Hamlet and Othello, although on a similar quest for justice, are two very different characters and are put on their paths for very different reasons. They both share a fatal flaw of needing to seek out justice by means of their own hands. However similar their goals may be, they approach the situation in very different ways. Hamlet, from the moment we meet him, is a thinker. He is very aware of the situations going on around him and is already brewing on the inside. We can see his anger and depression within the first few lines he speaks. He has been "royally screwed" by his family and is unsure of what action he should take, if any at all. Othello starts off a very calm, collective man. He is a man of war and therefor is logical, well planned, and is in full control of the situations around him. He starts off with the image of a big teddy bear. Othello is the war hero who turns to mush at the mere sight of his wife. He does not change his ways until someone else plants doubt in his mind. Hamlet had the doubt to begin with. The ghost, similarly to Iago, confirms Hamlet's worst nightmares. (Iago did this by giving Othello Desdemona's handkerchief) Both men however, waited until they had solid proof of their suspicions until they started to take action. Othello, before having his "proof" did not really put much thought into his actions. He reacted to Desdemona on the pure emotions he was feeling in the moment. One could see Othello's "in the moment" thinking when he sees Desdemona and begins questioning if he should really kill her because just by looking upon her, he falls in love all over again. It is not until Desdemona is actually dead he really knew that he was going to go through with his plans. Hamlet knew all along what action he was going to take. Timing and having the right evidence was key to the action (and sometimes inaction) Hamlet took. Due to Hamlet's precautions, he let all of his emotions brew inside of him to a point where he could no longer control them. He then, with the first taste of the release of his pent up aggression, could not "bottle the monster" back inside of him. He took on the personality of a man hellbent on evening the score. He initially did not want to ruin more people's lives than necessary, but didn't care enough at the end to stop himself. He was unapologetic in his actions even until his death. Othello on the other hand realized and admitted his own wrongdoing and was truly sorry for the actions he took. Can I really blame Hamlet for letting himself follow the path of justice he took? No. I can also see why he takes on this omnious god-like character. He is mentally a step ahead of all of the other characters in the play and knows that the end will be bloody.
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