Sunday, March 1, 2009
Hesitation
Hamlet's hesitation at the one point when he had a chance to kill Claudius is what really turned the whole play into a tragedy and not just a tale of revenge. Hamlet cannot find the will to act, he makes excuses over and over in his head just to refrain from acting. However, it seems that his inability, at least the way Shakespeare presents it, is instead a product of being such an intellectual man. It's clear from the way he devises all these plans to trap Claudius that he thinks quickly and clearly and can easily conceive a complex plan, then act upon it. But when it comes to actual dirty deeds himself, he cannot commit. This strange split, of how he can act when it is not needed (Of course he knows Claudius is guilty, he doesn't need more and more proof), and to not be able to act when it is needed. In some cases his hesitation could be a benefit, maybe if he wasn't sure (he hadn't been visited by a ghost perhaps) then this hesitation could save an innocent life, but being a person of action myself, (Though often preceded by thoughts) I do believe that hesitation only destroys opportunity. When someone makes a choice they close the door on thousands of other options, but they do commit to one path, when someone hesitates they instead close the door on every single possibility and leave themselves stranded.
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2 comments:
Kirk,
An interesting post (thanks!). You may be right in that Hamlet's failure to kill Claudius while he was ostensibly at prayer, may be the turning point in the play (or, at least, the last point at which tragedy could have been averted). In an effort to figure out an 'entry' into this topic, consider the lines that Hamlet delivers after hearing the player recite his lines about Hecuba, or his speech upon viewing Fortinbras' army marching toward Poland. Either one could provide the sort of fodder you're looking for in this short passage analysis.
Agreed,
I feel that Hamlet's hesitation is entirely justified throughout the paly. For one, he cannot kill Claudius while he is praying. In addition, Hamlet needs absolute conviction that Claudius killed his father. (A visit from a ghost isn't the most solid proof) ON the other hand, perhaps Shakespeare is saying that had Hamlet acted sooner, most of the death could have been prevented. (Though this would have effectively removed the bulk of the play) Just some things to consider if you plan on writing about this topic in your essay.
Josh
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