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The Irresoluteness Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare

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Peggy Enriquez
Mrs. Maloney
AP Literature
November 13, 2015
The Irresoluteness of Hamlet
“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, is one of the most popular and influential tragedies in English literature. In his most famous play, the tragic figure is represented through Hamlet. The protagonist, Hamlet, possesses a tragic flaw which alters the result of his goal to achieve revenge for the murder of the former King of Denmark which is also his father. This tragic trait labels him as a character who is destroyed because of a major weakness, due to the fact his death that occurs later on could have possibly been avoided. Hamlet’s flaw of being indecisive, not having or showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively, is illustrated when he states his third, second, and sixth soliloquy. First, Hamlet’s flaw of being indecisive is illustrated when he says his third soliloquy, one of the most famous soliloquies in English literature. For instance, his continuous self debate states:
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o 'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action. (3.1.84-89)
Unlike other characters, Hamlet is well aware of his own weakness, recognizing how he is unable to act in “to be or not to be”. Procrastination is a significant aspect of Hamlet because this leads to the delay of his revenge being plotted.
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