Reasons For Killing Your Uncle In Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'

Submitted By michaelegi
Words: 755
Pages: 4

Michael Egi Egi 1
Mr. Meier
English
4/16/12
Reasons For Killing Your Uncle In the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare the main character Hamlet is faced with the decision on wither or not to revenge his recently murdered father, but he is delayed in his actions for arguable reasons. Shakespeare was not clear in the reasoning for why Hamlet doesn’t take revenge immediately so there are many arguable points like the political serge that would happen after the king is murdered, the fact that he might not be matured enough to take power, the possibility that hamlet is wrong or misinformed, and a moral issue that Hamlet has with killing. One possibility for Hamlets delay of action are the political repercussions of people finding out of him murdering the king. Hamlet could have knows that killing the king of Denmark could have put a huge downfall because the only reason why Hamlet is not old enough to become king. That would mean that the government would have to change to an assembly or choose another king to rule, which could lead to Hamlet not becoming king at all. Another political repercussion that could happen is the loss of respect of his people. The people of Denmark would not be happy and definitely not take a government seriously when they have two different kings mysteriously die in a matter of months. Furthermore if Hamlet did kill Claudius and was able to convince the people into letting him take the throne, he still might not be ready to take control. Hamlet is young
Egi 2 and he could have possibly thought that he knows he is the closest thing the government has to a king, but he is not ready to become a king. On top of his youth Hamlet had also spent months in the mourning of his fathers passage followed my the quick marriage of his mother to his uncle, and it is possible that Hamlet is not mentally ready to run a country in his current state of depression. For example when Hamlet said, “To be, or not to be, that is the question; whether ‘tis noble in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” he is debating on wither or not to kill himself or suffer and watch while doing nothing. He also shows signs of mental instability by comforting himself in the thoughts of suicide by saying, “To die, to sleep; to sleep, perchance to dream ay, there’s the rub: for in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause there’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life.” Another possible reason for Hamlets procrastination is that he may be misinformed by the ghost of his father so he has to prove it. Not only is it hard for him to believe that his fathers ghost