How Did Shakespeare Use Hesitation To Kill Claudius
William Shakespeare, world’s most famous, influential, and successful writer for tragic plays in the history incorporated many powerful themes in one of his most well-known play, Hamlet. In the play, hesitation was the driving theme that strongly influenced every character in the story. Each character in the story had their own goals and objectives, whether to kill, to live, to die, or to love. However, due to their hesitation within, most of their objectives were not satisfied, or satisfied with great consequences paid.
The play opened after the protagonist’s father, King Hamlet died. It was told by King Hamlet’s ghost that the new king, Claudius, who was the uncle of the protagonist Prince Hamlet, was the true murderer of King Hamlet.
After having conversations with the ghost, who looked exactly like his father, Hamlet hesitated about whether he should or should not believe the words of the ghost. He wanted to avenge his father, but he was indecisive about his action. He said “To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand” (Shakespeare, II.ii.178-9) and doubt everyone words, including his father’s ghost. However, his doubts did not stop him from seeking the truth, in fact, it helped him developed the plan of creating a play to see if Claudius was really the villain behind, this is shown in his soliloquy: “ O Vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This 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…
About, my brain! ...
I’ll have these players
Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks…
…The spirit that I have seen
May be a devil, and the devil hath power
T’assume a pleasing shape, yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy…
Abuses me to damn me…
… The play’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” (Shakespeare, II.ii.566-91)
Later on, Hamlet finally discovered that Claudius was the really the cold blooded murderer, and he finally decided to take revenge. But when his dagger of justice was only half-an-inch away from the back of Claudius’ heart, his Hesitation unjustly held him back simply due to the fact that he is confessing his sins. He hesitated greatly within, but ultimately, he forfeited his justified opportunity, he says “. . . and am I then revenged, to take him in the purging of his soul, when he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No” (Shakespeare, III. Iii. 84-87). This hesitation was a fatal tragic flaw for Hamlet and his family. If not for the hesitation, justice would have prevailed and the tragic ending would have been avoided.
As the protagonist Hamlet was trying to kill Claudius for revenge, the antagonist Claudius tried to kill Hamlet for extermination simultaneously. However, similar to Hamlet,
The play opened after the protagonist’s father, King Hamlet died. It was told by King Hamlet’s ghost that the new king, Claudius, who was the uncle of the protagonist Prince Hamlet, was the true murderer of King Hamlet.
After having conversations with the ghost, who looked exactly like his father, Hamlet hesitated about whether he should or should not believe the words of the ghost. He wanted to avenge his father, but he was indecisive about his action. He said “To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand” (Shakespeare, II.ii.178-9) and doubt everyone words, including his father’s ghost. However, his doubts did not stop him from seeking the truth, in fact, it helped him developed the plan of creating a play to see if Claudius was really the villain behind, this is shown in his soliloquy: “ O Vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This 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…
About, my brain! ...
I’ll have these players
Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks…
…The spirit that I have seen
May be a devil, and the devil hath power
T’assume a pleasing shape, yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy…
Abuses me to damn me…
… The play’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” (Shakespeare, II.ii.566-91)
Later on, Hamlet finally discovered that Claudius was the really the cold blooded murderer, and he finally decided to take revenge. But when his dagger of justice was only half-an-inch away from the back of Claudius’ heart, his Hesitation unjustly held him back simply due to the fact that he is confessing his sins. He hesitated greatly within, but ultimately, he forfeited his justified opportunity, he says “. . . and am I then revenged, to take him in the purging of his soul, when he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No” (Shakespeare, III. Iii. 84-87). This hesitation was a fatal tragic flaw for Hamlet and his family. If not for the hesitation, justice would have prevailed and the tragic ending would have been avoided.
As the protagonist Hamlet was trying to kill Claudius for revenge, the antagonist Claudius tried to kill Hamlet for extermination simultaneously. However, similar to Hamlet,