Hamlet the Indecisive Academic

Shakespeare's Hamlet is truly a great play to analyze. It is also unique in that a play based on revenge we don't see any action until the end. Hamlet has immediate suspicion and proof of his fathers murder and does not act. This poses the question, why does it take so long for Hamlet to kill Claudius? Hamlet's apparent indecisiveness to act is due to his constant habit of over thinking in addition to several conscious and subconscious distractions.

In act 1 scene 2 of “Hamlet” the character Hamlet speaks his first soliloquy which reveals his innermost thoughts and feelings to the audience. In this soliloquy Hamlet’s unstable state of mind is evident as well as his feelings of despair about his father’s death and his disgust of his mother’s remarriage to his uncle Claudius. Hamlet’s hatred for his uncle is shown through harsh comparisons between Claudius and his late father. This soliloquy takes place after Claudius has begun his reign as king and has addressed the court for the first time but before Hamlet hears about the apparition that Horatio and the guards have seen. Hamlet’s character and personality are shown in this soliloquy through the use of classical imagery, diction and

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the titular character struggles to engage in his desired plan of revenge. Hamlet shows throughout the play that he is inconsistent, indecisive, and unsure of himself, as well as his actions. The play focuses on Hamlet’s revenge; however, he continuously fails to happen at opportunistic moments. Throughout the play, Hamlet insists that he intends to avenge his father’s death through the murder of Claudius, but Hamlet fails to act on occasion because of his indecisive personality.

Hamlet is not only angered with the fact of his father’s death, but also with his mother’s decision to marry Claudius. Devastated by his mother’s decision to marry so soon after her husband’s death, Hamlet becomes skeptical about women in general. He shows a particular obsession with what he perceives to be a connection with female sexuality and moral corruption. He almost develops hatred towards women because of his mother’s decision. This hatred occurs and is shown with his relationship with Ophelia. He urges Ophelia to go to a nunnery rather than experience the dishonesty of sexuality. This hinders Hamlet from experiencing a love that is really needed at this time of his loss. One can say that this is another flaw, which Hamlet is unaware of.

Hamlets actions are justified at some points and are not at others. Hamlet has the times that his actions were not justified such as when he yelled at his mom for helping his uncle, who killed his dad. Some actions are justified as the same with some actions that are not justified. Hamlets actions to Gertrude his mother was not justified.

Throughout the Shakespearian play, Hamlet, the main character is given the overwhelming responsibility of avenging his father’s "foul and most unnatural murder" (I.iv.36). Such a burden can slowly drive a man off the deep end psychologically. Because of this, Hamlet’s disposition is extremely inconsistent and erratic throughout the play. At times he shows signs of uncontrollable insanity. Whenever he interacts with the characters he is wild, crazy, and plays a fool. At other times, he exemplifies intelligence and method in his madness. In instances when he is alone or with Horatio, he is civilized and sane. Hamlet goes through different stages of insanity throughout the story, but his neurotic and skeptical personality amplifies his

Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s tragic plays, portrays the story of a young man’s quest to avenge his murdered father and his quest to find his true identity. In his soliloquies, Prince Hamlet reveals to the readers his personal perceptions of the events that take place in his homeland, Denmark, and of which are either indirectly or directly tied to his father’s murder. Many critics and scholars agree that while Hamlet’s soliloquies reveal the search of his identity and true character, his soliloquies universally illustrate man’s search for his true identity.

In this paper I will be analyzing and discussing how these four soliloquies reflect changes in Hamlet’s mental state; his

Hamlet was so obsessed with his lack of action and the worthlessness of life that he contemplates suicide asking, "For who could bear the whips and scorns of time" ( III. i. 69-70). He believes he would be foolish to suffer through his life when he will simply be

• This scene of dramatic irony showcases Hamlet`s hatred for Claudius. He does not kill Claudius when he is praying because he doesn’t want him to go to heaven. Hamlet wants to wait until Claudius commits a sin to kill him, so that he will go to hell.

One of Hamlet’s three injunctions is to remove insest from the crown. In other words, he is supposed to kill King Claudius. Hence, Hamlet should kill King Claudius when given the chance; but he is unable to do so since his tragic flaw prevents him. When Hamlet walks in on King Claudius praying, he has already been persuaded enough to know that Claudius did murder his father. But, since King Claudius is praying, Hamlet’s tragic flaw of his inability to act is evident. This is because he believes that if he kills King Claudius while he is praying, he will just send him to heaven because he had already purged his sins. This can be seen through the quotation stated by Hamlet, “Now I might do it {pat,} now he is a-praying” (3.3.77). Shortly after stating this quotation, Hamlet elaborates on if he should Kill Claudius now by stating, “A villain kills my father, and for that, / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / To heaven (3.3.81-83). Therefore, Hamlet is given the chance to kill King Claudius, but is not able to act on it because King Claudius is praying at that time. Hamlet then believes that if he kills King Claudius now, King Claudius would just go to heaven and that would be Hamlet’s revenge. His revenge for his father’s death would only be a favor to King Claudius because Claudius has already asked for forgiveness for his sins. Thus, killing him now would only send him to heaven. Hamlet’s tragic flaw of his inability to act is evident in this scene because he is not able to kill King Claudius just because he is praying. Hamlet came up with an excuse to make up for his inability to act, but in reality he was just trying to hide that he couldn’t act on revenge to King Claudius yet. Overall, Hamlet’s tragic flaw of not being able to act is evident when he is not able to obtain revenge on King Claudius because he is

In the play Hamlet, the two women are shamed by the main protagonist due to his harsh words. Ophelia, the lover of Hamlet, is verbally abused by Hamlet causing her to feel worthless. While Claudius and Polonius are spying on Ophelia and Hamlet, Hamlet says, “Get thee to a nunnery. Why, wouldst thou be a breeder/ of sinners?” (3.1.121-122). Hamlet humiliates Ophelia by calling her unpleasant names and telling her that she should not reproduce because she would only bring evil to the world. Hearing such a comment from her romantic

In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the image patterns such as an unweeded garden, rot, and deception conveyed by Hamlet demonstrate how his impelling sense of justice and inability to act on his decisions doom him to his fate. The image pattern of an unweeded garden exemplifies Hamlet’s melancholy view of Denmark's monarchy and his hesitation to uproot the metaphorical weeds. Hamlet’s use of rot imagery manifests his dissatisfaction with life and inability to vie for his throne. The pattern of deception imagery delineates how Hamlet’s impotence to avenge his father’s death furthers the deterioration of his life. Image patterns used by Hamlet demonstrate his nobility and that his desires are incongruous with his reality.

Throughout the play Hamlet displays hatred and impertinence towards women in two main relationships, with Gertrude (his mother) and Ophelia, his previous love. Hamlet’s misogynistic feelings begin with his mother, Gertrude. Her abrupt and incestuous marriage to Hamlet’s uncle Claudius causes Hamlet much discomfort and disappointment; which then makes him question the fidelity of women in general, a quote that supports this is ‘And yet, within a month,— Let me not think on’t,—Frailty, thy name is woman!’ (1,2,145-146). We can see that Hamlet is angry at his mother for such a hasty marriage here he shows he

From the beginning of the play, Hamlet views woman in a very negative way. It began when his mother remarried to Claudius, his uncle, only a month after his father had passed. He completely disagreed with the decision, he believed that what his mother did was a sin. He knew that his father deserved more than a month of mourning by his mom remarrying so soon, with his uncle! After his father’s ghost appears, he tells him not to worry about his mom but to get revenge for his death. Hamlet’s inability to forget about his mom’s sins, like his father asked of him, eventually affect how he treats other woman involved in his life.