Hamlet is outraged that he is not able to shed tears, and when he says ‘fiction’ he is disappointed to see that a man can make himself cry through a second-hand play, whereas he cannot. Hamlet’s outrage here demonstrates his dilemma as the ‘man of thought’ forced to be a ‘man of action’. He experiences the feelings of hatred and revenge, but cannot bring himself to act upon them.
Hamlet turns his critical gaze upon himself using affluent speech with immediate and striking images. He is like a ‘John-a-dreams’, an ineffectual person, showing he is a man of thought. ‘Unpregnant of my cause’, a metaphor used to show Hamlet’s anger at himself, also demonstrates that Hamlet is unable to act or seize revenge, showing his dilemma. Here, Hamlet is also telling the audience that he has no plan, representing the ‘man of thought’ in himself, unable to take action.
Hamlet blames himself for not yet having taken revenge on his father’s murder asking himself whether he is a ‘coward’ for making use of words and thoughts and not actions.
However, Hamlet finally forces himself to admit that he is a coward: ‘pigeon-livered and lack gall’. The imagery used here shows an alleged source of bitterness. Hamlet cannot turn the anger or the ‘oppression’ he feels into something bitter enough to spur him into action.
‘Remorseless’, ‘treacherous’ and ‘kindless villain’ show how Hamlet is forced to be a man of action. He relates himself to the character of Phyrrhus, showing that he should have taken revenge already. The fact that Hamlet is much like a philosopher illustrates that he is frayed between the decisions he must make and the actions he must take.
His anger is such that he appears to be challenging some invisible accuser who calls him ‘villain’. There is a series of physical attack. The ‘villain’ he accuses is Claudius and himself. The simple cry for ‘vengeance’ cuts short this train of thought; suggesting that Hamlet’s mind is torn apart enough and opening up the idea that more thought will result in torture, therefore, he needs to take action.
Again, the soliloquy changes both pace and focus, because Hamlet is now focused on himself again, cursing himself with anger and hatred. However, it is now more reasonable. Hamlet is an ‘ass’ not a ‘rogue and peasant slave’. After the violent, emotional climax of the soliloquy, the more rational and intellectual side of Hamlet is emerged and he begins to look at things more calmly. Hamlet becomes aware that he is discharging his heart and feelings, but in words and not deeds. Hamlet coolly analyses what he has said about himself and again judges himself unfavourably.
At the end of the soliloquy, Hamlet finally acknowledges how he will be sure of what to do, becoming a man of action.
‘The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king’ illustrates the final decision Hamlet has made, instantly spurring a ‘man of thought’ into a ‘man of action’. Hamlet is not yet sure whether the Ghost is telling the exact truth, which has been one of the issues for his confusion and dilemma, throughout this soliloquy. Hamlet believes that this play within a play will give him enough proof of whether Claudius was the murderer of his father or not.
The soliloquy shows how Hamlet’s dilemma as the role of revenger is dramatised, and how he is a ‘man of thought forced to be a man of action’ which has been demonstrated above. His emptiness and helplessness expand the idea that he is torn between two people, hence ‘man of thought’ and ‘man of action’.
Alternatively, during the course of the play, Hamlet just talks and talks about what he plans on doing, but when an opportunity arises to make good on his word, he backs down. Hamlet’s delay in killing Claudius when he is in prayer, Act 3, Scene 3, further shows that Hamlet is indeed a ‘man of thought’ because he is torn between the thoughts of life after death and whether taking revenge on someone in prayer will be better for him or the person, not once being a ‘man of action’.
Hamlet sees Claudius praying and believes that it is a good opportunity to kill Claudius but is automatically drawn away from action and forced into thought. Hamlet says that if he is to kill Claudius now, Claudius shall go straight to heaven and ‘this is hire and salary, not revenge’. Hamlet wants to get his uncle when he is sinning so there would be no chance of forgiveness. He makes up an excuse for himself, saying that it is dishonourable to kill someone in the church. He decides to wait for the precise moment to murder his uncle, Claudius to make sure that Claudius goes to hell and that he, Hamlet, will still go to heaven by saying, ‘This physics but prolongs thy sickly days’.
This shows how Hamlet is a ‘man of thought’ and not a ‘man of action’.
The ‘closet’ scene, Act 3, Scene 4, between Hamlet and Gertrude, broadens this thought.
The conversation begins with nasty and short witty bickering. However, when Hamlet slays Polonius through the arras, the style of language changes completely and Hamlet lays out his case to Gertrude in blank prose and blunt language, using a wide range of passionate but controlled imagery. This creates an effect that Hamlet is setting out to make Gertrude fully aware of the wrong she has done in his eyes, and possibly make her feel guilty. He seeks to shame her and succeeds.
Hamlet compares his father to Claudius, asking Gertrude how she could have deserted his father for Claudius. He criticises her for being mad and having no sense, which could be seen as ironic as he has preserved this character so far. ‘Ha, have you eyes?’ illustrates Hamlet’s anger and frustration on this illicit marriage of Gertrude and Claudius. ‘Rank sweat of an enseamed bed’ and ‘stewed in corruption’ shows how Hamlet visualizes the thought of them making love and the imagery of a pigs’ sty and bad smells illustrates his anger and fury at his mother. Here in this scene his dilemma as the role of revenger is dramatised because he is torn between thought and action. Hamlet can be seen as tortured and urging to take revenge but cannot bring himself to do it. Just before this Hamlet held back from the killing of Claudius so it can be seen that he takes his revenge on his mother, because he needs to let out all the frustration from his thoughts. This can also be interpreted as firing his fury at someone more vulnerable to make it easier for himself, or can be seen as if he takes revenge on his mother first it would build up his courage to seize revenge on Claudius later on.
However, as well as being angry and furious with his mother, it can be seen that he still cares for his mother and respects her when he says ‘the precious diadem stole’. He is telling his mother here that Claudius has stolen what she is really worth. Here he is a ‘man of thought’ because he has possibly put aside his action, and gone back into philosophical terms, thinking about how his mother may be affected by all of these issues.
When the Ghost enters, Hamlet’s attitude towards his mother changes. He suddenly remembers that he has not yet taken revenge for his father’s death, and believes that the Ghost is here to scold him for his delay. This demonstrates that Hamlet is again a ‘man of thought’ forced to be a ‘man of action’ because he remembers that he must take revenge as soon as possible. It can be seen that the Ghost appears as a reminder for him.
‘His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones, would make them capable.’
This can demonstrate how Hamlet is a ‘man of thought’ forced to be a ‘man of action’ because this image has been used to show that the Ghost’s presence is enough to make stones move, therefore, it will also make Hamlet act upon his cause and seize revenge, even though he may not be ready to.
Towards the end of this scene, Hamlet gains dominance over his mother and the audience finds that she obeys him with no questions asked.
‘Assume a virtue if you have it not’ illustrates Hamlet’s thoughts and actions. He tells Gertrude that she should pretend with Claudius and eventually the right thing will happen. Could this possibly be seen as what Hamlet is doing? Hamlet has not yet taken revenge. It could be seen that he believes if one believes in something long enough, actions themselves will follow. Hence, being a ‘man of thought’ before a ‘man of action’.
Conversely, Hamlet’s dilemma as the role of revenger is further dramatised in the graveyard/burial scene, Act 5, Scene 1, where Hamlet is continuously torn between the issues of being a philosopher, revenger and at the end ‘man of action’.
The scene begins with two clowns (gravediggers) discussing whether Ophelia’s death is suicide or not. The themes of power and corruption are exposed and the audience relates this conversation to Hamlet, considering whether this will happen to him.
When Hamlet enters, one of the clowns begins singing a love song which can be linked to Ophelia and Hamlet’s love, and the consequences it has caused.
This part of the scene is written in blank verse to emphasise Hamlet’s words showing deep meaning for them.
When Horatio answers Hamlet, his lines are much shorter than that of Hamlet, which could represent that he thinks that Hamlet is mentally unstable or mad.
The clown throws up a skull and Hamlet’s words here are of great meaning, as he philosophises about whom and how the person, of whom the skull belongs to, has died. He continuously begins to face death in reality, which can be contrasted to his soliloquy ‘to be or not to be…’ where he questioned death and the after-life. He suddenly realises that once one is dead, there is no meaning to that person, and that nothing that person ever did will mean anything.
Hamlet’s speech, when talking to the clown, changes from blank verse to play-on words. The play-on words create a sense of humour and can come across as playful, but however, they are indeed very serious.
Shakespeare wraps up the play for us, reminding us that this is nearly the end of the play, when he reminds us of the state of affairs in Denmark, hence, showing that soon enough, Hamlet will withdraw from being a ‘man of thought’ and turn into a ‘man of action’.
Hamlet is confronted with the skull of a man he used to play with, and again the reality of death becomes clear to him. He is horrified but at the same time fascinated. He says that however hard one will try to cover themselves or however great they are, they will all return to one state. This could possibly show the audience that death and the tragic events of the play are near and inevitable.
After seeing Ophelia’s funeral procession enter, Hamlet’s speech is measured. He has been brought to the reality of death, and has now finally become a ‘man of action’.
There is great extent to which he becomes a ‘man of action’.
‘The cat will mew, and dog will have his day’ demonstrates how he suddenly jumps into action. He does not care or is unclear about why he wants to fight Laertes, or why for that Laertes wants revenge, but wants to fight anyway. He is no longer ‘a man of thought’ and it can be observed that the torments of his thoughts have now set him in motion and forced him to become a ‘man of action’.
This sets about a mood for inevitable physical action.
In conclusion, Hamlet’s dilemma as the role of revenger is dramatised in many scenes throughout the play. It is clear that Hamlet has been a ‘man of thought forced to be a man of action’, through many of the described scenes in this essay. It can be decided that Hamlet was simply a bad decision maker, not taking the chance to pursue action when it was presented before him. However, he can also be seen as a good decision maker, for even though he did not pursue action straightaway, he was a student of philosophy and it may be absurd to believe that he was not good at assessment techniques. In the end, Hamlet took what he had to deal with and tried to make it work for him. Thus, a ‘man of thought’ forced to be a ‘man of action’.
