Hamlet

Hamlet is a thinker. He is unable to take the Ghost's word at face value. He needs more proof. Hamlet is also, by nature, not a man of action. He muses about the nature of life and death rather than just Killing Claudius. Hamlets indecision is part of his tragic flaw.

He does carry out his promise precisely when he is ordained to do so: at the end of the play. The issue that Shakespeare presents to us in this play of delayed revenge is why does Hamlet (and people in general) delay in doing what is represented to be simple urgency. The answer is written all over the play and particularly in Hamlet's soliloquies. The problem as we see it is that Hamlet doesn't know why. But then he doesn't know whether he should. The story provides doubts which haunt Hamlet. But, there is more. Hamlet begins to recognize that revenge is a blood lust that is not gained through the cool head of contemplation. One of the many dichotomies in the play. The play constantly hovers in that grand chasm between the resolve to action and its execution. Hamlet can think this deed right up to the point that he needs the hot blooded anger to carry it out. But, Hamlet is not alone. Delay, procrastination, deliberation, reconsideration are all part of the human condition. So in Hamlet, the play, we have mighty Pyrrhus, who as he is about to slice and dice good King Priam, pauses for who knows why. For eight lines Shakespeare holds Pyrrhus sword until Pyrrhus regains his purpose. Another king slayer is in the Murder of Gonzago. "This is one Lucianus", says Hamlet before becoming preoccupied with nastiness towards Ophelia. Lucianus though uses his stage time to mug for the audience with sinister looks of evil intent until Hamlet has to yell at him, "begin murderer...begin." Only then does Lucianus recite his lines and dispatch the king. Then there is Laertes who also falls short of his intentions. Convinced that Claudius was the cause of Polonius' death, Laertes comes within a sword point of ending the play early. But in fairness so does Hamlet though the both stop for different reasons. Then as Laertes plots with Claudius, Laertes expresses the desire to kill Hamlet by cutting his throat. And yet in the next scene Laertes gets his fingers on Hamlet's throat and does nothing. Claudius at the end of 3.1 declares that Hamlet should be sent with speed to England but Hamlet doesn't leave until after 4.4. Everyone delays.