Hamlet's inner conflict is his self-reflective, confrontational nature combining with his experiences of anger, grief, and revenge over the murder of his father, betrayal from his friends and family, and confusion over his mother's fast and sudden marriage. Hamlet's inner conflict transforms his character, creates external tensions, and contributes to the academic debate about his motivation. Throughout the play, aspects of Hamlet's change in character are unveiled by observing his sentiments, actions, and responses to certain situations. External tensions are created as a result of Hamlet's changing character and his inability to act on his motivation of avenging the death of his father. Sigmund Freud and Harold Bloom argue two distinct views of Hamlet's Motivation, While Adrian Poole analyses Freud's psychoanalysis Oedipus Complex.
Hamlet's inner conflict plays a central role in transforming his character throughout the play. Hamlet in the beginning is known as a noble, intelligent, and reflective person. As the tragic events of the play unfold, leaving him unprepared, Hamlet's character begins to change. The first and most awful thing to happen to him is the death of King Hamlet. Of course Hamlet grieves over his father's death. To add to his immense suffering, Hamlet returns home to find his mother married to his uncle Claudius. The haste of this marriage outrages and confuses Hamlet. "Within a month: ere yet the salts of most unrighteous tears had left the flushing in her galled eyes, she married. O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!"(1.2, 153-157) This situation makes Hamlet's grief far worse because he soon begins to change his outlook on life as a result of this foul act. However, when he learns that his father was killed by his uncle, anger and revenge come in to play. Hamlet then begins to feels that he cannot trust those once loved and respected.
