Think of one character from hamlet who makes either a good decision or a bad decision. Identufy that decisiom, tell us how it a - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages This essay considers Hamlet’s decision to delay killing Claudius, examines how it affects Hamlet, indicates why Hamlet made that decision, and indicates that Hamlet made the wrong decision. Hamlet’s decision to delay killing Claudius represents the worst decision of the play and the decision to which nearly all negative narrative elements emerge from. One of the primary reasons for the negative aspects of this decision is the problems it creates with Hamlet’s relationships. During the beginning scenes of the play the reader comes to grasps Hamlet’s growing anger at Claudius. Referring to Claudius who asks Hamlet a question, Hamlet responds, “A little more than kin, a little less than kind” (Act I, scene ii, 267). Here Hamlet is indicating the nature of his relationship with Claudius in a negative way; more than kin means Claudius is now more than merely his uncle, and less than kind means Hamlet is angered about this occurrence. While this statement doesn’t overtly indicate Hamlet’s psychic dysfunction, it does give an early indication of his growing negative demeanor that would come to affect not only him, but all the other characters in the play. As this act advances and Hamlet interacts with his mother, his general spite and hatred becomes evident. He states, “'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,/ Nor customary suits of solemn black,/ Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,/ No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,/ Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,/ Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,/ That can denote me truly” (Act I, scene ii, 280-285). At this point it’s clear that Hamlet has been significantly affected by his father’s death and is angered at Claudius for the action. In these regards, Hamlet’s indecision to kill Claudius and resolve the problem has both affected his relationship with his mother. Another of the central elements related to Hamlet’s decision to delay killing Claudius is the psychic confusion it creates within Hamlet’s own demeanor. While Hamlet’s decision not to kill Claudius at this point has affected his relationship with his mother, perhaps the more central concern of this decision is its effect it had on Hamlet himself. While earlier Hamlet had indicated his discontentment towards Claudius, he later goes to internalize his discontent. In Hamlet’s first soliloquy, the reader comes to realize the incredible psychic confusion and anger Hamlet is experiencing. Hamlet states, “Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,/ Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,/ Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/ His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God!” (Act I, scene ii, 333-336). Here the reader discovers that Hamlet is experiencing suicidal thoughts as a result of the actions relating to Claudius. Indeed, this becomes a prominent theme throughout the play, with many of Hamlet’s soliloquys indicating his intense passion and desire to commit suicide; this is perhaps most notably seen in ‘to be or no to be’ soliloquy. With this intensity of expression, it’s clear that Hamlet would be better off murdering Claudius and resolving his psychic confusion, rather than suffering the sling and arrows of outrageous fortune. In addition to Hamlet’s decision to delay killing Claudius affecting his demeanor and his relations with others, Shakespeare also indicates that the combining of these elements is also a treacherous element throughout the pla ...Download file to see next pagesRead More