The Reluctance of Hamlet toward Killing in William Shakespeare's Hamlet
The reluctant character Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, has become one of the most cited characters in history. Throughout Shakespeare's play Hamlet knows what he must do, but avoids it in his mind. The problem is: why does hamlet delay in avenging his father's death? Hamlet is afraid. He is afraid of failure. Hamlet tries to play off his fear by blaming outside circumstances, like doubting the existence of the ghost when he knows in his heart it is true, and not having the right opportunity to exact revenge. What it all boils down to is a belief in himself, or lack of, that is a lack of self confidence. Hamlet's excuse of doubting the ghost is displayed in
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Hamlet knows the ghost is the ghost of his father, and is afraid to admit it. Hamlet tries to cover his fear of revenge up by acting as if he doubts the existence of the ghost. Another way Hamlet covers up his fear is by blaming the wait to kill Claudius on his lack of perfect opportunity. Once Hamlet believes that Claudius is truly the murderer he says, "And now I'll do't./ And so he goes to heaven,/ and so I am revenged./ That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that./ I, his sole sun, do this same villain send,/ to heaven." (Act 3, Sc. 3, ln 78-83)(167) Hamlet can kill Claudius as soon as he chooses, but decides to wait to kill him and blames this on ensuring that Claudius's murder is valid and that he will not be elevated as a martyr or a victim. This is not necessary, Claudius' death must come and waiting is cowardly. Hamlet was ready to kill Claudius at one time, but Claudius was busy praying, and Hamlet says, "when he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,/ Or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed,/ At game a-swearing, or about some act. That has no relish of salvation in't-/ Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven'/ And that his soul may be as damned and black/ As hell, whereto it goes." (Act 3, Sc. 3, ln. 94-100)(169) Hamlet is given a perfect opportunity to revenge his father's death while Claudius is praying, but Hamlet decides against it. Yet another display of his cowardliness. Hamlet has the
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the main character continually delays acting out his duty of avenging his father's murder. This essay will discuss how Hamlet's nature and morals (which are intensified by difficult events) prevent him from carrying out the task.
In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet, a studious young man and Prince of Denmark, struggles to face the death of his father and the task to kill his father’s murderer, Claudius. He was once known as a charming, smart young man before his father’s death. However, Hamlet experiences depression and anger at the world, causing him to look outwardly on society but failing to look inwardly on himself. The death of his father and the task for vengeance leads him to question whether or not he should follow through in killing Claudius. He becomes a man of thought rather than a man of action. In addition, the delay of King Claudius’ murder leads the readers to believe that he wishes not to kill him; he
The Ghost of Hamlet's father is a foil for Hamlet. The ghost is introduced so to reveal information that is not blatantly revealed to us yet. The king gives us some explanation of why Hamlet wants revenge. The king tells us of his death and introduces the fact that it was a murder and tells that the murder was committed by his brother. Through the conversation with the ghost he gains more fuel for the anger he has about his mother’s marriage. In the discussion with Hamlet and the
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the main character continually delays acting out his duty of avenging his father’s murder. This essay will discuss how Hamlet’s nature and morals (which are intensified by difficult events) prevent him from carrying out the task.
When he does act, he prefers to do it recklessly and violently. This is a flaw that Hamlet cannot deny. He knows that it is unjust, but only cares about avenging his father’s death.
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, suicide is an important and continuous theme throughout the play. Hamlet is the main character who contemplates the thought of suicide many different times throughout the play, since the murder of his father. Hamlet weighs the advantages of leaving his miserable life with the living, for possibly a better but unknown life with the dead. Hamlet seriously contemplates suicide, but decides against it, mainly because it is a mortal sin against God. Hamlet continues to say that most of humanity would commit suicide and escape the hardships of life, but do not because they are unsure of what awaits them in the after life. Hamlet throughout the play is continually tormented by his fathers death and his
Hamlet can not let go of the fact that his father is dead, as he still yearns for him. However, Hamlet is able to meet with the ghost of his father, where the ghost tells he died via a “murder most
Many scholars classify William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark as a revenge tragedy, a genre popular during the Elizabethan era (Gainor 41). Shakespeare's tragedy focuses on three sons–Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras–seeking retribution for the unfortunate death of their fathers– King Hamlet, Polonius, and King Fortinbras respectively. In the play, the father-son relationship is the primary motivator for each son's revenge. Because Elizabethan society places a strong emphasis on the relationship between father and son, each son feels obligated to right his father's wrongs. According to Fredric B. Tromly, author of Fathers and Sons in Shakespeare: The Debt Never Promised, “A defining . . . feature of Shakespeare’s
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, a ghost tells Hamlet that his uncle, Claudius, is responsible for the death of his father. Hamlet is driven to reveal the truth of his father's death and seeks to avenge his murder to achieve justice. In his quest to right the wrongdoing, Hamlet delays acting toward justice for many reasons. The main factor for Hamlet's hesitation is attributed to his self-discipline. He lacks of ability to act on his emotions. Hamlet is an intelligent, moral, and reserved character. He restrains himself to act rationally and not on emotion. This hesitation is a tragic flaw for Hamlet, but in order to resolve the truth, it is necessary.
In the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare leaves you wondering about death. Through the characters in the play, he reveals his own thoughts about death. Does Shakespeare portray a deep understanding of death in this play? The never-ending cycle of death and revenge is evident throughout the entire play.
The ghost of Hamlet's father explains to Hamlet that his brother, Claudius, murdered him and that if Hamlet does not resolve the crimes of his death he will be stuck in purgatory. The three other men do not hear what is said between Hamlet and the ghost, but they do witness the conversation. Therefore, Hamlet is not insane for claiming to have seen the ghost of his father. Upon seeing the ghost and hearing these truths, Hamlet begins to devise a plan to avenge his father's death; he returns to Elsinore acting insane and overwhelmed with grief as a front for the knowledge he has obtained.
Although Hamlet has thoughts on the moral consequences of revenge, which is the cause of the delay to gain vengeance for his father, he deceives others by his irritating actions. After threatening the queen in her bedroom, telling her that she is not leaving the room until he knows that she is innocent from his fathers’ death.
In Act III, scene I of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the thematic imagery, along with the symbolic use of syntax and diction that Shakespeare uses helps convey Hamlet’s state of mind as troubled and as having a painful view to life which, overall, is subtly expressed with weakness as he talked about death.
Thesis: Although most people believe that Hamlet is suicidal at his point in the play, it is not until this soliloquy where the audience actually learns of Hamlet’s ability to judge based on his emotion and logic. Hamlet’s ability to endure suffering allows him to realize how valuable and precious his life truly is.
The first seven lines of Hamlet's soliloquy in the third scene of the third act have been the cause of debate for centuries as to what they reveal about Hamlet's character. Some say that he has chickened out of the prime opportunity to obtain the revenge that he has been commissioned to achieve by the ghost of his father. They accuse Hamlet of being a pacifist who hasn't the heart to put his thoughts into action-that he has merely talked himself out of the deed. My interruption of these lines, however, shows that just the opposite is true. The Prince of Denmark is indeed set upon avenging his father's death, and rather than backing away from the task at hand, he is going forward in away which is intended