ipl-logo

Fear Of Action In Hamlet

646 Words3 Pages

Shakespeare’s classic play, ‘Hamlet’, presents the titular young prince as he attempts to follow through with bringing his father’s killer to justice. However, Hamlet continually seems unable to do so. Despite the many opportunities’ presented to him, Shakespeare’s tragic hero never seizes them. A major reason for this is Hamlet’s fear of action which prohibits him from doing what he must. There are a multitude of factors that contribute and ultimately control this fear, including Hamlet’s fear of the consequences of his actions, his fear of being incorrect, and his fear of failure.
Hamlet’s fear of the consequences of his exploits stem from his fear of action. It delays his actions and present a moral dilemma that Hamlet must deal with in order to proceed. Were Hamlet to take immediate action, he would be committing regicide, and if caught, could be punished for this. Above these physical consequences are the spiritual ones that Hamlet too fears. He compares his actions to that of the man he is plotting to kill, and acknowledges the place his soul would be put in. Hamlet fears Hell. Knowing this may be a consequence for murder, …show more content…

His cowardice prevents Hamlet from moving forward in his plans as his concerns for falling short in his father’s eyes prohibit him from even trying. Were he to try killing the king only to fail, not only could he suffer the pre-established consequences he fears, but the King would also continue living, his father would not have been served justice, and would continue walking in purgatory. Hamlet does not trust his own abilities. Hamlet strives for the success that he sees in those around him, including Claudius, his own father, and most importantly, Fortinbras. He compares himself to him, stating “Quote – Hamlet comparing himself to Fortinbras, saying how good he is”, which clearly shows he strives for success yet is to afraid that he will lose it were he to

Show More
Related

  • Does Hamlet Make A Good King Essay

    763 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many things a king needs to be great. A king needs to be well-liked by his subjects to prevent being overthrown. Kings also need confidence, and substantial knowledge of the land and of the people he rules. Being well-liked and having conviction and knowledge are very important, but most of all, a king needs to be levelheaded. In order to call the important shots that impact an entire nation, a king needs a thorough thought process to reach the proper decision.

    Read More

  • Self-Confidence In Hamlet

    565 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his first soliloquy, he expresses his intense grief and inner conflict of wanting to commit suicide but not wanting to be punished by God. From this the audience can infer one of Hamlet’s fatal flaws; he is indecisive. He is constantly searching for certainty, since he is unable to make decisions without it. Although Hamlet is wary of the story given to the public to explain the King’s sudden death, it is not until the ghost confirms his suspicions and he uncovers the truth that he vows to “Remember thee!”. He suspects foul play was involved, yet he never acts on this uncertainty until certainty is provided for him.

    Read More

  • Hamlet: The Aristotelian Tragic Hero

    1358 Words  | 6 Pages

    Although, he is given a perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, his tendency to overthink often causes him to procrastinate in fulfilling his responsibility, therefore, becoming his major flaw. Another element of the Aristotelian tragic hero is the reversal of fate, or rather a change for the worse. He does possess the potential to claim the throne, restore order in the kingdom, and to keep his family in power of the crown. However, these outcomes are only possible if he can execute his plan with swiftness. Instead, Hamlet

    Read More

  • Examples Of Personality Disorder In Hamlet

    1598 Words  | 7 Pages

    The main character of William Shakespeare’s tragedy is actually a confused person that’s stuck between two choices. Some may argue that he feels guilty for his father’s death and so it’s his duty to avenge it. While others may disagree and conclude that he is just a maniac who is both violent and dangerous. Hamlet passes through the lane of hesitancy, where he hesitates to kill King Claudius. As a matter of fact, the main conflict of Hamlet is that he feels both the need to solve the crime and punish the responsible.

    Read More

  • Psychological Events In Hamlet

    1140 Words  | 5 Pages

    He was to the point where he thought it would just be easier to die than to live with all these struggles. Hamlet’s uncle Claudius killed his father which put a huge burden on his shoulders because he loved his father so much. What made it even worse was his mom, Gertrude, ended up marrying Claudius short after King Hamlet 's death. After the king was murdered, Hamlet saw his father’s “ghost” which told him that Claudius was in fact the one that killed him and that he wanted Hamlet to seek revenge for him by killing Claudius, but not to punish his mother for remarrying. He said it is not his place to do so and that heaven will judge her when it comes time.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Hamlet's Indecisiveness

    628 Words  | 3 Pages

    Like many things, Hamlet is intelligent and honorable, but his indecisiveness is the cause of his tragic downfall. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare portrays that Hamlet is very incapable of finishing the task at hand. Throughout the drama Hamlet faces many trials and tribulations due to his late father Hamlet, who was murderously killed by Claudius. His inability to kill Claudius and himself is one grand flaw of an epic hero. After King Hamlets passing, Hamlet entered an unknown state of mind that not only feared others for his wellbeing, but also feared himself.

    Read More

  • How Does Fortinbras Get Revenge In Hamlet

    2017 Words  | 9 Pages

    The first reason for this is his mindset about his revenge. When speaking of his revenge, Hamlet proclaims, “I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records...and they commandment all alone shall live / Within the book and volume of my brain...” (30). Hamlet’s only focus until his revenge is carried out, will be his revenge. The reason why this is a good thing is that it will keep him from putting off his revenge till later times, causing him, first of all, to strike when the moment is presented, and second to not put it off for too long where he won’t be able to get his revenge anymore.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Indecisiveness In Hamlet

    261 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is faced against many situations that question his mental stability and ability to make decisions. His indecisiveness comes from the way he reacts to the situations he is put in and the way his mind presents these situations to him. The most important indecisive moments are Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts, his father’s ghost, and his vengeance to Claudius. When Hamlet is told by a ghost that has a resemblance of his father that Claudius had killed him, he vows to take vengeance and revenge his father’s death.

    Read More

  • Sanity Vs Insanity In Hamlet

    1879 Words  | 8 Pages

    To add on to Hamlet’s stress is the possibility that something might lie “after death”(III.i.79). The fear that whatever comes after death is unknown is one of the many reasons Hamlet does not want to kill himself. Hamlet is sane because some people today still have a fear about how what comes after death is unknown. Hamlet’s behavior begins to change when they prepare to show the play that Hamlet wrote to everyone in the castle. Hamlet acts disrespectful towards his mother once again declining the seat she offered him and sitting next to Ophelia instead.

    Read More

  • Nature Of Cruelty In Hamlet

    887 Words  | 4 Pages

    The personality of such characters as Hamlet from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is much remarked upon. However, it is even more meaningful to analyze changes in Hamlet’s character throughout the play. As Hamlet becomes more driven in his revenge, his actions lose morality and gain consequences. In fact, Shakespeare uses the relationship between a character’s cruelty and the meaning in the pain they cause to comment on the cyclically destructive nature of cruelty.

    Read More

  • Moral Ambiguity In Hamlet

    932 Words  | 4 Pages

    To be or not to be morally ambiguous is to have the lack of coherence in making moral life decisions. In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the main character Hamlet goes through a great transformation. Hamlet seeks revenge toward Claudius who he believes killed his father for the throne. In many of Shakespeare’s play there is always a hero and a villain, but in Hamlet, Hamlet plays a pivotal role because he can be viewed as both the hero and the villain. Hamlet is seen as a morally ambiguous character due to the decisions he makes throughout the plot of the novel that ends up leading him to his demise.

    Read More

  • Indecisiveness In Hamlet

    1921 Words  | 8 Pages

    When you say your going to do something, you better do it. Words may indeed lie, but actions always tell the truth. In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet the protagonist Hamlet goes through numerous tragedies that cause him depression. His father dies, and his mother marries his uncle. This stress put on him is what essentially created his tragic flaw.

    Read More

  • Is Hamlet A Coward Analysis

    1267 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hamlet, one of the world’s most popular revenge tragedies, is a play written between 1599 and 1601 by renown playwright William Shakespeare. It tells a story of the royal family of Denmark plagued by corruption and schism. Prince Hamlet, the protagonist, embarks on a journey of incessant brooding and contemplation on whether to avenge his father’s death. In Hamlet’s soliloquy, at the end of Act 2, Scene 2, he asks himself, ‘Am I a coward?’ (II.ii.523) after failing to carry out revenge.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Strengths And Weaknesses

    1844 Words  | 8 Pages

    Many of Hamlet 's traits may appear to be weaknesses but they are, at second glance, strengths which aid him in his attempt to do away with Claudius. His refusal to murder the "incestuous, murderous, damned Dane" as he prays in Act 3, Scene 3 was a wise decision. If the prince had indeed killed the king he would have been immediately

    Read More

  • Essay On Hamlet As A Tragic Hero

    943 Words  | 4 Pages

    Due to himself being too idealistic and restrained, he does not take decisive actions even after using the planned play to test the Claudius's conscience that could possibly expose himself and left himself in unfavorable circumstances. Hamlet’s inability to act is caused by his overanalysis of the situations that further render him from not carrying out actions in response. If Hamlet is not indecisive, he would not be uncertain about the evidence regarding to his uncle’s crime, he would not be delaying his revenge, he would not be having emotional breakdowns and become a tragic figure. Hamlet’s personality ‘borns’ and develops under his royal position and the growing

    Read More

More about Fear Of Action In Hamlet

Open Document