The Delay of Hamlet

1558 Words7 Pages
The Delay of Hamlet The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare was believed to be written between the years of 1599-1601. For over 400 years philosophers, English professors, and critics have been analyzing and decrypting this work of literature. Hamlet, son to the king of Denmark, was told by the ghost of his father that was murdered by his brother by pouring poison in his ear, that he has to avenge his death. Many theories have arised as to why Hamlet, a man of self-dignity, ambition, and a man of his word, procrastinated the act of avenging his father’s death. It has been argued by Goethe that the reason Hamlet failed to avenge his father’s death was because he did not have the inner or physical strength. He argues Hamlet does not have the attributes of a hero. But this can be argued because all throughout the play Hamlet demonstrates that he has the strength, emotionally and physically. Therefore it is obvious that the only reason hamlet did so was because he was a man of great philosophy, so typically he thought too much, and in doing this it became the tragic flaw in his character. Which everyone knows will lead to his downfall. To prove this is the reason, while analyzing the play, the points that come to mind are that Hamlet only acts when he does not think about the consequences of his actions, and when he accuses himself of over thinking, catching himself in the act, or even when Hamlet had a clear chance to kill Claudius but stop and thinks of all the things that will happen to him. From all these points it is clear that the reason Hamlet delays to avenge his father’s death is because he is in a deep state where he “over-thinks” or “over-philosophizes” which can suggest that he is in fact “thought-sick”. Wolfgang Von Goethe presents the point that the delay is a natural struggle, of a “lovely, pure and most sensitive nature, without the strength of

More about The Delay of Hamlet

Open Document