Examples Of Indecisiveness In Hamlet

In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, every character is damaged. The play revolves around Hamlet, a young prince stuck in a terrible reality. Hamlet’s father has died and his uncle, Claudius, now stands in the position of king. Just when Hamlet can not take the pressure of the world around him, the ghost of his father begs Hamlet to avenge his death and kill Claudius. He also tells Hamlet to act mad so other people will not see him suspiciously. By the end of the play, Hamlet’s problems and indecisiveness weigh him down. Although acting mad was just an act, Hamlet’s indecisiveness leads to his genuine madness.

The first time Hamlet’s indecisiveness is seen is during his debates with himself over the topic of suicide. Hamlet is surrounded by people, like Gertrude and Claudius, who are pestering him to stop mourning his father, and he can no longer take the scolding.

In his “To be or not to be” soliloquy Hamlet notes, “To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there’s the rub,/For in that sleep of death what dreams may come” (III.i.66-67). He wants to stop living in his terrible, twisted reality but the fact that he is not entirely sure that the afterlife will be better or worse keeps him entangled in his indecisive mess. Because his poor decision skills and his inactive nature keep him from going through with death, Hamlet begins to fantasize about death and its effects on people and time. When Hamlet returns from his voyage to England, he sees a gravedigger in the midst of digging a grave and has an in-depth conversation with the man about death.When Hamlet says, “[...] see’t. Did these bones cost no more the breeding/but to play loggets with them? [...]” (V.i.78-80) he realizes that it does not matter what status a person might hold in real life, because in death the playing field is leveled. This epiphany furthers his allurement to death, and pushes Hamlet into a real state of