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 hesitant about accomplishing his task.
             The first impression of Hamlet sets the tone for the rest of the play: a man filled with great sorrow, but unwilling to act upon his impulses. When the reader is introduced to the brooding figure of Hamlet, she can almost feel his tension and frustration radiating from his words; this is especially true when he speaks of his torment against the incestuous marriage of his mother, Gertrude, and his uncle, Claudius, but does not take initiative and holds in his anguish by exclaiming "but break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue" (I.ii.164). His unwillingness to take action is further revealed when his dead father 's ghost visits...