Hamlets Problem
In the play Hamlet, Hamlet is described as daring, brave, loyal, and intelligent, but he is consumed by his own thoughts. Hamlet's inability to act on his father's murder, his mother's marriage, and his uncle assuming of the thrown are all evidence that Hamlet doesn't know what is going on in his own life.
"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder," demands the ghost in (Act I, Scene 5, line 23). The fact that his own uncle could kill his father leaves Hamlet crazy and confused. Although Hamlet knows something is wrong in Denmark, he begins to question everything that the ghost has told him. When something is needed to be done, Hamlet is to busy thinking about his problems. An example of this is when Hamlet has his knife over the head of Claudius, and is prepared to murder him. He talks himself out of it. Instead, Hamlet writes a play in which the actors play out the same story that the ghost told Hamlet. His plan is to study Claudius's reaction to the play to determine his guilt. Even after Hamlet decides his uncle is guilty, he doesn't do anything. This would have been a great time to confront Claudius, but Hamlet seems more interested in taking credit for what he did instead of seeking revenge.
Throughout the play Hamlet is deeply hurt by his mother's decision to remarry his uncle. As Hamlet says, "Frailty thy name is woman", her actions cause Hamlet to curse women all together (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 146). In the first Act, Claudius and Gertrude question Hamlet's depression. They push Hamlet to accept his father's death and move on with his life. While Hamlet should admit his hatred of their marriage, he hides his feeling. While Hamlet is holding back his feelings, he becomes more angered at their attempts to calm him. Gertrude is also aware of Hamlet's feelings for Ophelia and uses this as an excuse for Hamlet's actions. Hamlet has plenty of time to confess the cause of his madness. Unfortunately, Hamlet allows his mother to think...
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