Obsession
Obsession is a more minor theme in Hamlet. The main obsession is that of Hamlet's. Hamlet wants to get revenge for his father's death, so he plans to kill Claudius. This thought consumes him, even though he goes many months without any action. As Suzanne Collins remarks in her novel Mockingjay, "a need for revenge can burn long and hot. Especially if every glance in a mirror reinforces it" (320). He is always planning how he will do it, but whenever he gets the chance to kill Claudius, he never seizes the opportunity. Hamlet's other obsession is death. Death fascinates Hamlet in vast amounts. He is curious about death and at first is afraid to die. He soon loses this fear as he realizes that everyone dies and no one knows what is on the other side. Another obsession in Hamlet is that of Claudius and Polonius. Claudius and Polonius both have an obsession with spying. They are trying to spy on Hamlet to learn why he is ostensibly mad. Their spying returns no results other than Polonius's own death, yet they continue to spy. Obsession has characters in the play in such a tight hold that the obsessions often lead to tragedy for the characters.