Impossibility Of Certainty In Hamlet Essay

Many people turn to revenge when someone does something to harm the or their loved ones wrong. This is seen many different times throughout William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and it shows one of the great motifs. The many twists and turns in the play show the impossibility of certainty.

As the play begins, Hamlet is approached by what is believed as the ghost of his father. The ghost demands for Hamlet to avenge his death, as the ghost states, “if thou didst ever thy dear father love.../ Revenge his soul and most unnatural murder”(1.5.23-25). This shows Hamlet’s father’s ghost asking him to revenge his death by killing his mother's new husband who is also his uncle for him since he is unable. Also it shows that he was killed in an unusual way. Another instruction that the ghost gava hamlet was “howsoever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, To prick and sting her” (1.5.81-88). By saying this the ghost is telling

After the play is over he is called up to his mother's room but on the way he spotted Claudius and alone with no one to protect him. Hamlets contemplates whether or not to kill him at that moment then decides that since Claudius is praying, he would not kill him, for he does not want him to have his soul sent to heaven. Hamlet states “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven, And so I am revenged. That would be scann’d. A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” ( 3.3.80). This shows Hamlet's plan and reasoning for not killing Claudius at that time. Even though Hamlet had a perfect opportunity to kill Claudius he didn't take it which furthermore shows the uncertainty in the