He is afraid of failure and even contemplates suicide at one point. Hamlets initial response is to trust the Ghost and act quickly when he says Haste me to knowt that I with wings as swift. The incestuous nature of the marriage is hinted at by Claudius himself, who calls Gertrude his "sometime sister, now [his] queen." The audience also has this problem, and by having a more complex character for Hamlet the audience can empathise more with the problems he faces. With Hamlets tragic flaw being his inability to act, he is plagued throughout the play by his immense intelligence and philosophical nature, which causes him to overanalyze each situation, rendering him unable to carry out any action in response. In the third scene of the play the ghost of his father tells Hamlet to avenge his murder. In the play, Hamlet debates the morality of revenge, saying that Isnt not perfect conscience and isnt not to be damned to let this canke of our nature come in further evil. At this stage it is clear that Hamlet is having serious doubts about killing the King. Maybe this could be a mirror of Shakespeare and his corrupt society? Harry Levin, The Question of Hamlet The first account of Hamlet was that of. Was Hamlet truly mad? In Act I scene I, Horatio observes that This bodes some strange eruption to our state to which Marcellus replies Something is rotten in the state of Denmark'(Shakespeare 1.5). 2. Unlike his other plays that came off as deceptive, Shakespeare took a turn when writing Hamlet and added uncertainty. Many explanations of the delay have been offered in the last four centuries. Throughout the play, Hamlet is put into certain situations where he can act but simply doesnt, as he doesnt like to take actions into his own hands. Shakespeare's Hamlet is a typical revenge tragedy, involving the murder of a close relation, in this case Hamlets own father, by a person who is considered to be out of the reach of common justice. Since Hamlet no longer needs to be the agent for divine justice, his act of vengeance is delayed again and he awaits readily for divine guidance to help accomplish his revenge. To Hamlet, the marriage is "foul incest." Why Hamlet Delays His Revenge Therefore Hamlets nature plays a major part in his decision whether or not to kill Claudius. Similarly, Hamlets delay could be seen as a flaw and like all tragic heroes Hamlet must have a fault in order to classify him as a tragic hero. Maybe he is unsure whether or not Claudius is actually responsible for his father's death. Hamlet is a humanitarian; he considers the value of life, the consequences of his actions and the reliability, and origins of the information he receives. This essay will discuss how Hamlet's nature and morals (which are intensified by difficult events) prevent him from carrying out the task. Finally, Hamlet must acquire additional proof to support the claim that Claudius killed his father by poisoning him. Hamlet Revenge: Task, Problems And Delays Because of these traits, Hamlet needs evidence and assurance that Claudius really has killed Old Hamlet. His soliloquies show us his morally weak, dejected character for in Act III scene i Hamlet talks about suicide as an alternative to avenging his father. He is quick, in Act one, scene five to take on his role of avenger. Shakespeare sets the stage for Hamlet's internal dilemma in Act 1, Scene 5 of Hamlet when the ghost of Hamlet's father appears and calls upon Hamlet to "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder" (1. This is primarily due to the fact that he analyses situations rather than jumping into action without considering the consequences. Why does Hamlet delay his revenge? He wants to kill Claudius but he is unsure when the right time is. But Hamlet, it is suggested, does not act because he realises subconsciously that his uncle has done what he wanted to do and therefore cannot completely condemn Claudius without also condemning himself. 3. External events in the play do not contribute to Hamlets delay, but are rather used to Hamlets advantage as excuses to further delay avenging his fathers murder. The delay allows us to concentrate on Hamlets actions and reasons rather than the revenge itself. These events could have been avoided if Hamlet had made a decision sooner about what course of action to take. He also has a conflict within himself, as he is torn between his religious beliefs (which tell him that revenge is wrong) and his desire for justice. A Hamlet of decisions, shrewdness and action. Perhaps he is wrestling with the idea of killing Claudius, his own uncle. This causes failure to act without delay. Hamlets overzealous thoughts become unrealistic compared to his actual endeavors throughout the play. When we first see Hamlet in Act I scene ii he is mourning over the death of his father. While some may see this as a weakness, it can also be seen as a reflection of Hamlets concern with doing what is right. The recurrence of the theme of revenge in Shakespeare's Hamlet has triggered a debate on the justification of the character's vengeance. What will happen if he kills Claudius? One of the reasons for Hamlet's delay stems from the atypical manner in which Hamlet takes the mantle of tragic hero contrasts with the source material for the play Hamlet. He is melancholic and yearns for revenge but is too passive. At least so was Professor Dowden, to name one critic, who holds that Hamlet loses a sense of fact because he puts every event through his mind, filtering it until every deed seems to have an alternative in not doing the deed, but evaluating it even more (Bloom, pg. As the play progresses, the thin line between sanity and madness blurs, leaving readers to wonder if Hamlet is insane. He can analyse a situation and questions events. The Oedipus complex suggests that Hamlet, or every man, would like to kill their father and sleep with their mother. Up sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. Composed in Greece around the 8th century BCE, it recounts the events of the [], Poes How to Write a Blackwood Article portrayed a symbiotic relationship between the soul, the body and money that drove the Victorian audience to search for an unattainable form of [], A discussion of Shakespeares Macbeth, focussing on Macbeth as a tragic hero. What if he kills Claudius and then suffers the same fate as his father, dying with blood on his hands? Furthermore I believe that Shakespeare has made his apparent delay obvious for us because it not only makes us concentrate more on Hamlets transformation of character and role but also makes us more aware of the consequences of the revenge, whether it is the main theme or not, as a whole. Compared to these characters, Hamlet's revenge is ineffectual. After Hamlet has found his role as the revenger, which was the purpose of the delay, he does not have any more doubts about his other roles as the coward or malcontent philosopher as shown through immediate planning and action. stays true to the original and adds a new moral aspect to the central character. He feels guilt, remorse and has responsibilities, yet at the same time he feels pride and a sense of duty. You can order a unique, plagiarism-free paper written by a professional writer. He has to consider all possible consequences of his vendetta. A flaw suggests an imperfection that is detrimental to the character, a conscience would not generally be regarded as a character fault but a trait that is to be admired in Hamlet. The utilitarian ethical perspective holds that a [], Whilst identity in the modern day setting is seen as a fundamental right, in the seemingly dystopian society of Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale, identity is robbed by the government [], In the novel, Lord of the Flies, the killing of the sow is a pivotal moment whereby the boys reach a point of no return; they have lost themselves completely [], The Great Migration was a push factor towards the American Dream for African Americans to move North to get away from racial segregation and discrimination, poor economic conditions, and job [], Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye depicts a chilling tale of a young girls experience with racism following The Great Depression. There are many reasons why Hamlet might delay his revenge. He himself sees that one of his problems is to think too precisely on the event. He is intellectual and reflective, preferring to ponder rather than take action. He now knows that Claudius wants to have him killed, he has no other option to carry out his revenge. Amleth unlike Hamlet has no qualms about taking his revenge. In conclusion, Hamlets delay in revenging his fathers murder can be seen as a reflection of his preoccupation with moral issues and his uncertainty about whether or not to take action. He says, addressing the audience, When I am gone, lines 73-77, pg 63. Hamlet is also fixated on his mothers rushed marriage to his uncle, not even a month after his fathers death. Hamlet does not appear to have such a flaw. The opening line of Hamlet is Whos there? this tells the audience a lot about the play as it is a play about unanswered questions and people seeking these answers and there response. However, the Ghost orders him to avenge his death and uncovers the truth about Claudius, who is responsible for Hamlet's murder. Hamlet is in an extremely fragile mental state after the death of his father and the recent marriage of his mother and Claudius. This essay is available online and was probably used by another student. And gone he says to Horatio, and then asks him to remember this night so that the events may be retold accurately. In the opening scenes of the play, the Ghost of Hamlet's. Analysis: To be, or not to be (3.1), Soliloquy Analysis: Tis now the very witching time of night (3.2), Soliloquy Analysis: Now might I do it pat (3.3), Soliloquy Analysis: How all occasions do inform against me (4.4), The Baker's Daughter: Ophelia's Nursery Rhymes, In Secret Conference: The Meeting Between Claudius and Laertes, The Death of Polonius and its Impact on Hamlet's Character, An Excuse for Doing Nothing: Hamlet's Delay, Defending Claudius - The Charges Against the King, Shakespeare's Fools: The Grave-Diggers in, Hamlet's Humor: The Wit of Shakespeare's Prince of Denmark, Hamlet's Melancholy: The Transformation of the Prince. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betrayed Hamlet and took him to England where they were supposed to kill him. Hamlet's father's ghost sent him on a difficult errand, and he always tried to go, resolving, re-resolving, and ending the same. Hamlet questions the validity of his revenge by devising a plan to provide evidence of King Claudius? Is Hamlet a revenge tragedy? In those times, people were easily accused of murder without sufficient evidence. This dilemma is further added to when the ghost speaks from under the stage. A flaw suggests an imperfection that is detrimental to the character, a conscience would not generally be regarded as a character fault but a trait that is to be admired in Hamlet. Another reason that he delayed was probably just fear of murdering someone. Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via support@edubirdie.com.