Essay about The Delay in Hamlet’s Revenge - 3058 Words

The Delay in Hamlet’s Revenge Hamlets first thoughts after learning of his fathers murder are of an immediate, violent revenge upon Claudius. However, his subsequent actions do not live up to these resolutions. Over four acts he takes little deliberate action against his uncle, although the ghost explicitly demands a swift revenge. In S. T. Coleridges words, Hamlets central weakness is that he is continually resolving to do, yet doing nothing but resolve. Hamlets first soliloquy, following a hostile conversation with Claudius and Gertrude, shows him grief-stricken, bitter and despairing. The source of Hamlets melancholy is his fathers death and the oer-hasty marriage of his mother and uncle. He feels he†¦show more content†¦Claudius is introduced before Hamlet, but the audience is already aware that the ghost of the old king has appeared with a message for his son. Claudius is a skilful diplomat: ingratiating, self-confident, and a good orator, he has persuaded the Danish court to accept him as king. The incestuous nature of the marriage is hinted at by Claudius himself, who calls Gertrude his sometime sister, now [his] queen. He presents himself as someone of wisdom and good judgment: a fitting replacement for his dear brother. The speech shows him to be Hamlets cunning and worthy adversary. Following the meeting with the ghost, Hamlet is both physically and mentally exhausted. In a second soliloquy, his thoughts are disorganized, and he is shocked and angry. However, the mood of this soliloquy differs dramatically from the first. No longer listless and melancholy, the ghosts wish for a great act of revenge gives Hamlet fresh hope and energy. He vows to disregard all pressures past, and do away with the smiling damned villain. Although deeply agitated, he has resolved to act. Indeed, his violent and passionate oaths seem to indicate he will, with wings as swift as meditation, execute a swift revenge. Why, then, does Hamlet delay until the final Act? The first thing he does is to feign madness, which would not appear to advance his cause in any conceivable way. It does not correspond with his previous forceful resolutions. The anticShow MoreRelatedEssay about Hamlets Hesistation to Kill Claudius1510 Words   |  7 PagesHow far do you agree that Hamlet’s hesitation to kill Claudius in Act Three is underpinned by religious reasons? Of all the different motives Shakespeare presents for Hamlet’s lack of action, which seems to be the most important? 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. 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