William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hamlet play a very important role in this play. Basically the whole play revolves around him. In this play Hamlet is faced with the obligation to kill Claudius because Claudius has killed his father. Some people see Hamlet as a tragic hero with a clear and sacred obligation to kill Claudius but since he is scared to kill him and has many other things going on in his life, he is unable to kill Claudius right away. Throughout the entire play Hamlet procrastinates on killing Claudius. Why does Hamlet procrastinate for so long to revenge his father's death?
Shakespeare purposely makes Hamlet out to be a procrastinator for one very important reason, if Hamlet would have quickly
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Hamlet seems to say what he wants to do but not carry it out. In his own words, ". . .the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought."(III.i.84-85) Here it shows that when Hamlet thinks he has finally made a decision, thinking about it causes him to change his mind or simply put it off. One time in the play Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius and achieve his revenge is when Claudius is confessing his sins. Here, Hamlet does not kill him because if Claudius were to die right then, he would have gone to heaven. This is something that Hamlet does not want to see happen. Of course, there are also moral issues standing in the way, which prevent Hamlet from immediately acting upon the Ghost's orders. Hamlet always finds a way out of what he was about to do because he ends up thinking about it for too long. When is seems like Hamlet finally makes a decision, he quickly finds a reason to find fault in his decision. This makes him become a person who is has a purpose, but doesn't have the quality required to accomplish that purpose. Most of these issues are simply due to Hamlet's reading in to morals too much. When Hamlet sees how promptly Polonius acted towards the death of his father in scene II, he quickly denounces himself as a coward and cries out for
Shakespeare sprinkles subtle lines alluding to Hamlet’s apparent cowardice and failure as a classical revenger. In addition to this, Shakespeare may intentionally delay Hamlet’s revenge and remove emphasis from his passion to break the trend of morally blind, obsessive, psychopathic avengers as traditionally depicted in plays such as “The Spanish Tragedy”.
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
Shakespeare’s character, Hamlet, is known for his indecisive personality. It is a trait that humanizes Hamlet in the sense that every man is flawed. However, this feature is Hamlet’s main
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.
Hamlet is many things: scholar, speaker, actor, and prince. His greatness shows in all of activities, save one: his inability to act. Hamlet is not able to avenge his father's death without considerable delay. There is a flaw in Hamlet's character that causes him to postpone the murder of Claudius - this flaw is Hamlet's idealism. While idealism is normally a good trait, in this case, because of the unusual circumstances, Hamlet's idealism causes great conflicts within him.
This all sets the stage for Hamlet’s mental state prior to learning that he was killed by somebody in his family. These themes of death and betrayal lead into the end of the first act when Hamlet is tasked by the ghost of his father to seek revenge against Claudius for what he did. Hamlet believes that he was “born to set it right” (1.5.190). The extremes of this line reveal that Hamlet believes that the whole reason for his existence is to avenge his father. This need for revenge drives Hamlet for the rest of the play. He wants justice for his father, but he also wants to punish Claudius for his murder and marrying his mother. He gives in to human nature when he starts striving to avenge his father’s death.
Hamlet had the opportunity to kill Claudius at the chapel but restrained himself, he believed it was too good of a death for Claudius and that if he were killed his sins would be forgiven. This shows his lack of action and proves he is a procrastinator. In his soliloquies he constantly criticizes himself for the obvious avoidance of responsibility saying, "Am I a coward? Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across? Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face? Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat, as deep as to the lungs? who does me this?" (Act 2 Sc. 2, 571-575)
Claudius is only acting out what Hamlet secretly wants to do, take his father’s place as his mother’s lover. This would explain why Hamlet puts off the revenge instead of carrying it out immediately after seeing his father’s ghost. It would also provide a reason for Hamlet’s later insanity.
In the play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare plants the plot of revenge into Hamlet's head. In Denmark, Hamlet's father is murdered by Claudius. Claudius is the new king and Hamlet's uncle. Hamlet does not like Claudius because he marries Gertrude, his mother, and because Hamlet's father dies. The ghost of Hamlet's father appears to Hamlet to tell him to seek revenge on his murderer. The ghost then tells Hamlet Claudius has murdered him by pouring poison into his ear. Hamlet loves his father and believes he needs to kill Claudius. The opportunity to kill Claudius appears when Claudius is in his room. Hamlet walks in on Claudius praying and is about to kill him. Hamlet refuses to murder Claudius in that moment. In Hamlet, Hamlet does not kill Claudius when he is given the opportunity because Claudius is praying, Hamlet is not ready to kill, and Hamlet is insane.
Although Hamlet knows well enough that he must avenge his fathers’ death, the action of revenge does not come easily to him. Hamlet throughout Hamlet is contemplating the revenge for his father’s death. Hamlet is indecisive, hesitant, and contemplative yet at other times impulsive. He is still, as it is, being influenced by his reason taking into consideration that Hamlet is a scholar. He does not act upon his feelings immediately but decides to investigate further on the suspicions he has about Claudius and his fathers’ death. This attitude tends to make Hamlet procrastinate and only until he has done away with his scholastic characters will he actually play out his Acton.
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a very complex play with many catechisms scholars study to this day. One such question relates to Hamlet’s procrastination for vengeance of his father’s death. Confronted by the ghost of his father, Hamlet is instructed to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (Shakespeare I.v.31), yet he goes on to tarry the act for almost the entirety of the play. This brings about many ideas as to why he took such delay and the effect it had on the characters involved and the play itself as a whole.
Hamlet will always be well known for his delay in killing Claudius. After the interaction with his fathers ghost. The ghost informes Hamlet that he must get revenge and now kill Claudius. But from the start hesitation was in effect. There are many different theories of why Hamlet delayed revenge the most well know are finding of a perfect moment and him questioning death and the ghost itself. Hamlet was never unfaithful, he always want to go, but that he had never finished thinking the matter out.
Throughout the play, Hamlet displays indecisiveness and a tendency to over think. Despite having every desire and intention to kill his uncle, Hamlet procrastinates to the point where he is loathing himself for taking so long. Had Hamlet take the first opportunity to kill Claudius, the play would be a great deal shorter. If I were placed in a similar situation, I believe that my fury caused by someone murdering my father would be enough motivation to avenge him as soon as humanely possible. Consequently, I see Hamlet as an individual who gets so hung up in executing every task perfectly that it
`Hamlet' is no doubt one of the greatest literary works ever written. William Shakespeare presents in it complexity of human nature and examination of human behavior. After reading this drama one of the main questions we have to ask is ` Why does Hamlet delay?'. Why does he wait so long before taking revenge on Claudius for killing his father? While answering the question about postponement we have to take under consideration few aspects.
Hamlet is the main character in the play that procrastinates because of his thoughts. He does not kill Claudius straight away after the Ghost tells him that ‘I am thy father’s spirit,’ and ‘so art thou to revenge.’ Instead of seeking revenge from Claudius, Hamlet’s thoughts