He Who Accomplishes Nothing
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, features one of the most complex characters in all of dramatic literature; Hamlet is often contradictory and conflicted about his principles of morality and exacting revenge. Samuel Taylor Coleridge surmises that Hamlet "delays action till action is of no use." To a certain degree, Coleridge's words ring true; Hamlet's inability in taking quick action prevents him from taking advantage of opportunities that are presented to him. Instead of quickly avenging the murder of his father, Hamlet wavers between the idea of immoral and moral action, societal duties of being a clean citizen and filial duties to his father; during the Elizabethan period, avenging someone was considered taboo and was condemned. However, Coleridge's words are flawed in the sense that he paints Hamlet as only a hesitant, overly intellectual man who is ultimately unsuccessful. He is clearly successful in the final act by avenging his father and having his previous sins absolved; in the final act, he brings closure to his obligation to his father and his morality. Essentially, Hamlet is a conflicted character torn between moral and filial duties; although his actions are often delayed, he is not unsuccessful, but is merely h
By exchanging "forgiveness," Hamlet is absolved of the murder of Polonius and Laertes is cleansed for daring to avenge his father. The very last scene is perhaps the most vital consequence of Hamlet's actions and a significant indication of his moral success. It is important to understand that Hamlet was unwilling to kill Claudius because he had cleansed himself to heaven; now that Claudius has damned himself to hell, Hamlet wastes no time in taking vengeance, exclaiming "drink of this potion. It is interesting to note that Hamlet uses the same "potion" that Claudius tried to kill him with; he has thwarted Claudius' plans. When Hamlet uses the word "king" instead of an anonymous title, it reveals that he knows his purpose and is attempting to kill Claudius; unfortunately it is unsuccessful as he kills Polonius instead. At first, the reader only glimpses the calculating surface of Hamlet's mind, but after his thoughtless action, the reader can conclude that Hamlet is dangerous. Although he agrees to carry out the act of vengeance, he questions his decision to avenge his father; this is most evident when he exclaims "thus conscience does make cowards of us all" (III. esitant about accomplishing his task. When Hamlet questions his actions, he has delayed it enough so that he could guarantee the damnation of Claudius and the vengeance of his father; he has fulfilled his filial duties in every way. As "heaven hath pleased it so," Hamlet is punished for going against the rigidly set taboo and instead, seeking vengeance; he is essentially being punished by God. There is a logical reason behind Hamlet's argument because he has been appointed the task of avenging his father; therefore, sending the villain to heaven would not be avenging his father, but instead, easing the guilt of the murderer.
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