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,
             many readers have asked the question, why does Hamlet delay? Of course killing Claudius
             in Act II makes for a very short play. With this aside , however, a number of different
             interpretations have been offered to account for Hamlet's inaction, including one by the
             character himself, which I believe is at least as relevant as any other.
             It is not clear what has happened during the two months since Hamlet spoke with
             his father's ghost, but it is clear that Hamlet is aware that he has not taken action. In Act
             II, he raises the question whether his inaction is a sign that he is a coward. He does not,
             however, pursue this question. Instead, he tells himself that he must be sure the ghost was
             not a manifesta...