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Examples Of Internal Conflict In Hamlet

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"To be or not to be, that is the question." These famous words spoken by Hamlet encapsulate the internal conflict that defines his character and sets the stage for the tragic events that unfold in Shakespeare's renowned play. "Hamlet" is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601. Set in Denmark, the play explores themes of revenge, madness, and the complexities of human nature. It is one of Shakespeare's most famous works and is known for its rich characterization, intricate plot, and profound exploration of moral dilemmas. The play reflects the political and social context of the Elizabethan era, where the concepts of honor, duty, and justice were deeply ingrained in society. Hamlet's tragic …show more content…

Hamlet considers this an unfavorable outcome because he believes that Claudius should suffer in the afterlife for his heinous actions, which include the murder of Hamlet's father. This internal conflict demonstrates Hamlet's hesitation to carry out his revenge, as he grapples with the moral implications and the desire for justice. It highlights his tragic flaw of overthinking and being indecisive, which ultimately leads to his downfall. In another pivotal moment, Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius while he is praying. However, he decides not to take action because he believes that killing Claudius during a state of repentance would send him directly to heaven, without facing the eternal punishment he deserves. Hamlet's hesitation in this scene further illustrates his internal struggle and his tragic flaw of indecisiveness. Hamlet's internal conflict and hesitance to kill Claudius can also be seen in the famous "play within a play" scene. Hamlet devises a plan to expose Claudius's guilt by reenacting the murder of his father in front of the court. As the play unfolds, Claudius's reaction confirms Hamlet's suspicions, yet he still refrains from taking immediate action. This …show more content…

Hamlet's relationship with Gertrude is marked by conflicting emotions and deep-seated resentment. Despite his anger and disapproval of her hasty marriage to Claudius, Hamlet still holds a deep affection for his mother. This internal conflict adds another layer of complexity to his decision-making process regarding Claudius's fate. In Act III, Scene IV, Hamlet confronts Gertrude in her chamber, expressing his disappointment and disgust at her actions. He passionately rebukes her, saying, "Nay, but to live / In the rank sweat of an enseamèd bed, / Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love / Over the nasty sty" (III.iv.91-94). This outburst reveals Hamlet's deep-seated anger and resentment towards his mother's involvement with Claudius. Hamlet's emotional outburst reflects his disillusionment with Gertrude and his perception of her as complicit in his father's murder. This complicated relationship and his conflicted feelings towards his mother contribute to his hesitation in exacting revenge on Claudius. Killing Claudius would not only mean avenging his father's death but also potentially harming the woman he still cares for, albeit with a sense of betrayal. Furthermore, Hamlet's encounter with his father's ghost adds another layer of complexity to his dilemma. When the ghost of King Hamlet appears and reveals the truth about his murder, Hamlet is

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1065 Words | 5 Pages

150-153), whom he holds accountable for his father's murder. Claudius's presence in their lives serves as a constant reminder of this betrayal, escalating Hamlet's feelings of hostility toward his mother. Hamlet's resentment towards Gertrude for marrying Claudius fuels his desire for vengeance and causes him to act impulsively and recklessly, further pushing him towards his inevitable destruction. Ultimately, Hamlet's inability to forgive his mother for marrying Claudius and let go of his hostility, contributes to his tragic fate leading

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362 Words | 2 Pages

Despite the fact that his mother is not guilty of his father's murder, he carelessly releases his anger upon her- portraying his sense of superiority over his mother. Ultimately, the act of confronting Gertrude displays Hamlet’s arrogant nature which leads to his eventual demise.

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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

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995 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet will soon figure out that Claudius did kill his father because the play is specifically about a murder that relates to what Claudius did. In Henry Thew Stephenson’s review “Hamlets Mouse-Trap” he writes “Hamlet believes that no man who had committed the crime attributed to Claudius could sit through the visual reproduction of that crime without displaying emotion” (Stephenson 31). Stephenson explains why Hamlet has chosen the play to find out the truth. He uses entertainment against Claudius. He gets just what he was looking for.

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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

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755 Words | 4 Pages

Even after everyone around him has moved on, Hamlet is still grieving. Hamlet’s reaction to his mother’s betrayal further proves that he is most passionate about his family. If he didn’t care about them, then his mother’s remarriage so soon after his father’s death wouldn’t have bothered him, but it clearly does. Hamlet believed in the love between his father and mother, and seeing Gertrude

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628 Words | 3 Pages

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

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1140 Words | 5 Pages

Hamlet eventually kills Claudius like his father told him to, but only did it after his mother, Gertrude, drank the poison that Claudius meant to give Hamlet. This is a result of external action from all the sorrows that was building up in Hamlet’s life. This brings us to our next character, Gertrude, Claudius’s wife and Hamlets

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512 Words | 3 Pages

Claudius kills King Hamlet and sends Hamlet into a dark place inside his mind where an obsession with death and possibly avenging his father 's suspicious undoing. After his father 's death, Hamlet 's mother marries Claudius almost immediately. The inappropriately timed union angers Hamlet and his feeling of betrayal causes him to believe that love and compassion are not an important or real part of any human or relationship. His depressive and morbid outlook assures him that death is the only thing that is certain in the world.

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As Claudius repents, Hamlet feels as though it's the best time to kill him until he says: And so ’a goes to Heaven; And so am I revenged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his son, do this same villain send To heaven (3.3.73-78) Essentially, Hamlet wanted to murder Claudius because he was the Old King’s murderer.

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To test Claudius’s guilt, Hamlet adds a scene reenacting the murder of Hamlet’s father. Claudius abruptly leaves the play, and afterward, tries to pray. When Claudius is praying, Hamlet is considering killing him, but decides not to because he wants to kill him in sin so that he does not get a chance at last confession. They also all end up dying later in the story due to a sword fight and poison.

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When he learns Claudius is responsible for the death of his father, he intends to reveal this newfound information to not only Gertrude, but the rest of the characters. He is smart enough to know that she will not believe him based solely on his encounter with the ghost, and must create a trap where Claudius will reveal his guilt on his own. When the players arrive at the castle, he alters their script to mimic the king’s murder and “catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.567). During the performance, Claudius shows signs of guilt and worry, making Hamlet’s plan a success and proving his

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520 Words | 3 Pages

Caught between the moral conflict of Claudius being the king and married to his mother, Hamlet falls into a depression. Depressed and not wanting to deal with the reality, he contemplates dying “To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer” (III.1.56-57). Appalled at how his mother could so easily forget her first husband and marry his uncle, Hamlet lashes out at his mother Gertrude, who considers him “Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend Which is the mightier: in his lawless fit” (IV.1.6-7). Struggling with mixed emotions of anger, anxiety, and grief over his father’s death, Hamlet feels betrayed by his mother “A little month, or ere those shoes were old with which she followed my poor father’s body” (I.2.147-148). Not only is he betrayed by his mother, but also by Ophelia, his love, as she takes the side of Claudius over his, because of her father, Polonius.

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1423 Words | 6 Pages

What made it even worse was his mom, Gertrude, ended up marrying Claudius shortly after King Hamlet's death. After the king is murdered, Hamlet saw his father’s “ghost” which told him that Claudius was in fact the one that killed him and that he wanted Hamlet to seek revenge for him by killing Claudius, but not to punish his mother for remarrying. The ghost said to Hamlet, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Murder most foul, as in the best it is, / But this most foul, strange, and unnatural” and Hamlet replied, “Haste me to know 't, that I, with wings as swift / As

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992 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet is presented with several opportunities to pursue his vengeance, but delays each time for multiple reasons in which reveal his true nature. There are many reasons Hamlet restrains from killing Claudius. Firstly, Hamlet does not know whether the ghost should be believed or if it is just the devil in disguise trying to trick him. This is a valid reason because if the ghost is the devil, then Hamlet’s soul will be damned to the Hell. Hamlet’s

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