Hamlet's Fickleness

A detailed Summary of Hamlet's Fickleness

Hamlet's Fickleness

After reading Hamlet my contention is that Hamlet's indecisiveness and inability to distinguish between what is moral and what is not leads to his demise. Throughout the play Hamlet acts in a fickle manner. At one point Hamlet sits and contemplates all the consequences for each and every action that he might commit and all the ramifications of those actions. He is able to rationally act in a manner of passion and anger. It appears that Hamlet truly wants to avenge his father's murder, and yet he is incapable of devising a plan and following through with it. He matures from a desiring murderer in the first act to a cold-blooded murderer in the final act. Hamlet's focus and anger in the play wavers back and forth, from philosopher to killer, until act 5 when he is faced with death himself.

In the first act, Hamlet, just recently hearing the horrendous news of his father, is not morally and emotionally ready to act on the command of his father's spirit; to "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder". Hamlet, grieving the death of his father, suffers from the pain of solitude. Gertrude has married Claudius, only "a little month" after the death of Hamlet's father. This

In the second act, Hamlet realizes that he has not concentrated enough focus on avenging his father's murder and has not proven to himself that revenge needs to occur. The moral Hamlet needs to insure himself, if he is going to kill King Claudius, whether or not the Ghost is legitimate. To do this he devises a plan using a company of actors to put on a play. Hamlet carefully designs the play to contain details of Claudius's horrendous actions as told to him by the Ghost. Hamlet will "force his soul to his own conceit", he will then know whether revenge is necessary. Hamlet begins to become enraged, he lists in his head all the horrid stuff that Claudius and Gertrude have done and yet he hasn't acted. He starts questioning his own strength, "am I a coward?" Concerned that if Claudius is guilty, will he be able to act. Hamlet has been "prompted by heaven and hell" to revenge the death of his father and he is unsure as to whether he can do it or not. Hamlet condemns himself and decides that it is "most brave" to kill for the sake of his father. Being "the son of a dear father murdered" it is not only brave but also crucial for honor and personal self interests. Hamlet has started to move in the direction of a capable murderer but is still bound by his fear of killing and constant philosophizing.

troubles Hamlet greatly and a feeling of powerlessness flourishes in him. He sees the world as an "unweeded garden" and feels that his mother's act "cannot come to good". Hamlet does feel that there is hope and he displays this hope by following the Ghost, despite the warning from his close friends Horatio and Marcellus. He feels that by following the Ghost he can only gain and has nothing to lose, "for my soul, what can it do to that?" Hamlet's sickness shows when he learns the truth of the situation from the Ghost. Hamlet knew all along, deep down inside, that there was something wrong, something hideous was foreshadowed, "my prophetic soul". But he did not know how deep it really had dug itself into his own life. Hamlet seeks release but does not know where to look for it, he desperately wants to, "wipe away all pr

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Approximate Word count = 1431
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels