Preview

The Reasons Hamlet Delayed Taking Action against Claudius

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
839 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Reasons Hamlet Delayed Taking Action against Claudius
Why does Hamlet delay taking action against Claudius? This is a question that everyone want to know. We all know that Hamlet want to kill his Uncle Claudius as soon as possible. But why does he wait so long to sweep to his revenge? I believe that there are more than one reason why Hamlet delays before he takes action. One reason why Hamlet delays to take action against Claudius is because he does not just want to kill him, but he wants to damn his spirit. He hates Claudius so much that he is willing to take his life and damn his soul. Hamlet has plenty of motive to drive him to want this. Claudius did kill Hamlets father his own brother, and than married his sister. Hamlet gets a chance to kill Claudius, but Claudius is praying in church and hamlet does not want to kill Claudius and not damn his soul. It if he had done it he could have possible damned his own soul. Another reason why Hamlet delays taking action against Claudius is because Hamlet wants to get him to admit that he is guilty of killing his father. Hamlet could possible be seen as being greedy here. Hamlets not only want to kill his Uncle Claudius but he wants to damn his soul and wants him to admit his guilt so that Hamlet can become King. To achieve his goal Hamlet writes a play that is called "Mouse Trap". In the play, a man kills his own brother and marries his sister -in-law. During Hamlets play the "mouse Trap" Claudius acts guilty by standing and making a commotion and stopping the play. But yet this is still not enough for Hamlet he has to have him admit his guilt. This is another reason why Hamlet delays on killing his Uncle. In the last scene of the play Claudius makes a big plan to ensure Hamlets death. In this plan he poisons a drink that is for Hamlet. He also helps make the sword fight one side and fatal to Hamlet. But Claudius plan backfire in the biggest possible way. And he winds up pinioning his wife Gertrude in which he loves dearly. And this gives Hamlet even more reason

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Consequently, Hamlets’ tragic flaw leads to his downfall. His lack of action causes him not to kill Claudius when he has the chance, giving him the advantage. It can be seen that Claudius has the advantage to kill Hamlet when he states, “By letters conjuring to that effect/The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England” (4.3.65-6). Since Hamlet reveals that he knows that Claudius killed the former king, Claudius is deceiving Hamlet into going to England, where he will be executed. Hamlet reveals his knowledge of the murder when he puts on the play, re-enacting the former King’s murder. Now Claudius knows that he must kill Hamlet in order to avoid getting caught and stay on the throne. Claudius tells Hamlet that he is sending him to England for…

    • 179 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hamlet himself does not know why he procrastinates the murder when he has "the means motive and opportunity"(4.4.2833-2835). But I think Hamlet hesitates to kill Claudius for religious reasons. The audience witnesses Hamlet admitting that he wants Claudius to go to hell, and that is the reason Hamlet hesitates to kill Claudius when he is praying (3.3.2375):…

    • 142 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet seems to be the one who lets things dwell in his mind before taking any action or making an attempt at trying to get on with his life. After the death of his father he becomes depressed and gradually becomes enraged with his mother's immediate marriage to his uncle Claudius. He was lead to believe his father died of natural cause but he became aware of the murderer when his father's ghost appeared to him. When Hamlet learns the truth of his father's murder, he cries, but promises action, though he delivers none. He says "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge." (Act 1, Sc. 5, 29-31). At the end of the scene he says "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right!" (Act 1, Sc. 5, 188-189). This shows that he is no longer in such a rush to avenge his father's death by killing his uncle Claudius.…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    signs of guilt. Having established the evidence his Wittenburg education would require for action, Hamlet now felt he could now enact revenge on Claudius. Any action against his uncle was postponed for sometime, but the complexities of Hamlet's character necessitated the delay.…

    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bad Choices, Bad Outcome

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Another major theme in Hamlet is procrastination. Throughout the play, Hamlet wants to avenge his father's death by killing Claudius, but every chance that arises is pushed aside by Hamlet. Claudius was praying all alone, and rather than kill him at that moment, Hamlet thought about the situation and decided that he didn't want Claudius to have a chance to go to heaven. Had Hamlet simply went ahead and done what he wanted to do, deaths that occurred later in the play could have been prevented. It's this obsessive nature that led Hamlet to his tragic ending. Hamlet never thought about whether or not killing Claudius would hurt his mother;…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Characters in Hamlet

    • 2062 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Hamlet succeeds in troubling Claudius, and because of this, Claudius decides to act. Claudius plans to send Hamlet to England where Hamlet would be executed upon arrival. The fact that Claudius could so easily organise Hamlet’s death shows the fear and panic that exists within Hamlet and Claudius’ relationship. While it is believed that Claudius would have always feared Hamlet, and what he would do if he learnt of the King’s murder, this scene, where Claudius discovers Hamlets murderous intentions and utter madness drives him to action.…

    • 2062 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet tries to acquire proof in order to gain sufficient grounds to kill Claudius. Hamlet puts on a play where “[he’ll] catch the conscience of the king” (II, ii, 603-604). He waits until he's sure of the king’s actions by first observing his guilt (as to not act on mere suspicions) then, attempts to murder him. Both attempts of murder are simply out of revenge. Claudius plots to murder Hamlet in an effort to rid himself of any problems. He sends a letter to the king of England asking that “if [his] love thou hold’st aught- thou mayst not coldly set our sovereign process” then may he cause “the present death of Hamlet” (IV, iii, 59-66). Claudius sees hamlet as a threat to his power and sees no problem in eliminating him once and for all. Both men are selfish in their quests for power and vengeance but technically, ultimately…

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Flaws

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hamlet’s decisiveness ruins his life. He has the best chance to kill Claudius, but his hesitation just let Claudius go from Hamlet’s hand. “That would be scann'd: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    However, Hamlet incapable of doing it and proceed to what according to Ghost told him to (Javed 332). This is an identity crisis for Hamlet, as he does not know whether he is acting upon his free will or upon the Ghost words. Killing Claudius is what the Ghost wanted. However, Hamlet is confused whether he want to Claudius or not, hence the delay in his actions. ”Hamlet is too delicate or too subtle for the purpose. A less self-questioning hero would have been a better instrument” (Javed…

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Cites

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Why does Hamlet wait so long to act? Or, rather, to attempt to act? The answer lies in what has happened just before the attempt--the staging of the play within the play during which Claudius, seeing enacted a murder similar to the one of which he is guilty, calls out for lights. At that point, Hamlet knows Claudius is guilty.…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Herman Ulrici believes that Hamlet delays killing Claudius because he is too religious. Characteristically speaking Hamlet is a philosophical being, he is very capable in succeeding in his revenge but his religious views stop him from doing so. “Even though the King were trebly a fratricide, [someone who kills their own brother or sister] in a…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet’s Indecisiveness

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages

    King Claudius kills Hamlet’s father, so Hamlet is in a confused as to how he will get revenge. He wants to do what it takes to avenge his father’s death. "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder," demands the ghost in (Act I, scene 5, line 23). The ghost tells hamlet he needs to kill King Claudius but Hamlet is to busy consumed in all the problems he has, that he doesn’t act at the right time. He had many chances to do something about King Claudius but didn’t because he was too indecisive about it. For example: when the King is kneeling paying Hamlet has a chance to kill him but he doesn’t. He talks himself out of murdering him, and instead makes a play to see if he is guilty.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Claudius craved the throne, and went to great lengths to obtain--and keep--his position as king once he gets it. He is able to manipulate other people to do what he wants them to. Take for example Polonius, who does his bidding all of the time. Also take Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; they used to be trusted friends of Hamlet's, but under Claudius' manipulation turn into spies and potential murderers. Then, Laertes is cunningly manipulated into challenging and intending to kill Hamlet. Claudius takes what he wants, with no concern for others. He murders his brother and woos the queen, all to obtain the kingdom. Whether this hurts people in the process is of little concern to him. One telling scene in the play shows Claudius on his knees, praying, tormented by his sins. So despite his crimes and cunning nature, he still has a conscience that afflicts him occasionally. Even though Claudius is able to take the throne and manipulate people, he is very smart in how he does it. He is aware of his position and popular opinion, and works around it very well. Instead of having Hamlet killed for Polonius' murder, he sends Hamlet away on a ship, ordering his death away from the kingdom where people might rebel. He carefully arranges for Hamlet's…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hamlet is fated to his own destruction. Hamlet should’ve just killed Claudius when the Ghost first told him that Claudius was a murderer instead of trying to give Claudius chances to prove him self innocent. For example after he watches the players, Hamlet berates himself for his inability to avenge his father’s murder, “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!....monstrous that this player here….could force his soul so to his own conceit.” Also when Hamlet says, “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven; And so am I revenged”, Hamlet is about to kill Claudius while…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Theme Of Sin In Hamlet

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Nevertheless, he withholds on killing Claudius because if he was to die at that given moment in time, than the sins of the uncle would be washed away. Hamlet states, "Now might I do it (pat,) now he is a-praying,/ And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven/ And so am I (revenged.)/ That would be scanned: A villain kills my father; and for that/ I, his sole son, do this same villain send/ To heaven.”(III.3.77-83) Hamlet determines that he wants to kill Claudius when he will cease to exist in the midst of his sins, which will allow Claudius to undergo some type of calamitous amercement after death. The reason Hamlet goes through as this trouble is due the fact that he wants his fathers killer to endure suffering in their afterlife, meaning hell.…

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics