees that she is hurting, and he “helps ease her pain” by telling her that all men, like himself, are “arrant knaves…believe none of us.” He then tells her that the best way to avoid all of the “proud, revengeful, and ambitious” men like himself is to quit altogether and simply join a nunnery. Obviously, this comment is not meant with serious connotation, he does not actually think that joining a nunnery would be the proper solution; on the contrary, it is a clearly caustic remark due to the bitterness and sarcasm that I believe are in his voice. After Hamlet departs, Ophelia remembers Hamlet as he once was (as a sane and normal man with whom she was in love) and curses his currently insane and unstable being. As the reader, I do believe that Hamlet previously had true and deep feelings for her; however, recent circumstances have brought him into a volatile state where his mental state is rapidly declining. He is becoming all the more paranoid and anxious and in the process, cruel and blunt. The supposed “nobility and sensitivity” which previously distinguished him are no longer evidenced by means of his moody and harsh behavior. His character is clearly one with many different faces, and by means of this interaction between the two former-lovers, one of these faces proves to be that of a vengeful and heartless heart breaker (504).