Timing Is Everything

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a well-known revenge tragedy of the Elizabethan era. It follows one young prince's pursuit of revenge against his murderous, incestuous uncle, King Claudius. After being visited by his father's spirit, he learns that his uncle, who is now married to his mother, murdered his father. This occurs shortly after the marriage of Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, and Uncle Claudius, making Claudius the Danish King. Learning of his father's murder – and still grieving over Gertrude's quick-willingness to marry after his father's death – Hamlet formulates a plan to seek his revenge. Hamlet's tragedy is his delay in killing Claudius for it leads to the death of his friends, his family, and ultimately, himself. Hamlet's hesitant planning results in the loss of many of his friends: Polonius, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and, most notably, Ophelia, the love interest. Many of these characters fall to Hamlet's own hand. Hamlet's delay caused all of these people to fall like dominoes, death leading to death, leading to more death. Once Polonius falls to Hamlet's zeal, Ophelia goes mad and commits suicide, "[falling] in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide / And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up; / which time she chanted snatches of old tunes, / As one incapable of her own distress, / Or like a creature native and indued / Unto that element; but long it could not be / Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, / pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay / to muddy death" (IV, vii, 177-184). She eventually drowns herself in the river, as her brother, Laertes, returns to avenge his father's murder and lackluster burial ceremony. Then, for working with his Uncle, Hamlet has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern beheaded, sending the tainted message stating: "Without debatement further, more or less, / He should the bearers put to sudden death, / not shriving time allowed" (V, ii, 45-47). Finally, Laertes loses life in the final scene. All of these characters were friends of Hamlets, and all of them fell due to Hamlet's delay in killing Claudius. Had Hamlet killed Claudius when he was praying, or any time prior to that, he would not have killed Polonius – the initial killing that sets all the other deaths in motion, including his mothers and, eventually, his own. Hamlet's delay in killing Claudius tragically leads to his own mother's death. After his heart-to-heart with his mother, she seems regretful of her actions. However, it is already too late. His delays have already set the wheels in motion, because at that very moment Polonius is eavesdropping. If he had killed the praying king on his way to speak with his mother, or any time prior to that, he would have ultimately avoided her death. It was Hamlet's killing of Polonius that started Claudius's murderous scheme on his nephew. Claudius's plot against his nephew was the death of Gertrude, who drank the poison intended for Hamlet, despite the King's cry of "Gertrude, do not drink" (V, ii, 294). Hamlet's mother's death could have been avoided, had Hamlet acted faster upon his revenge. This crucial error in timing also lead to his eventual death. Hamlet paid for his mistake with his own life. Laertes wants revenge for his father's unnecessary and brutal murder. He plots with King Claudius to kill Hamlet in a fencing match by poisoning the tip of his sword. If Hamlet had not delayed his revenge so recklessly, he would never have accidentally killed Polonius. And thus, Laertes would have never poisoned him. Hamlet risked all and lost, due to poor planning and a delay in action. The tragedy of Hamlet is simply that Hamlet delayed in killing his Uncle Claudius. Why he delayed is a mystery to many, but the price he ultimately paid is most definitely not a mystery. Hamlet paid the ultimate price for his inability to act in time. He lost the love of his life, Ophelia, after mistakenly murdering her father, Polonius. Her death alone would leave this tale a tragedy. However, this is just the beginning of the end for Hamlet. Not only does his love, Ophelia, go mad over her father's death, but her brother, Laertes, also takes exception, eventually killing Hamlet. Gertrude accidentally drinks the poison meant for Hamlet. But not before Hamlet orders his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern be put to death. The only justice in this pit of death is the death of King Claudius, the only person deserving of his fate.