Essay-Why-does-Hamlet-delay

WhydoesHamletdelaysolongtokillClaudius?Hamlet’sindecisionandirresolutionhaveconfusedmanyreadersinthepastahundredyears.Whycan’thejust“shuffleoffthemortalcoil”andkillhisunclestraightway,ashesayshehas“cause,andwill,andstrength,andmeans”?Moralityisnotthematterheconcerns,forheplaysatrick,puttinghisownchildhoodfriendstodeathwithoutanyrepentance;neithertimiditynorfearcanfullyexplainhisinactiveness,becausehekillsPoloniuspromptly,mistakinghimasClaudius,andhealsochallengeLaertestoaduel.“Iwillfightwithhimuponthisthemeuntilmyeyelidswillnolongerwag.”AwidelyacceptedreasonofHamlet’sprocrastinationisthathehasanOedipalComplex–abnormalaffectiontohismother.InthesceneofHamletandGertrude’smeeting,ratherthanaccuseherpresenthusband’scrime,Hamletreproacheshismotheronlyforherincestuousbehavior.SoitisjustifiabletosaythatHamletinhissubconscioushasdesiretodowhathisunclehasdone,soheregardsClaudiusasafencetokeephimselfawayfromhismother.Eventhoughthisoedipaltheoryisvalid,IwouldrathertakeHamlet’spersonalflawsasthereasonofhishesitation.Inmyopinion,Hamlet’shesitation,infact,isauniversalreactionofpeopleinfaceofunforeseeableconsequences,thusmanyreaderscanseetheirownreflectioninHamlet.Further,thistragichero’sintelligenceandsensitivityendowhimwiththecapabilityofreasoning,meditating,andeventhinkingtoopreciselyovertheissue.Soitistheuncertainty,orfearcausedbyuncertainty,aswellashisintelligence,resultinginhisdelayandtragicending.Hisuncharacteristichesitationisprobablycausedbytheuncertaintyandfearbecauseoftheunpredictableresultofrevengeandhispossibledeath.Inhisfamoussoliloquy“tobeornottobe”,Hamletindicatesthatthereasonwhypeople(orhe)hesitatetoterminatethe“calamityofsolonglife”liesintheunknowndreamofdeathandtheundiscoveredcountryfromwherenotravelerreturnsafterdeath.Atthismoment,Hamletalreadysinsintoapredicamentandalmostgetsdrowned.Asasuccessorofthethrone,princeHamletwouldpayhighlyfortherevenge–hislove,hiscrown,andevenhislife.Asapotentialregicide,Hamletshouldfullyunderstandking’smurderwillentailturmoilinthecountry,asGuildensternsays“thecessofmajestydiesnotalone;butlikeagulfdothdrawwhat’snearitwithit.”(Thisstatementcanberegardedashalftruthandhalfflattery.)Whenfacingthepossibilityofdisasterbroughtbyvengeancetohimself,hismother,hissubjectsandhiscountry,hewillbemorecautiousandprudentinmakingdecisions.Whenhefirstmeetshisfather’sghost,duetoyoungman’srashimpulsiveness,dejectionresultingfromhisfather’sdeathandmother’soverhastyremarriage,andresponsibilityasason,heunhesitatinglypromiseshewillavengethismurder.Shortlythereafter,Hamletdeterminesto“putananticdispositionon”forhisvengeance.However,contradictedtothewilltohonorhisimmediatecommitmenttohisfather’sghost,hisreasonandintellecturgehimtoverifythisallegationagainsthisuncle,becausehesuspects“thespiritthatIhaveseenmaybeadevil,andthedevilhathpowert’assumeapleasingshape,yea,andperhapsoutofmyweaknessandmymelancholy,asheisverypotentwithsuchspirits,abusesmetodamnme.”SoheredesignsaplayTheMurderofGonzagointoTheMouse-trapasabaittotestClaudius.Duringtheplay,withHamletandHoratio’sobservation,Claudius’sreactionestablisheshisguiltasamurderer.ThisdelaynotonlydemonstratesthatHamletcanthinkovertheissuethoroughlyandwiselyreasonoutthetruth.AfterheaffirmsClaudius’sguilt,hehasapropitiousopportunitytokilltheking.WhenClaudiusiskneelingtoprayformercy,Hamlet,atfirst,decidestokillhim,butjustinasecondchangeshismindthreetimes.“NowmightIdoitpat,now’aisa-praying-andnowI’lldoit,andsoa’goestoheaven.”HamletbelieveskillingClaudiusinhisprayingistosendhimtoheaven.ConverselyhewantstohaveClaudiusmurderedin“theblossomof[his]sin,unhouseled,disappointed,unaneled”,sohewillfallintohelllikehisfather,sufferingandtormenting.Itisdefinitelynotanexcuseforhisinabilitytotakeactions,becausehemistakesPoloniusasClaudiusandkillshimunhesitatingly,showinghisdeterminationtokilltheking.Butwhycan’thefindanotheropportunitysoonersinceheandClaudiusliveunderoneroof?Whycan’thejustsimplywaitandkillClaudiusafterhisprayer?Onepossiblereasonisthatheoverevaluatetheeventandeverytime,hisimpulsecounteractswithhisreason,hiscautionandhisintelligence.Heisparalyzedbythestrugglebetweenindividualandenvironment,needingsomethingorsomeoneasaspurtopushhim;otherwisehewillbetrappedinhisdeepmeditationforever.