Monday, May 11, 2015

Hamlet's Dilemma

Throughout the whole play Hamlet is faced with tons of choices that he must make. Unlike everyone else these aren't like your every day choices. Sometimes his decisions come down to life and death and that will affect the rest of his life. While he makes these decisions he is also in a very angered state with his father dead and with his supposed murderer sleeping with his mother. So even with his clouded vision and thoughts he cant hesitate due to the consequences of doing so.
So as scene in Act 3 hamlet is faced with the decision to kill Claudius while he is praying or not. This would end his true mission given to him by the ghost and almost seems too easy. Hamlet is ready to strike but then starts thinking of what is to come, he concludes in his mind that killing Claudius while he is praying would mean he would go to heaven which is the last thing he wants to happen. He decides to not kill him and wait until he catches him performing something evil. This is a risky decisions because he now leaves time for someone to foil his plans. I think though that he made the right decision because at this point Hamlet would have no reason to show others afterwards. Which would most likely lead to his execution.
Soon afterwards the plan to send him to England is put into motion and it looks like that maybe his best chance for killing Claudius has passed and it look like a failure. As we often forget though especially in the world of today where everything is instantly there for us is that sometimes being patient truly the best option. I think that later on Hamlet will be given an opportunity where he can kill Claudius while having proof that he killed his brother. In that case that would definitely bee worth waiting for instead of making him a martyr not a murderer.

1 comment:

  1. You explained the scenario and what he's thinking well but I feel as if I didn't get your own opinion on what you thought he should have done. As in, I feel as if this is more of a summary.

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