Hamlet's Indecisiveness In Hamlet

1056 Words3 Pages

Hamlet Making decisions is a hard task as any hesitation as well as a lack of commitment can result in unsuccess and disappointing results. In Shakespearean plays, the hero consistently played a major part of the tragedy in which he/she has fallen to their demise. In Hamlet, the protagonist Hamlet is on a mission to seek revenge for his father, King Hamlet and kill his brother King Claudius. Hamlet has displayed his desire for vengeance numerous times throughout the play but it is his uncertainty in his decisions that delays his plan of revenge, which in turn, also contributes to his own death. Revenge also plays a key role in the death of Hamlet as he struggles to simultaneously seek vengeance while satisfying his morals. Hamlet’s indecisiveness …show more content…

Hamlet has evidently shown in the play how his uncertainty in his decisions slows him down in killing Claudius. His indecisiveness makes spend more time thinking about the situation and the possible outcomes. In act 2 scene, Hamlet has yet to fulfil his promise to his father. Hamlet is holding himself back from avenging his father. Hamlet refuses to act as if he knows what he is doing when in reality, he has not found out whether the act of killing is heroic and moral or cowardly and immoral. “O vengeance! Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, that I, the son of a dear father murdered, prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must, like a who 're, unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing like a very drab, a scullion! Fie upon’t, for!” (2.2 579-585). Despite all this, instead of taking revenge immediately, Hamlet wants to find out whether his ghostly father is telling the truth. This takes a while as Hamlet would eventually realize it is true later in the play. Hamlet had a so much time to kill King Claudius but it is his uncertainty of his father 's words that delays the revenge. Later in act 3 scene 3, King Claudius is seen kneeling in prayer as he confesses his sins.

Show More
Related

  • Realism In Gatsby And Hamlet

    1417 Words  | 3 Pages

    The vengeance of his father 's death is the prime cause of Hamlet 's obsession with perfection, his tendencies of over thinking philosophically, and idealistically, are what cause Hamlet 's delay. Hamlet is exposed to multiple opportunities to take the murderer of his father, Claudius ' life, the most notable being when Hamlet stumbles upon Claudius alone, praying; when about to act Hamlet says "When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed, at gaming, 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 damn 'd and black as hell, whereto it goes"(3.3.90-96) This inability to act when the chance is given exclaims how Hamlet is not willing to send Claudius to heaven and he will only act if he is to arrive in hell, which will in turn fulfill his need for the perfect

    Read More

  • Bad Decision-Making in Hamlet

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    Are you too quick to make important decisions? Do you act before you think? These quick decisions are common in the play Hamlet. Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare in 1589. The play takes place in Denmark. The protagonist is a prince named Hamlet. Hamlet’s father suddenly dies, and Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, decides to marry Hamlet’s uncle, King Claudius. Hamlet slowly goes insane, and he wants revenge on the murderer of his father. Laertes, the son of the king’s associate, makes a bad decision in the play. When Laertes’ father, Polonius, is killed, Laertes is outraged and seeks vengeance. Laertes made a bad decision in the play, but he could have tried using the decision-making process, weighing possible alternatives, and he could have changed the outcome of the play if he had made careful decisions.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Hamlet was an Overthinker and Complex Philosopher

    641 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of Hamlet’s flaws is that he over thinks things a lot and it is first shown the most at the prayer scene with Claudius. Once Hamlet sees how Claudius reacts to the play he knows that Claudius killed his father and that the ghost was right, he has a chance to kill him and doesn’t take it . His only proof was the ghost and even though others saw the ghost no one else heard it talk except Hamlet. Hamlet was also considering a lot of other things at this time, like how if he killed Claudius now Claudius would be free of sin and would go to heaven. He was also thinking if his father didn’t get to die free of sin it wouldn’t be fair for Claudius to die free of sin either, which shows how vengeful Hamlet’s character is. At the same time, Hamlet has morals and understands the consequences so that’s why it’s harder for him to perform the act . After a l...

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Decisions in Hamlet by Shakespeare

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    By most accounts, this passage would be taken to mean that he does not kill Claudius because at this time the King is praying, and when praying one's soul will ascend to heaven if one should die. Hamlet wants Claudius to burn in hell; for him to go to heaven would make his revenge void. He will avenge his father's death when Claudius is engaged in some other less holy act, in order to insure the King's place in hell.

    Read More

  • A Lack Of Faith In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    His belief is that if Claudius were to die during confession, Claudiuss' spirit would ascend to heaven and Hamlet will not accept this. Hamlet figures he will wait until "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". (80) Hamlet's obvious plan is to wait until Claudius sins, and then avenge his father. This move cost Hamlet his life. Hamlet's previous decision was based upon his belief in divine purposes.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Hesistation to Kill Claudius

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    Critics have attempted to explain Hamlet’s delay in avenging his father for centuries and the most relevant scene to illustrate Hamlet’s hesitation is in Act Three when Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius but doesn’t. Hamlet says at the time that he does

    Read More

  • Examples Of Indecisiveness In Hamlet

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    Indecisiveness is an inner conflict that inhibits a person from choosing a decision and acting on it. This inner conflict is easily relatable; however, explaining the fuel that ignites the conflict is much more difficult. Every human being must make decisions every day. Moreover, some of these decisions are tougher to choose than others. Psychologically, a decision is not tough because the situation is difficult, but the way the mind perceives the situation is what makes the choice baffling. In other words, humans make decisions more arduous than they seem. Also, the mind of every individual is unique and processes information

    Read More

  • Theme Of Surveillance In Hamlet

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Hamlet, many characters are indecisive about the course of action they should take, and it ultimately leads to their death. Specifically, when Hamlet is seconds away from killing Claudius, he states, “Up sword, and know thou, a more horrid hent,/ When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage”(III.iii.88-89). Hamlet delays his revenge on his father’s murderer, and ultimately ends up missing his chance to reap the full benefit of killing Claudius. Instead of seizing the moment to get revenge, his indecisiveness causes him to lose the perfect chance to attack. Even though Hamlet ends up killing Claudius later in the play, he dies alongside him (V.ii.337). Delaying the murder ultimately causes Hamlet to die and be killed himself. If Hamlet had killed Claudius when he had an open opportunity, he would most likely still be alive, because Claudius would not have been around to plot his death. It is important that I learn this lesson, because I am very indecisive in my own life. Whether it is picking what to eat, or choosing what colleges to apply to, I am more comfortable with having another person pick for me. My indecisiveness is a flaw that Hamlet and I both share, and hopefully I will grow out of it unlike

    Read More

  • Free Hamlet Essays: Hamlet's Inability to Take Action

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    As illustrated through his speeches and soliloquies Hamlet has the mind of a true thinker. Reinacting the death of his father in front of Claudius was in itself a wonderful idea. Although he may have conceived shcemes such as this, his mind was holding him back at the same time. His need to analyze and prove everythin certain drew his time of action farther and farther away. Hamlet continuously doubted himself and whether or not the action that he wanted to take was justifiable. The visit that Hamlet recieves from his dead father makes the reader think that it is Hamlet's time to go and seek revenge. This is notthe case. Hamlet does seem eager to try and take the life of Claudius in the name of his father, but before he can do so he has a notion, what if that was not my father, but an evil apparition sending me on the wrong path? This shows that even with substantial evidence of Claudius' deeds, Hamlet's mind is not content.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Analysis

    1629 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the king of Denmark is murdered by his brother, Claudius, and as a ghost tells his son, Hamlet the prince of Denmark, to avenge him by killing his brother. The price Hamlet does agree to his late father’s wishes, and undertakes the responsibility of killing his uncle, Claudius. However even after swearing to his late father, and former king that he would avenge him; Hamlet for the bulk of the play takes almost no action against Claudius. Prince Hamlet in nature is a man of thought throughout the entirety of the play; even while playing mad that is obvious, and although this does seem to keep him alive, it is that same trait that also keeps him from fulfilling his father’s wish for vengeance

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Hamlet and Claudius

    1922 Words  | 4 Pages

    Both men plot, and kill, but before acting they take a great deal of time to think about their actions. Hamlet likes to set up and get everything right before acting on his suspicions or ideas. He thinks about how his actions will affect everyone and this is because of the substantial amount of common sense he has. Before killing Claudius, he came up with a plan to take him down and exploit him for killing his father. He knows that he cannot just kill him right away because people will be confused and blame Hamlet, so he plans to crack him first. He puts on a play portraying a young man poisoning his uncle, which riles Claudius because he poisoned Hamlet’s father. By putting on the play Hamlet alerted Claudius about how much he knew which scared Claudius. Hamlet goes on to a more elaborate plan to act “mad” which instills much fear into Claudius because he thinks Hamlet now poses as a threat to him which is what Hamlet wants. Claudius’ reaction to Hamlet’s madness is shown when he...

    Read More

  • Social and Psychological Influences on Hamlet

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    Once Hamlet has learned of his father’s death, he is faced with a difficult question: should he succumb to the social influence of avenging his father’s death?  The Ghost tells Hamlet to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.31) upon which Hamlet swears to “remember” (1.5.118).  Hamlet’s immediate response to this command of avenging his father’s death is reluctance.  Hamlet displays his reluctance by deciding to test the validity of what the Ghost has told him by setting up a “play something like the murder of (his) father’s” (2.2.624) for Claudius.  Hamlet will then “observe his looks” (2.2.625) and “if he do blench” (2.2.626) Hamlet will know that he must avenge his father’s death.  In the course of Hamlet avenging his father’s death, he is very hesitant, “thinking too precisely on the event” (4.4.43).  “Now might I do it…and he goes to heaven…No” (3.3.77-79) and Hamlet decides to kill Claudius while “he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed” (3.3.94-95).  As seen here, Hamlet’s contradicting thought that Claudius “goes to heaven” (3.3.79) influences him to change his plans for revenge.  Hamlet eventually realizes that he must avenge his father’s death and states “from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth” (4.4.69).  From this, Hamlet has succumbed to the social influence and has vowed to avenge his father’s death.

    Read More

  • Conflict in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    2442 Words  | 5 Pages

    From this play we learn of the difficulty associated with taking a life as Hamlet agonises as to how and when he should kill Claudius and furthermore whether he should take his own life. Hamlet being a logical thinker undergoes major moral dilemma as he struggles to make accurate choices. From the internal conflict that the playwright expresses to us it is evident that it can kill someone, firstly mentally then physically. The idea of tragedy is explored in great detail through conflict where the playwright’s main message is brought across to the audience; Shakespeare stresses to his audience the point that conflict be it internal or external it can bring upon the downfall of great people and in turn have them suffer a tragic fate. It is Shakespeare’s aim to show us the complexity of man and that moral decisions are not easily made.

    Read More

  • Hamlet as the Tragic Hero

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s tragic flaw was shown to him in a dream by the ghost of his father. His father tells him that he was murdered by his uncle, Claudius. In this scene, the tragic flaw was transferred and manifested itself in Hamlet’s actions. His obsession with revenge and death is all he can think about. He needs to act quickly and decisively but finds himself procrastinating about what to do. In Act III, Hamlet holds the knife over the head of his uncle, Claudius, but cannot strike the fatal blow. Instead, he writes a play about the same scenario to study the reaction of Claudius as to a clue of his guilt. After he decides Claudius is guilty of murdering his father, he still relents from taking his revenge. He says, “Haste me to know ‘t, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thought of love May sweep to my revenge.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Delay in Hamlet by Shakespeare

    295 Words  | 1 Pages

    Hamlet's delay came from a conflict between action and awareness that made him see both sides of every issue. Hamlet realized that to avenge his father’s death, he must kill Claudius, but at the same time he knew that there would be consequences for this action. For example, in Act III, scene III, Hamlet had the opportunity to kill Claudius, but he believed that Claudius was praying. If Hamlet had killed Claudius when he was praying for forgiveness, Hamlet believed Claudius would have gone to heaven. Thinking this, Hamlet decided to wait until the king was doing something bad, so that Claudius would go to hell.

    Read More

More about Hamlet's Indecisiveness In Hamlet

Open Document