ipl-logo

Examples Of Hamlet's Indecisiveness

628 Words3 Pages

Like many things, Hamlet is intelligent and honorable, but his indecisiveness is the cause of his tragic downfall. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare portrays that Hamlet is very incapable of finishing the task at hand. Throughout the drama Hamlet faces many trials and tribulations due to his late father Hamlet, who was murderously killed by Claudius. His inability to kill Claudius and himself is one grand flaw of an epic hero. After King Hamlets passing, Hamlet entered an unknown state of mind that not only feared others for his wellbeing, but also feared himself. Hamlet no longer wanted to live in this life despair and pain. Another illustration of his indecisiveness is during the play when he had a clear chance to avenge his father by killing Claudius but choose not to do so, because he thought that Claudius was repenting for his …show more content…

When the actors come to town Hamlet asks them to put on a special play that he has written, one that will reveal if the King is truly guilt. The play is reenacting the death of King Hamlet as the ghost describes it; as murder. His plan is to get a reaction from the King to assure the ghosts is telling the truth about King Hamlet’s death. When the actors get to the scene of the murder, King Claudius exits the theater. Hamlet now knows that the ghost was being truthful. When Hamlet finally approaches the King he believes that the he is praying and decides not to kill him. Shakespeare writes “Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying. And now I’ll do ’t. And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged. That would be scanned, a villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (line 74-79). Hamlet believes that Claudius is praying and doesn’t want to kill him, because he doesn’t want him to go to heaven. This inability is the tragic mistake that hamlets creates, to his soon to be

Show More
Related
1262 Words | 6 Pages

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the dead king’s son Hamlet avenges his father’s murder, but his madness and indecision takes its toll on everyone. Hamlet’s father, the King Hamlet, was murdered by Claudius because he was ambitious for the throne and Queen Gertrude. In Act 3 of the play, Hamlet begins to test Claudius for any sign of guilt in the murder of his father. After watching a play disguised as a reenactment of the murder of King Hamlet, Claudius begins to confess his sins to God. In Claudius’ confession soliloquy, Shakespeare reveals Claudius’ inner duel between his rational desire to act virtuously by relieving his guilt and his gravitation toward material gain and selfishness by following his ambitions through the use of

Read More
729 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet, also, could not get over the death of his father. He found out when his father’s ghost came back that his brother, and Hamlet’s uncle, murdered him. He then was willing to do anything possible to get revenge on Claudius, his uncle. Both of

Read More
824 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet is now on a mission to avenge his father and kill King Claudius throughout the play. Many say he was hesitant and a victim of procrastination for waiting until the end of the play to avenge his father but Hamlet is capable, he just was never presented with the perfect opportunity. There were many obstacles preventing Hamlet to accomplish this task. Hamlet was held back by his love for his mother, his emotions, and fear of

Read More
785 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet was given the prime opportunity to kill Claudius when he found him on his knees begging for forgiveness. Hamlet negated not to kill him right then and there because he wanted Claudius to go to hell, not heaven. Hamlet’s lack of sanity, or his tragic flaw, in the play is definitely what caused his inability to

Read More
1533 Words | 7 Pages

For most of the play, he has contemplated suicide and questioned his actions. He decided not to kill Claudius as he was praying and this makes him feel as though he has failed in his quest for revenge. Hamlet wants to show Queen Gertrude the error in her decision to marry Claudius and tells his mother: Come, Come, and sit you down; you shall not budge; You go not till I set you up a glass; Where you may see the inmost part of you.

Read More
783 Words | 4 Pages

In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the main character Hamlet plays a crucial role throughout the scenes. in act one when he talks to his father’s ghost he is inadvertently setting up the rest of the events of the play. In act two Hamlet acts suspicious of his uncle and sets up a performance about the events he believes have transpired in hopes of catching his uncle feeling guilty. In act three Hamlet reveals to his mother exactly how his father died and who was responsible for his death. One positive trait for this character is determined to fight for what is right.

Read More
445 Words | 2 Pages

There was a moment where Claudius was praying and hamlet was about to strike at Claudius, but alas Hamlet hesitated and wanted to wait until “he [was] 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” (III. iii. 89). Hamlet explains how he wants to wait until Claudius is in the act of sin to strike because if he were to do so during prayer Claudius would go to heaven and not hell. This

Read More
1598 Words | 7 Pages

In addition, he suffers from hesitancy in the correctness of their actions. Throughout the play, Hamlet says, “That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, /Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell.” (2.2.581-587) This

Read More
727 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novel just as any archetypal, hamlet sets out to accomplish a noble task which in this case was to avenge his father’s death; however unlike an archetypal hero, Hamlet allowed his thirst for revenge get the better of him and this subsequently lead to his death. Throughout the play Hamlet struggles to make a decision as to whether he should avenge his father’s death. Although his questioning is understandable it was still his fatal flaw as his indecisiveness was a key factor to his death. The strong messages imbedded in this play are relatable to readers and portray the problems in modern society. Hamlet is certainly not a character for readers to look up to however he is a character that the readers can learn from.

Read More
519 Words | 3 Pages

However, the justice he desires is more like revenge. In most cases, justice is seen more as getting the person who committed the crime sent to prison, but Hamlet views the whole situation differently. He’s decided that the crime committed by Claudius is worthy of death, and he wishes to be the one who kills Claudius himself. To Hamlet, that is justice.

Read More
876 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet became tasked with killing Claudius and his ill feelings towards his uncle are no laughing matter. This is clearly shown when Hamlet says, “Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! O, vengeance!” (Shakespeare, II, ii, 582-583) to describe his father’s murderer. Throughout the soliloquy, there is a tone of fury--at Claudius, at the world, and at himself.

Read More
998 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet wanted to kill Claudius at the right moment. While he was in the act of committing a sin. He then swears to his father, King Hamlet that he will fulfill what the King has

Read More
629 Words | 3 Pages

This, along with how quickly his mother then married the murderous uncle, and at the request of his father's ghost sparks the thought of revenge in Prince Hamlet. Imagine the passionate feelings of betrayal associated with the loss of a father along with the lack of apparent mourning from everyone, including the widow. Despite these feelings, Prince Hamlet struggles with the thought of revenge, as evidenced by his inaction when he has the opportunity while Claudius appears to be praying and then again during his famous "to be or not to be" soliloquy. In the end revenge is served, doubly, as Prince Hamlet stabs Claudius with a poisoned sword and makes

Read More
261 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is faced against many situations that question his mental stability and ability to make decisions. His indecisiveness comes from the way he reacts to the situations he is put in and the way his mind presents these situations to him. The most important indecisive moments are Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts, his father’s ghost, and his vengeance to Claudius. When Hamlet is told by a ghost that has a resemblance of his father that Claudius had killed him, he vows to take vengeance and revenge his father’s death.

Read More
1844 Words | 8 Pages

Hamlet is William Shakespeare 's renowned tale of mystery, intrigue, and murder, centered on a young misguided prince who can only trust himself. Some may say that the actions of Prince Hamlet throughout the play are weak and fearful, displaying a tendency to procrastinate and showing an apathetic nature towards his family and peers. Others spin a tale of a noble young scholar, driven mad by the cold-blooded murder of his father by his uncle. In truth, I believe Hamlet is neither of these things. Hamlet is a sort of amalgamation of the two, a bundle of contradictions thrown together into one conflicting but very human mess of a character.

Read More

More about Examples Of Hamlet's Indecisiveness

Open Document