Why does Hamlet Act
In the first act of Shakespeare's Hamlet, the young prince learns that his father, King Hamlet (who has been dead for two months), was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, who is now the new king. Near the end of Act I, the ghost of king Hamlet appears before his son to inform him of this "foul, strange, and unnatural" treachery. The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius poured poison in his ear as he lay sleeping. Finally, the ghost commands Hamlet to avenge the murder. "Remember me," the ghost says, departing. At first, Hamlet appears more than willing to comply. He is already upset that Claudius has married Gertrude, his mother. Moreover, Hamlet intimates that he already suspected some kind of treachery. When the ghost relates what Claudius has done, Hamlet utters, "O, my prophetic soul!" Then, in a moment of passion, Hamlet vows to "sweep" to his revenge. For most of the play, however, he does not sweep to anything. In Act II, we learn that two months have passed since the ghost told Hamlet of Claudius' treachery. Hamlet does finally kill Claudius, but not until the end of the last act. Knowing this,
on, why does Hamlet delay? Of course killing Claudius in Act II makes for a very short play. It appears, however, that he subscribes to the Old Testament tenet of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, rather than to the injunction of Jesus Christ, which is not to kill anyone ever for any reason. He does not, however, pursue this question. In each of these instances when Hamlet's own interpretation works at least as well as any other. Laertes then relates that Hamlet too is doomed and that Claudius is to blame. Hamlet ask Horatio to watch him, to observe how Claudius reacts during the play, especially when one player pretends to pour poison into the ear of a king fast asleep. As it turns out, when this does happen, Clouds stands up abruptly, exclaiming, "Give me some light. After Claudius fails in one plot to kill Hamlet, he summons the young prince to court, where he essentially commands Hamlet to engage in a duel with Laertes, the son of Polonius. Based on what he sees, his inaction is sensible, at least given his belief about dying in a state of grace. Some critics have argued, for example, that Hamlet is incapable of action because he thinks too much. Hamlet believes that his presence is a sin because he believes the marriage between Claudius and Gertrude is unnatural, even corrupt. Arguably, it is not until the final scene of the final act that Hamlet, in his mind, catches Claudius undoubtedly in a state of sin. On his way there, however, he comes across Claudius praying. This interpretation still cannot account, however, for the fact that Hamlet strikes swiftly in his mother's bedchamber.
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Acceptance Essays
