To Kill, Or Not To Kill

The reluctance Hamlet feels towards killing his uncle is a result of his tendency to over analyze everything, a lack of evidence that proves Claudius is the murderer, the fact that murder is morally incorrect, the effect it will have on his beloved mother, and his inability to find an acceptable time to pursue the murderer. His reasoning for being so hesitant with committing the murder is most certainly valid; murder is not something that should be glossed over, especially when his father, the ghost, is the one who asks him to commit the murder on his behalf. Although Hamlet wants to please his father, if he chooses to proceed with the murder it will change his life indefinitely. He must ask himself, is it worth it for the vengeance of his father? Hamlet delays committing the murder as he wants to be absolutely sure of his decision, making it seem like he has a somewhat stable head on his shoulders. However, when Hamlet stops over thinking and suddenly kills Polonius, who he believes may or may not be Claudius, he seems to stray from everything he values. Hamlets hasty, spur of the moment decision brings everything we as readers previously thought about Hamlet into question. Because he briefly lost his logical reasoning, he has to live with the fact that he is responsible for the death of an innocent man. Because of this, Shakespeare teaches his readers that one must think before they act as actions have consequences.

At first, Hamlet is not even certain that his uncle is to blame for killing his father. His only source is the ghost of Old King Hamlet, which may not be reliable enough when it comes to a life or death scenario. Hamlet creates an ingenious plan to find the proof he needs; he produces a play that re-enacts the murder of Old King Hamlet, and Claudius’ guilty conscience shines through while he watches in awe. Doing so pushes Hamlet one step closer to murdering his uncle, yet there is still a delay. Hamlets knows that murder violates his moral code. Morals often are proven to overpower even the deepest raging emotions. Hamlet also considers that fact that killing Claudius would have irreparable effects on his mother, having lost two husbands in such a short period of time. Another reason Hamlet delays the murder of Claudius is because he wants to find the proper time to do so. He has the opportunity to commit the murder when he is in the church, however he delays yet again as he feels he should not kill Claudius unless he is doing something sinful; he wants to ensure that Claudius’s soul will not be sent to heaven.

“Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.” (3.3.74-79)

Although Hamlet does plan on killing Claudius, there is always something holding him back from turning his talk into action. His indecisiveness portrayed consistently throughout the play results in his reluctance in pursuing the murder of his uncle. 

 

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