Inside the Mind of Hamlet. Throughout the play, Hamlet has many opportunities to avenge his father's death

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Helou

Julian Helou

M.Dougall

EAA4U05

Sep/19/12

Inside the Mind of Hamlet

Throughout the play, Hamlet has many opportunities to avenge his father's death by murdering Claudius. However there was always something that gives us the impression that something is holding Hamlet back. There are many reasons as to why Hamlet might be delaying the revenge. Hamlet's inability to carry out his revenge is attributable to his thoughtfulness, insofar as that Hamlet fears the consequence of killing; he doubts the ghost and he didn't want to hurt his mother Gertrude.
 

One of Hamlet’s reasons as to why he is unable to carry out his revenge is because he is afraid of the consequences of killing. After analyzing Hamlet’s thoughts, we could conclude that Hamlet is religious because he fears his fate if murdering his uncle Claudius. During his prayer he states, "Now might I do it pat, now a is a-praying, and now I'll don't - and so goes to heaven, and am I reneged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and for that, I his sole son do this same villain send to Heaven."(3.3.1) this shows us that Hamlet is religious and that he fears the result of killing Hamlet knows that if he kills Claudius while his praying, Claudius will go to heaven, and Hamlet will have to suffer the sin of killing. The fear of the end of his kingdom is there also, knowing that when he kills his uncle (daddy) that he will become king and he will eventually have to marry and start a family. But being king has its rules. The law proclaims that when royalty one must marry royalty which means that Hamlet can't marry his love Ophilia. At this point, Hamlet is not at all ready to deal with losing Ophila forever. The hope for Ophilia is still there when reading Hamlet’s letter to Ophilia "Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love. . . . . I love thee best, O most best, believe it. (2, 2, 122-128) This has the ring of sincerity. It starts out with bad poetry (a sign of genuineness of feeling) and ends with a declaration of love in prose. Furthermore killing a king is a major crime, Hamlet would certainly be killed as a result. Hamlet wants to kill the king the 'right' way whatever that may be. Likewise we learn of Hamlet’s revenge the moment the Ghost describes the death of Hamlet’s father, “Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge.” (1, 5, 33-35)That's why he doesn't kill Claudius while he's praying and is still thinking out the perfect plain. That assuming that the information given by the Ghost about the murder of his father King Hamlet Senior was accurate.

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Another reason as to why Hamlet's inability to carry out his revenge is attributable to thoughtfulness is because he doubts the ghost, Hamlet conducts a play which reenacts the murder of his father to observe Claudius' reaction to it, if Claudius becomes hesitant, Hamlet will know the ghost speaks the truth, "I'll have grounds more relative than this. The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."(2.2.565-70) Here Hamlet tells Horatio that the play he will be conducting is to show if Claudius is the murder, it also shows that Hamlet for minute did doubt ...

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