Activity 1.6

It is obvious that the motivation for Hamlet's transformation is the death of his father, King Hamlet, and the events that surround his mysterious death (including the actual commitment of murder on Claudius' part, as well as the all-too-hasty marriage of his mother Gertrude to young Hamlet's uncle.
The transformation of Hamlet is shown in many different ways:
Actions: The dramatic changes in Hamlet's actions greatly back up Hamlet's transformation. He goes from being gentle and loving at one moment (touching Ophelia's face and pronouncing his love) and then becoming a murderous wreck (killing Polonius and using the excuse that he thought it was Claudius).
Appearance: The comparison of his actions at the beginning of the play and his actions at the end of the play is possibly the best way to map out Hamlet's transformation. He evidently goes from being normal and grieving, to murderous and unyielding.
Feelings: Emotion is a strong driving-force for Hamlet's transformation. All the hate and anger that Hamlet feels towards almost everyone brings out the worst in him, changing him into something rude and villainous.
Speech: Hamlet possesses a naturally convincing way of speaking, that is both powerful and captivating. This is perhaps exemplified best when he speaks extravagantly of what the actors on stage are attempting to put across.
Thoughts: A very self-explanatory example of Hamlet's transformation, his suicidal and homicidal thoughts are something to be left undesired.
These transformations, however biased, are observed differently by people close and distant to him:
Claudius: Having only fully realized Hamlet's transformation at the time of the play, Claudius used Hamlet's insanity as a cover-up for his obvious murderous act. In short, Claudius viewed all of Hamlet's transformations as madness.
Gertrude: Until she confronts him, Gertrude believes Hamlet to be completely sane. It is only after their meeting that she comes to believe that his transformations have lead him to insanity, as he is seeing things (the Ghost in his mother's room).
Horatio: Throughout the play, Horatio was aware of Hamlet's act and realized that he was NOT in fact insane, and that the transformations of Hamlet weren't as drastic as others believed. Horatio accepted his best friend's changes, even though Hamlet's thoughts were murderous and mischievous at times.
Ophelia: Having killed her father, Ophelia is forced to believe that Hamlet's transformations are indeed malicious and he is in fact insane. However, Ophelia lives in denial for the majority of the play, as she loves Hamlet so, and does not wish to believe that he has changed in the way others think him to have changed.