Why Does Hamlet Delay in His Revenge

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Through out the play, Hamlet has many opportunities to avenge his father's death by murdering Claudius, how ever there seems to always be something that give us the impression that Hamlet is holding back. There are many reasons as to why Hamlet might be delaying the revenge. It could be said that Hamlet fears the consequence of killing, or it could be that Hamlet didn't want to hurt his mother, or maybe its simply because one does not simply walk up to a king and kill him, especially if you're going to follow that up with It's ok, he murdered my father, the ghost told me so. One of the many reasons as to why he delays the killing could be that he is afraid of the consequence as to what will come after killing. It could be said that Hamlet is quite religious seeing that he fears his fait if murdering Claudius during his prayer, "Now might I do it pat, now a is a-praying, and now I'll do't - and so goes to heaven, and am I reneged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and for that, I his sole son do this same villain send to Heaven." This shows the audience that Hamlet is religious and that he fears the result of killing, Hamlet knows that if he kills Claudius while he prays, Claudius will go to heaven, and Hamlet will have to suffer the sin of killing. Another reason as to why Hamlet delays the murder, could be that he doubts the ghost, Hamlet conducts a play which reenacts the murder of his father to observe his uncle’s reaction to it, if Claudius becomes hesitant, Hamlet will know the ghost speaks the truth, "I'll have grounds more relative than this. The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king." Here Hamlet tells Horatio that the play he will be conducting is to show if Claudius is the murder, it also shows that Hamlet for minute did doubt the ghost. A further reason as to why Hamlet postponed the revenge could be that he

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