Hamlet A Moral Man - 874 Words

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the titular hero and tragic figure of the play constantly finds himself unable to act on the Ghost’s instructions to take revenge on King Claudius despite the compelling reasons he realizes for doing so. The reason for this delay is Hamlet’s tragic flaw – his tendency towards thought and introspection rather than impulse and action. Because of this flaw, Hamlet is unable to ignore the moral aspects of his actions and â€Å"thereby becomes the creature of mere meditation, and [he] loses his natural power of action† (Coleridge, 343). Hamlet is not a man of action; rather, he is a man of thought. Passion and extreme anger are simply not natural emotions for Hamlet, and consequently, he finds himself unable to maintain†¦show more content†¦This, ironically, is the last sign we see of action or passion from Hamlet for a great while; his promise to â€Å"sweep to revenge† falls flat before the scene ends, as he dec lares, â€Å"The time is out of joint. O cursed spite / that ever I was born to set things right† (1.5.210-1). Hamlet already feels weighed down by the burden that has been placed on him by the Ghost, and he regrets the fact that it is he who must act on the Ghosts command. The Ghost’s appearance troubles Hamlet again in a different way at the end of Act Two, when Hamlet questions whether or not the apparition he has seen is really the ghost of his father. He believes that it is likely that what he saw was really an evil spirit trying to trick him into sinning, for, as he says, â€Å"the devil hath power / T’assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps†¦abuses me to damn me† (2.2.628-32). His concern is legitimate; however, it causes him to delay further due to his worries about sin and what could happen to him should he decide to take action if the Ghost is in fact evil. When Hamlet attempts to work himself into a frenzy by insulting himself and climac tically cursing Claudius with caustic epithets, he is incapable of maintaining his emotion and he orders his brains to turn about, bringing himself back down to logic and reason. He feels that he cannot act without some sort of proof of the truth of what the Ghost has said, and therefore he arranges to â€Å"catch the conscienceShow MoreRelatedSpeech on Hamlet869 Words   |  4 Pages †¢ William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an example of how ideas are raised over time, as the literature itself remains the same. †¢ The unraveling plot of Hamlet depicts morality and philosophy as themes that are illustrated through dramatic and romanticized techniques. †¢ Shakespeare’s literary ideas have continued over time prominently, and new ideas have been raised through audiences’ perspectives, with Hamlet as a figure of this. †¢ The characters in Hamlet, explore the notion of theseRead More Psychological Estrangement in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay1554 Words   |  7 PagesPsychological Estrangement in Shakespeare’s Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the main character, Hamlet, is burdened with attaining revenge on his murdered father’s behalf from the king of Denmark, King Claudius. 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Although these deeply human ideas ensure the plays resonance, they are somewhat secondary to the depths of Hamlet’s human struggle. These thematic concernsRead MoreHamlet - Hero or Villain1126 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet - a villain and a hero. Hamlet comes across as both a hero and a villain throughout ‘Hamlet’ at different intervals. His loyalty, morality, honesty and popularity are certainly heroic traits however one can’t deny his villainous ways in his dealings with Ophelia, his killing of Polonius and most importantly his delaying of killing Claudius. Hamlet is full of faults yet full of honourable intentions. His negative qualities are slim compared to his heroic qualities therefore I believe HamletRead MoreFilm Adaptation of Hamlet941 Words   |  4 PagesAdapted from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet,the film Hamlet was produced in 1996. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh. 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Shakespeare illustrates throughout the play that not abiding by the only moral structure of the time period, religion, man is doomed to selfRead MoreHamlet is encumbered with securing retribution on his murdered father’s behalf from the King of1400 Words   |  6 Pages Hamlet is encumbered with securing retribution on his murdered father’s behalf from the King of Denmark, Claudius. In an effort to murde r Claudius, Hamlet risks alienation occurring within multiple psychological parallels. The variants of indifference that risk Hamlet’s psychological sense of identity are his religion, his morals, his compatriots, his mother, and alienation from women. Hamlet feels self-actualized from following religious principles of living. It is seen by Hamlet’s refusal to