Hamlets attitude towards death

[alicialiv]

In Act I Hamlet reflects " I do not set my life at a pin's fee." Later,in Act II, he says to Polonius, "You cannot take from me anything I will not more willing party withal--except my life, except my life, except my life." What is Hamlet's attitude towards death? Why? What does this reveal about his character, Denmark, and the meaning of the play as a whole?

I have configured some answers on these questions already. In general, I apporoached it by explaining Hamlets digust with the flesh, being a God fearing man, and Hamlets obession with the active and passiveness as well as reason(or proof) and irrationality (or sinning). I was wondering everyone else's position on these questions.

Yes, this is an assignment but Im not here to steal anyones answer and am simply looking for other views similar and opposed to mine. I have to initiate a seminar in my AP English class and I thought I would be better prepared if i recieved some feedback on my topic. Thank you to anyone who replys.

[Gwenhwyfar2828]

As it see it, at the beginning of the play, he's merely upset that his fathers only been dead two months & his mothers already remarried to his uncle (well that's understandable dontcha think?)

Before he really has chance to brood over this he's hit with a visitation of his fathers ghost telling him 'yep i'm in purgatory cause my brother killed me'

This (rather small scene) rocks Hamlet off his rocker for the rest of the play.
i'm one of those people who doesn't think he was mad (not like ophelia anyway) but rather 'haunted/unhinged' by what he's heard.
I never really saw Hamlet as god-fearing, what young prince of the realm would be? i imagine him to be a bit like Prince Hal (Henry IV), carefree, spending most of his time writing love letters to the pretty ophelia etc etc

But, the thought of his father stuck in purgatory because he was never administered the last rites must have put him in fear of his own fragile mortality. Hence the flirting with suicide 'to be or not to be' & vile treatment of ophelia 'get thee to a nunnery'...surely their 'courting' puts her purity in question as well as his own? push her away before she gets hurt.

Then he has enemies, he knows Claudius killed his father & he knows Polonius has set himself (politically) quite quickly & staunchly in Claudius's camp. Did he know it was Polonius behind the curtain? i don't think so, but he seems to spiral slightly after killing him, whatever fear for his own soul forced into this drive to get even with Claudius