Hamlets Procrastination
Hamlet’s ProcrastinationHamlet’s Procrastination
In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the main character Hamlet seems to procrastinate when killing his uncle Claudius. Hamlet realizes he must kill Claudius to avenge the death of his father, yet he misses prime opportunities to kill the king. Hamlet has just reasons for his delay in killing Claudius, but the reasons could also be excuses for waiting to act. Hamlet never acts without thinking his action through thoroughly. For this reason, Hamlet’s intellect causes his procrastination when killing Claudius.
Hamlet procrastinates because he risks psychological estrangement on multiple levels. Hamlet believes in God and an afterlife, which he proves through avenging the death of his father and not killing Claudius while he prayed. Because he believes in God, Hamlet risks religious estrangement. If he kills Claudius, Hamlet will be violating one of God’s commandments. On the other hand, Hamlet feels he must avenge the death of his father. By killing Claudius, Hamlet feels the guilt of violating a religious code, but if he does not kill Claudius, Hamlet feels guilty for not taking revenge for the death of his father (Mamoun 1). Hamlet would also risk moral estrangement if he kills Claudius. Because Hamlet thinks and prides himself for his intellect, Hamlet also contains morals and values. Hamlet believes murder wrong but feels the need to avenge the death of his father. John Masefield wrote “To the delicate and complex mind so much of life is bound up with every act that any violent act involves not only a large personal sacrifice of ideal, but a tearing-up by the roots of half the order of the world (2).” If Hamlet kills Claudius he violates his moral standards. Hamlet must over think every action before he commits murder. By killing Claudius, Hamlet will suffer moral estrangement (Mamoun 1). Furthermore, Hamlet will suffer estrangement from his mother. Hamlet loves Gertrude, but feels repulsed and disgusted that she married so soon after the death of her former husband. Hamlet becomes angry when he confronts Gertrude in her bedroom. This caustic meeting with leaves him torn. “Hamlet is up against the difficulty that his disgust is occasioned by his mother, but that his mother is not an adequate equivalent for it; his disgust envelops and exceeds her. It is thus a feeling which he cannot understand; he cannot objectify it, and it therefore remains to poison life and obstruct action (Elliot 3). Also, Hamlet must confront the fact that his mother, whom he loves, fell in love with a nefarious man. Hamlet avoids this though because it leaves him emotionally torn. In addition, Hamlet does not want to risk losing the love of his mother. Is Hamlet kills Claudius, he risks losing the love of Gertrude. Gertrude does not know the reason...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.