Why Hamlet Took to Long to Kill Claudius?

Why Hamlet took to long to kill Claudius?

Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet has become a central piece of literature of Western culture. It is the story of a prince named Hamlet, who lost his father. Soon after that he has to confront multiple obstacles and devises a series of situations to defend the new king's royalty. Furthermore, he had to prove that King Claudius, who was the prince's uncle, had killed Hamlet’s father. This story has remained among the most popular and the most controversial plays around the world. It generates controversy for all the doubts that this play leaves with the readers. One of the most questioning situations in the play is the delay of Hamlet in avenging Claudius’ for his father’s death. As a reader this situation captures me also, so after analyzing the story I found that Hamlet has various reasons for delaying taking action. Hamlet’s moral dilemma, his constant need to either prove or disprove what the ghost tells him, and his concern about Claudius’ afterlife.

Hamlet handles an extremely complicated moral dilemma, which is a fusion of feelings that does not allow him to be tranquil. One of the reasons is due to the mourning that he is passing for his father’s death, which is devastating him. Also he is feeling a great resentment for his mother because she married her brother-in-law, Claudius (Denmark’s new King), so soon after becoming a widow. As Hamlet expressed in act I: “A litter month…she followed my poor father’s body like Niobe all tears,… a beast that wants discourage of reasons would have mourned longer - married with my uncle,…” (1002). Hamlet is expressing his disgust at his mother is remarrying only two months since his father’s death. To further upset Hamlet, Claudius is also related to Hamlet. The new king is Hamlet’s uncle and now his step-father. Claudius is suspected of having killed Hamlet’s father and is trying to take advantage of the situation. As the play progress, Hamlet attempts to make sense for all these troubles that are the causes for his moral dilemma through a personal reflection that are presented as soliloquies.

Apart from Hamlet’s moral dilemma, he is also trying to prove or disprove what a ghost told him. This ghost is apparently the prince’s progenitor, who tells Hamlet that his father’s death was caused by Claudius pouring poison into his ear. The ghost encourage Hamlet to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1012) For this reason Hamlet has to prove if the ghost is an evil spirit deceiving him, testing him, or even if he is who he really says he is, and has the implicit endorsement of a higher power. As Hamlet expresses in act 1:

“Angels and ministers of grace defend us:

Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin dammed,

Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blast from hell,

Be thy intents wicked or charitable …” (1010)

After analyzing these thoughts, they produce doubt like: if the ghost is coming from purgatory, why would the ghost commit another sin inciting his son to do something wrong? This