Hamlet

Throughout the entire play of Hamlet, Hamlet battles with the question of, “will I or will I not kill King Claudius?” There are times during the play where he allows his passion to take over and almost commit the crime, but then his reason takes hold of him and changes his mindset. He does not outright say why it is he prolongs the killing of Claudius, but if one reads the text carefully many theories explaining why can be deduced.

During the play Hamlet constantly reasons rationally about the pros and cons of killing King Claudius and the consequences he will face. He carefully looks at both extremes - taking action or dealing with and accepting reality- and is in constant flux between both as evident in his soliloquy.

To be or not to be- that is the question:

Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles...

In his soliloquy it is apparent that he is weighing both options, but is unsure of which one he should act on. He is trying to decipher between dealing with his harsh reality and changing it dramatically through killing Claudius. Due to the fact that he is debating between both ends of the spectrum i

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Remember thee?

(1,5,99-102)

Hamlet was not surprised when the ghost spoke to him about the casualties of his father’s murder, because he had a similar hunch. When the King hears the news he demands to know where Hamlet has buried the body.

O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?

And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, Hold, my heart,

And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,

But bear me (stiffly) up. As Hamlet indiscreetly portrays his dislike for Claudius he also shows his belief that Claudius does not belong in heaven. This is portrayed in a specific conversation he has with the king concerning the new basis of their relationship. However he soon realizes that he gains an added bonus when speaking to the King in such a way that invokes fury within him. ) That would be scanned:

A villain kills my father, and for that,

I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna. t is clear that he is not ready to lean more towards one end then the other. He is caught between thinking the ghost is good with nice intentions or cruel with evil intentions. Whether he is putting on an antic disposition or if he truly is bi-polar he is still associating himself with signs of depression. When Hamlet acts in such ways he automatically gains satisfaction. He converses with the King on a regular basis and therefore has found an easy way to always gain satisfaction.

Approximate Word count = 1626
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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