At first glance, the story of Hamlet is a long, drawn-out story of the prince of Denmark working up the courage to kill: Hamlet Essay, HU

At first glance, the story of Hamlet is a long, drawn-out story of the prince of Denmark working up the courage to kill his uncle. However after a closer examination, it becomes obvious that Hamlet is not only questioning whether or not he should kill his uncle, but he is also asking himself, ‘Who is Hamlet?’ Hamlet is trying to figure out if he is a coward or a murderer.

Hamlet’s need to make an important decision symbolizes how in real life, choices are never black and white. After Hamlet gives the edited script to the actors he says his second Soliloquy. Hamlet says, “This is most brave,/That I, the son of a dear father murdered,/Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,/Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,/And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,/A scullion! Fie upon’t, foh!” (2.2. 506-511) Whilst drowning in self-pity, Hamlet is asking himself if he could be doing more.

Is he a coward for only waiting for a clear sign of guilt or is waiting for a definite answer the best solution? This can be seen all over Hamlet, even in the most famous soliloquy “to be, or not to be” (3.1.55). Although directly Hamlet is asking whether or not he should continue to live, in another sense he is asking to act or not to act against the king.

From the beginning of the play when Hamlet meets his father, he is already on the path of waiting for the correct answer. Hamlet decides to pretend to be mad rather than immediately finding Claudius and murdering him.

This is one of the reasons that Hamlet has remained so popular. To an outside viewer, the solution is obvious. However, to Hamlet, it is more than right or wrong, and justice or vengeance. Hamlet is also feeling real human emotions To avenge his father is to not only kill his father’s murderer, it is also to kill his uncle and to go against his mother’s wishes as well as kill the king.

This is why Hamlet takes so long to make his decision. Hamlet only truly chooses to act in his last moments when it becomes clear that Claudius was in fact bad. Claudius had tried to kill Hamlet and succeeded, as well as killing Hamlet’s mom. It was at this moment that Claudius’s true self had been revealed and Hamlet knew what he must do.

In life, the final outcome can not be known without living through it. In Hamlet’s second soliloquy, his self-doubt can also be seen as he questions his every move. He proclaims, “Yet I,’ A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak,’ Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,/And can say nothing–no, not for a king/Upon whose property and most dear life/A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?”(2.2.481-494). Hamlet believes himself to be a fool and a coward for not taking action against the king.

However, it is arguable that doing nothing is also something. It is seen that Hamlet’s best decisions are made when he takes his time and waits. When Hamlet decides to wait he is able to determine right from wrong and to question if his father’s ghost has his best interest in mind. Whereas when Hamlet finally acts in the heat of the moment and stabs the curtain he creates irreparable damage and punishes the wrong man, further pushing his mom away.

This proves that sometimes no action is the best action. To be unsure is to be human. Being able to think is the reason a decision may be difficult. The outcome is unknown and therefore the choices must be weighed carefully. As said by Joe Keener, “… [H]e does, at least, represent an element of humanity and, as such, can be examined in terms of forces that act on humans” (Keener).

The duration of this play can be attributed to the thoughts running through Hamlet’s mind about whether or not he should commit this serious action. Similar to real life, when a tough choice must be made, it can not be done in an instant. If not for the aspect of humanity feeling the play would have been shorter, and not as famous.

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