thereasonofHamletshesitation.docx

TheReasonsofHamletsHesitationHamletisoneofthefourtragediesbyWilliamShakespeare,believedtohavewrittenbetween1599and1601.Hamletistheimportantprotagonistinthisplay,whoarisestrikingdiscussioninliteraryworld.WhenreferstoHamlet,thereadersmaypaymoreattentiontohischaracters.Andthesignificantcharacterishishesitationorindecisiveness.Aseveryoneknows,hishesitationleadshimintotragedy,whichmainlymanifestedbydelayingthemurderofClaudius.However,theauthorShakespearedoesn'tgiveusthereasonwhyhedelaysrevengedirectly,sothispapertriestotalkaboutthereasonsofHamlet,Shesitationfromseveralaspects.Throughouttheplay,Hamlethasmanyopportunitiestoavengehisfather'sdeathbykillingClaudius：howevertherewasalwayssomethingthatgiveustheimpressionsomethingisholdingHamletback.TherearemanyreasonsastowhyHamletmightbedelayingtherevenge.OneofHamlet,smanyreasonsastowhyhedelaysthekillingcouldbethathewantstoprovethenatureofghost.Intheopeningscenesoftheplay,theGhostofHamlet'slatefatherrevea1stohimthetruemeansbywhichKingHamletdied.TheGhosttellsHamletthathisfather,sdeathwascausedbyClaudiuspouringpoisonintohisear.HeexhortsJlamlettoavengethemurder.Hamletthenmakesavowthathewillavengehisfather.Hamletsays;“Hastemetoknow'tthatIwithwingsasSWiftMaysweeptomyrevenge."Yetbytheendofthesamescene,hisreluctancetomurderKingClaudiusisevident.Hamletsays：”Thistimeisoutofjoint,0cursedspite,that1waseverborntosetitright."ThissuggeststhatHamletwishedtodeterminethenatureoftheGhostbeforeacting,forhesaysthat*ThespiritIhaveseenmaybeadevil."Sohegetsanideatousetheplayerstogetareadonhissuspect.Hamletaskstheplayerstoperformanactthatroughlyre-enactshowhisfatherwasmurderedtotryandforceareactionoutofClaudius.ThesecondreasonastowhyHamletdelaysthemurder,couldbeheisaChristianorhisreligiousbeliefs,soheisafraidoftheconsequenceastowhatwillcomeafterkilling.OnesceneinActIII,SceneiiiwhereClaudiusisprayingandHamletisconsideringkillinghimthen."NowmightIdoitpat,nowheispraying:andnow11do*t.Andsohegoestoheaven;andsoamIrevenged.Thatwouldbescann'd:Avillainkillsmyfather;andforthat,1,hissoleson,dothissamevillainsendtoheaven."IfhekillsClaudius,Hamletmighthavetosuffertheconsequenceofmurder,whichmightbethathecouldbedamnedtohellorsufferatorturouslifewalkingtheearth.ItcouldbesaidthisisapartoffearplayingabigroleonHamlet.Riskinghislifetoavengehisfather'sdeathmightleadtoseriousconsequenceregardinghimself.ThethirdreasonastowhyHamletdelaysthekilling,couldbethathemighthavebeenwaitingfortherighttiming.Justashesays"Whenheisdrunkasleep,orinhisrage,Orintheincestuouspleasureofhisbed;Atgaming,swearing,oraboutsomeactThathasnorelishofsalvationin't;""hisheelsmaykickatheaven,Andthathissoulmaybeasdamn'dandblackAshell,wheretoitgoes."Hemayhavebeenplanningthemurderverypreciselysothathedoesn*tgetcaughtandsufferanyconsequences,andClaudiuswouldbesentintohel1directly.AnotherreasonastowhyHamletpostponedtherevenge,couldbethathedidn,twanttohurthismotherGertrude,especiallyafterhisfatherwarnedhimnottohurtherinanyway"1willspeakdaggerstoherbutusenon”,thisindicatesHamletsprotectionoverhismother,hewill"speakindaggers*talktoherwithasharptonebut"usenon*tohurthismother.ItcouldbesaidthatHamletdidrtwanttokillClaudiusbecausehedidn,twanttoseehismothersufferalossofanother1ovedone.Moreover,Hamlet'shesitationisjustifiedbecausehefeelsmorallyobligatedtoprovethatClaudiusmurderedhisfatherbeforejusticecanbecarriedout.Hedoesn,twanttokillaninnocentperson.Thiswouldbeaninjusticeonhispart,andtwowrongsdon'tmakearight.Hamletisalsounsureofotherpeople,sinvolvementintheconspiracyagainsthisfather.Hedoesn,tknowifClaudiusactedaloneorhadhelpinthemurder.HeisdisturbedthathismotherisnowmarriedtoClaudius,justtwomonthsafterhisfather*sdeath,andisunsurewhethershehadconspiredwithClaudiustokillhisfather.Thiscomplicatesthingsfurther,givingmorereasonforHamlettohesitate.Hamletdelayshisrevengebecauseofhisobsessionwithperfection:inlife,indeath,inrevenge,orinaction,sothathewouldhavenoregrets.Afterall,Uamletwasnotawarriorlikehisfatherandheprobablywasneverputinasituationwherehehadorwantedtoactuallykillsomeone.Hamletwasascholar,sohiseverydaylifewasbasedonthinkingandanalyzingthedifferentsubjectshetookupincollege.Anda11thethinkingHamletwasdoingwasjustanaturalpartofhispersonality,inotherwords,hisbasicsanitykeepshimfromkillingClaudiusquickly.Ingeneral,themostsignificantreasonastohishesitationisthathisowncharacter:indecisiveness.However,thetimeshe1ivedinalsohasanimportantimpactonhim.Concretelyspeaking,helivedinspecialandcomplextimes,inwhichsharpmentalconflictsbetweenfeudalismandhumanismprevail.Ontheotherhand,heshouldtakemanythingsintoconsiderationbeforetherevenge.Forexample,hefearstheconsequenceofkilling,hedoubtstheghost,hedoesn,twanttohurthismotherGertrudeandheisarenaissanceprinceanddoesn,tbelieveinviolenceandhewantstomaketherevengeperfect.Allofthesepostponetheprocessoftherevenge.Inotherwords,hishesitationattributestoabovereasons.