Hamlet And His Hesitation
One should start by defining `Hamlet'. `Hamlet' is a tragedy. The tragic action stems from a flaw or failing act of shame or horror, and as a result the protagonist suffers intensely. The protagonist- Hamlet in this play has a fatal defect or tragic trait in his character- uncertainty, delay of action. There are also two conflicts involved: an inner conflict in the mind and soul of the protagonist, and an outer or physical one as he comes into collisions with his opponents. But the centre of a tragic impression is the sense of waste. There is a profound sense of sadness, wasted talent and unnecessary suffering towards or at the end.
The character of Hamlet stands quite by itself. It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment. It is more his taste to indulge his imagination in reflecting upon the enormity of the crime and refining his schemes of vengeance, than to put them into immediate practice- his ruling passion is to think and not to act.
Hamlet is plagued by self-doubts. In his second soliloquy, the essence of his true conflict is uncovered. He is committed to seeking revenge for his father, King Hamlet, yet he cannot act on behalf of his father because of his revulsion towards extracting that cold and calculating revenge. Hamlets self-condemnation takes several forms, including a series of imaginary, demeaning insults that he absorbs like a coward- he feels he has done nothing to take revenge on Claudius and feels like he lacks the ability- `unpregnant of my cause'. Hamlet fails to quell his apprehensions of committing murder, so he tries to focus his attention on a plan to ensure Claudius admits his own guilt. He stages the play `The Mousetrap' where Claudius's crimes are re-enacted, forcing the King to reveal his own guilt. This gives him proof that revenge on Claudius would be justified- so he sets out to `catch the conscience of...
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