Monday, November 11, 2019
Hamlet- His Procrastination and Its Causes Essay
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is one of the most celebrated plays in the English language. Throughout the play, Hamlet struggles with the death of his father and the swift remarriage of his mother to his fatherâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s brother. In Act I, scene iv, his fatherâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s ghost appears, urging Hamlet for revenge over his untimely murder (committed by his own brother). Taken aback by shock, Hamlet agrees with to revenge, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠¦with wings as swift / as meditation or the thoughts of love'â⬠ââ¬Ë (I.iv.29-30). After this visitation however, many critics proclaim Hamlet procrastinates action for various reasons. Some relate his delay to his high intellect and over analysis of the situation; others declare his lack of courage caused his inaction. Two of the strangest interpretations include the following: that Shakespeare penned the delayed simply for the purpose of having a five-act play, and that Hamlet was truly ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëa woman is disguise!'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHamlet: His Own Falstaff'â⬠ââ¬Ë 12). Regardless of the various reasons attributed to the hesitation, his delay is especially noticeable because it lies in stark contrast to Fortinbrasâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠and Laertesâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠passionate desire for their respective fathersâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠revenge. As Curtis Perry articulates, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ë[Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s] hesitation stands out as all the more unusual'â⬠ââ¬Ë due to the others unmatched need for vengeance (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËThematic and Structural Analysis'â⬠ââ¬Ë 22). Many take a very literal interpretation of the play and maintain that many of that situations in which Hamlet delays were a necessary and essential step in the process of revenge. An example lies in Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s first confrontation with the Ghost. Upon seeing the Ghostâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s image, Hamlet remarks, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËBe thou a spirit of health or goblin damned, / Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, / Be thy intents wicked or charitable, / Thou comâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠st in such a questionable shape / That I will speak to thee'â⬠ââ¬Ë (I.iv.40-44). This quote demonstrates Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s fear that his fatherâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s ghost could be a devil from hell sent to pressure him to sin. He brooded over this fear until the traveling players (actors) enter the story. The performance of the play, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËThe Murder of Gonzago'â⬠ââ¬Ë presented Hamlet the opportunity to see if the ghost was lyin g about his murder. He altered a speech in the play to read exactly as the ghost said he was murdered. He planned to watch his uncleâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s reactions and he believed, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëif his occulted guilt / Do no itself unkennel in one speech, / it is a damned ghost that we have seen'â⬠ââ¬Ë (III.ii.85-87).à Many critics use this for evidence that Hamlet delays in the murder of his uncle until he has verification that the ghost is not a demon. However, after his uncle, King Claudius, flees from the room before the plays completion it is obvious that Claudius is the murderer. Hamlet, intent on murdering him, follows him to where he is praying. He once again refrains from the murder because it was a religious belief at the time if a man is killed while praying, his soul is saved and sent to heaven. Hamlet wishes to kill both Claudiusâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠body and soul. William Hazlitt is one of the critics who take an opposing point of view to Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s inaction. Hazlitt views Hamlet as follows: ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHe seems incapable of deliberate actionâ⬠¦ when he is most bound to act, he remains puzzled, undecided, and skeptical, dallies with his purposes, till the occasion is lostâ⬠¦ for this reason he refuses to kill the King when he is at prayers, and by a refinement in malice, which is in truth only an excuse for his own want of resolution, defers his revenge to a more fatal opportunity'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Power of Action'â⬠ââ¬Ë 26). Hazlitt believes that Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s inaction is partly due to his cowardice. Hamlet himself indicates this in his soliloquy in act IV, scene iv, lines 41-46 that although he has all the reasons in the world to murder, he cannot seem to commit himself to the action. As T. McAlindon phrases it, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëthe great hole in the middle of the play is the unwritten soliloquy in which Hamlet weighs the rights and wrongs of private revenge and identifies the cause of his delay. Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s failure to do this testifies to the depth of his confusion'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Love in Hamlet'â⬠ââ¬Ë 65). McAlindon reasons that his inability to act is a combination of his cowardice and his hesitation of what to do in the situation. Goethe says, quite harshly, that Hamlet lacks, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëthe strength of nerve which forms a hero'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn William Meister and Hamlet'â⬠ââ¬Ë 24). Critic August Wilhelm von Schlegel goes as far as to say that of the few times that Hamlet did act out, it wasnâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠t because he was brave. When he, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ësucceeded in getting rid of his enemies, [it was] more through necessity and accidentâ⬠¦ than by the merit of his own courage, as he himself confesses after the murder of Polonius, and with respect toà Rosencrantz and Guildenstern'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Flaws'â⬠ââ¬Ë 36). Harold Goddard takes a different viewpoint concerning the spur-of-the moment killings of Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. Goddard likens Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s choices to a tug of war: ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËIf two forces pulling a body in opposite directions are unequal, the body will move in response to the preponderant force. If the two are nearly equal, but alternately gain slight ascendancy, it will remain unmoved except for corresponding vibrations'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHamlet: His Own Falstaff'â⬠ââ¬Ë 20). Those ââ¬Å"ââ¬Ëâ⬠corresponding vibrationsâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠he speaks of are the instances in which Hamlet finally takes action. Harry Levin carries a similar opinion, arguing that Hamlet, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëdeliberates between rival options: either to revenge or not to revenge, whether a visitant comes from heaven or hell'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËInterrogation, Doubt, Irony'â⬠ââ¬Ë 51). Levin implies that H amletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s delay is due more to his mental deliberation and doubt than to cowardice. The mental deliberation, which Levin and Goddard speak of, is due to the high intellect that Hamlet possesses. Goddard, believing that Hamlet is a born intellect, considers in this extreme example that having him play the role of avenger, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëis almost as if Jesus had been asked to play the role of Napoleonâ⬠¦'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHamlet: His Own Falstaff'â⬠ââ¬Ë 12). In one of the most famous analyzations of Hamlet, Friedrich Nietzsche compares Hamlet to a Dionysian man: ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËKnowledge kills action; actions requires the veils of illusion: that is the doctrine of Hamlet, not that cheap wisdom of Jack the Dreamer who reflects too much and, as it were, from an excess of possibilities does not get around to action. Not reflection, no-true knowledge, an insight into the horrible truth, outweighs any motive of action, both in Hamlet and in the Dionysian man'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamlet as the Dionysian Man'â⬠ââ¬Ë 40). Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s intellect has also been used negatively as a reason for his deterrence in action. Lawrence Danson believes that Hamlet does not feel satisfied to kill Claudius at any time; Hamlet must kill in a moment with poetic justice and beauty. Hamlet wishes to commit the murder in allà perfection, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëand because he cannot have his revenge perfect, according to the most refined idea his wish can form, he declines it altogether'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Power of Action'â⬠ââ¬Ë 26). In the final murder, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëas the overdetermined image of Pyrrhus in the Playerâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s speech suggests, avenger and victim must finally become one. Hamlet dies, and his death, the necessary end of this tragedy, enables his expressive gesture'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËTragic Alphabet'â⬠ââ¬Ë 85). Another negative view on Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s intellect and delay is that he is a dreamer who cannot relate to the real world. C.S. Lewis borrows from one of Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s soliloquies as he describes the picture the reader perceives of Hamlet as, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëa dull and muddy-mettled rascal, a John-a-dreams, somehow unable to move while ultimate dishonor is done him'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Soliloquies'â⬠ââ¬Ë 50). Samuel Taylor Coleridge reasons that the cause for Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s inability to move is that his balance between the world of the mind and the real world are disturbed. As a cause, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ë[he] delays actions till action is of no use, and dies the victim of mere circumstance and accident'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Intellectualism'â⬠ââ¬Ë 38-39). His inability to deal with the real world make the situation presented to him (revenge of his fatherâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s murder) almost too great for his mind. Oscar Wilde describes the situation as follows: ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHe is a dreamer, and he is called upon to act. He has the nature of the poet and he is asked to grapple with the common complexities of cause and effect, with life in its practical realization, of which he knows nothing, not with life in its ideal essence, of which he knows much'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Rosencrantz and Guildenstern'â⬠ââ¬Ë 41). Many critics follow Wildeâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s belief that Hamlet was unfit for the task of revenge. However, other experts attribute his inadequacy in the part of avenger not to a habit of dreaming but rather to his lack of a violent nature. To Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Hamlet, with a ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ësoul unfit'â⬠ââ¬Ë for the deed, is like, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëan oak-tree planted in a costly jar, which should have borne only pleasant flowers in its bosom; [but regrettably] the roots expand, [and] the jar is shivered'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn William Meister and Hamlet'â⬠ââ¬Ëà 24). Northrop Frye expresses that Hamlet must clear his mind over everything he is accustomed to ââ¬â ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëthought and feeling and observation and awareness'â⬠ââ¬Ë ââ¬â and focus, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ësolely on hatred and revenge, a violent alteration of his natural mental habits'â⬠ââ¬Ë in order to commit the act of revenge (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËThe Tragedy of Order'â⬠ââ¬Ë 131). Best said according to this school of criticism, Hamlet is in itself the story of an ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëintelligent man and the uncongenial role- that of avenger- that fate calls upon him to play'â⬠ââ¬Ë (Rosenblum 117). An important consideration in the examination of Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s procrastination is his own recognition of it. In act II, scene ii, lines 599-602, Hamlet proclaims: ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËWhy, what an ass am I! This is most brave, / That I, the son of a dear father murdered, / Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, / Must (like a whore) unpack my heart with wordsâ⬠¦'â⬠ââ¬Ë Earlier in this same soliloquy, Hamlet asks, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËWhat would [Hecuba] do, / Had he the motive and the cue for passion / That I have?'â⬠ââ¬Ë (II.ii.574-576). Curtis Perry, of Harvard University, stresses that the use of the words ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëprompted'â⬠ââ¬Ë and ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëcue'â⬠ââ¬Ë in the same speech imply that Hamlet feels as though he is only an actor preparing for a role; he feels he ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëlacks the passion to commit a rash murder'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËThematic and Structural Analysis'â⬠ââ¬Ë 18). He is disgusted that the players (actors) could create more passion ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëall for nothing'â⬠ââ¬Ë (II.ii.571) than he can for the revenge of his father. Hamlet has a similar self-confrontation in his fourth soliloquy in act IV, scene iv: in these scene, he encounters the captain of Fortinbrasâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠army marching to battle over a, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëlittle patch of ground / That hath in it no profit but the name'â⬠ââ¬Ë (IV.iv.18-19). He is amazed over the willingness of these soldiers to die in the pursuit of honor in contrast to his own ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëdull revenge'â⬠ââ¬Ë (IV.iv.33). He commits himself to pursue only bloody thoughts and to no longer delay in his fatherâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s revenge. Perhaps one of the most widely debated reasons that critics have attributed to Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s delay is Sigmund Freudâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s controversial Oedipus Complex. In this school of criticism and psychology, ever son has strong repressed sexual feelings towards his own mother. According to Freud: ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHamlet is able to do anything- except take vengeance on the man who did away with his father and took that fatherâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s place with his mother, the man who shows him the repressed wishes of his own childhood realized. Thus the loathing which should drive him on to revenge is replaced in him by self-reproaches, by scruples of conscience, which remind him that he himself is literally no better than the sinner whom he is to punish'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamlet and His Father'â⬠ââ¬Ë 44). Harold Bloom, stands in stark disagreement to Freudâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s beliefs. Bloom believes that, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËThe Hamlet Complex is not incestuous butâ⬠¦[instead] theatrical'â⬠ââ¬Ë (54). A school of thought not often considered is why the reader feels he must obey his father. Harold Goddard believes that in all of us there is, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëstored up within ourselves so many unrequited wrongs and injuries, forgotten and unforgottenâ⬠¦ that we like nothing better than to rid ourselves of a little of the accumulation by projecting itâ⬠¦ on the defenseless puppets of the dramatic imagination'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHamlet: His Own Falstaff'â⬠ââ¬Ë 13). Cedric Watts stresses perhaps the most important belief in the analysis of Hamlet: ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëthere is no master-Hamlet to be discovered by poring over the text, and we donâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠t need such a discovery'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn the Many Interpretations of Hamlet'â⬠ââ¬Ë 63). Watts stresses that Hamlet was written not to be interpreted in one sole fashion, but to be interpreted in a multitude of different ways. The joy in trying to read Hamlet and analyze the reasons for his procrastination lay in the fact that, ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬Ëif we fail to seek what it never surrenders, we fail to enjoy what it renders'â⬠ââ¬Ë (ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn the Many Interpretations of Hamlet'â⬠ââ¬Ë 63). ââ¬â- BIBLIOGRAPHY (format is weird b/c I didnââ¬â¢t know how to cite a certain book that contained a collection of seperate essays) BIBLIOGRAPHY Bloom, Harold. Hamlet: Poem Unlimited. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views: William Shakespeare- The Tragedies. Philadelphia, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Intellectualism.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. Danson, Lawrence. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËTragic Alphabet.'â⬠ââ¬Ë Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet. 1986 ed. Freud, Sigmund. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamlet and His Father.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. Frye, Northrop. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËThe Tragedy of Order.'â⬠ââ¬Ë Modern Critical Views: William Shakespeare- The Tragedies. 1986 ed. Goddard, Harold. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËHamlet: His Own Falstaff.'â⬠ââ¬Ë Modern Critical Interpretations: William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet. 1986 ed. Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn William Meister and Hamlet.'â⬠ââ¬Ë Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Major Dramatists: Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Tragedies. 2000 ed. Hazlitt, William. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Power of Action.'â⬠ââ¬Ë Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Major Dramatists: Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Tragedies. 2000 ed. Levin, Harry. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËInterrogation, Doubt, Irony.'â⬠ââ¬Ë Modern Critical Views: William Shakespeare- The Tragedies. 1986 ed. Lewis, C.S. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Soliloquies.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. McAlindon, T. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Love in Hamlet.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. Nietzsche, Friedrich. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamlet as the Dionysian Man.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. Perry, Curtis. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËThematic and Structural Analysis.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. Rosenblum, Joseph. A Readerâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Guide to Shakespeare. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1999. Schlegel, August Wilhelm von. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Hamletâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Flaws.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet: Price of Denmark. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1603. Watts, Cedric. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn the Many Interpretations of Hamlet.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed. Wilde, Oscar. ââ¬Ëâ⬠ââ¬ËOn Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.'â⬠ââ¬Ë William Shakespeareâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Hamlet: Bloomâ⬠ââ¬Ëâ⬠s Notes, 1996 ed.
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