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Group 1

Hamlet is a complex character whose sanity is questioned by many throughout the play. The ghost of his father, the late King Hamlet, who might only be a figment of his son’s imagination, charges Hamlet with getting revenge for his murder at the hands of his brother, Claudius. The ghost tells Hamlet, “I find thee apt,” but Hamlet’s actions may tell a different story. He continually assures the audience of his commitment to achieving his goal but, multiple times throughout the play he needs to use the influence of others to renew his passion. While he obviously does kill him in the end, it would not have occurred if a situation like the one at the fencing match had not happened. Hamlet is capable of killing without thinking, as happens with Polonius and Claudius. He cannot commit a premeditated murder, however, because he thinks about it too much and has too many stipulations for how it can be committed. His indecision was his downfall, as he and his mother die, even though he did achieve his goal of avenging his fathers death and killing Claudius.

Act two becomes the first instance where Hamlet thinks about seeking revenge for the death of his father after the shock the Ghost gave him had subsided. Up until he listens to the actor who could put such passion into his voice and actions about an invented story, Hamlet was too busy thinking about Ophelia to put much thought into getting revenge. When he hears the actors speech, though, he cannot understand how the actor, “Could force his soul so to his own conceit that from her working all his visage waned, Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, A broken voice, and his whole function suiting With forms to his conceit - and all for nothing! For Hecuba!”(117). Hamlet sees this intense display of false emotions and does not comprehend why he cannot bring those types of emotions out in himself when he has such an immense reason to be upset. He curses himself for not being able to draw up those emotions, saying that, “Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, [I] must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,” (119). He is remarking on the fact that he has to use his words in order to yield emotions, when he is already prompted by heaven and hell to be that way and seek his revenge. At the end of his soliloquy he does, at least, show some signs of seeking revenge by devising a plan to test the king’s conscience. This event shows great insight into Hamlets ability to seek revenge. Hamlet is not able to draw up the emotions on his own that are required to seek revenge, but instead needs the guidance of others. This causes his task to be even more difficult because he must commit revenge on his own.

In Act three Hamlet's ploy to "catch the conscience of the King" is played out and he adds lines to the play in order to see Claudius’ reaction. These lines represent the actions Claudius took to kill King Hamlet, according to the ghost. When Claudius grew angry at the scene, Hamlet then, “knew his course,” to seek revenge. In a way, Claudius' reaction to the play motivated Hamlet to seek revenge. This is because Hamlet instantly knew then that his uncle truly murdered his father the way and reason that was portrayed in the play. This was a more reasonable thing for Hamlet to draw inspiration from, but nonetheless he needed something to motivate him. If Claudius was in Hamlet's reach right then and there, he may have carried out his revenge. However when he has the opportunity to kill him later he rationalizes it away. Claudius was praying and Hamlet said he could not kill him in that act because it would send him to heaven. Instead he wanted to kill him in the act of a sin. Obviously this is hard to do and shows that Hamlet is not fully committed to avenging his father's death because if he was it would not matter when or where or how he killed Claudius, just that he did it. The fact that he constantly doubts himself and his actions hinders his efforts as well.

After Hamlet looses his motivation to kill Claudius while he was praying, he speaks with Gertrude about the issues playing out in his life. During this conversation, it is shown again that Hamlet is capable of seeking revenge. “How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead,” (171) is what he exclaims before stabbing and killing Polonius. It is clear through this example that Hamlet is able to seek revenge, or at least murder, because he had no idea who was behind the tapestry. He immediately decided he was going to kill whoever was behind it, and even asks, “Is it the king?” (171). This could indicate that Hamlet is so desperate and determined to seek revenge that he is willing to murder anyone who stands in his way. Also, this scene supports the point that Hamlet may need motivation to actually partake in the revenge. He was already enraged at the actions Claudius and Gertrude have taken before killing Polonius; therefore the revenge was fresh in his mind. Through the murder of Polonius, it is clear that Hamlet is capable of seeking revenge, however, in order for him to actually seek that revenge, he must be motivated. Following the death of Polonius, Hamlet continues to verbally abuse Gertrude and accuses her of killing his father. He then persists by bashing his uncle, her new husband, and causing Gertrude to reveal her guilt. “O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn’st my eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct” (175). However he does not quit there; he once again must be reminded, by the ghost of his father, the extent of the request that he should commit revenge on Claudius, but leave Gertrude “to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her” (61). This is yet another instance in which someone has to intervene in order to renew Hamlet’s passion for revenge on his uncle.

Following Hamlet's eventful Act three in which Hamlet chose not to kill Claudius and requiring of a renewed passion for revenge, the play moves to Act four. After an intense exchange with his mother (to end Act three), Hamlet is sent off to England. This does not come without a lashing out at the King in every way from saying, "The King is a thing-" (20) in scene 2 but also continuing his spewing of despise for the King's spies, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He referred to Rosencrantz as being "a sponge" for the king. Hamlet truly shows animosity toward the King once he is brought before him. In a crafty way of wording, Hamlet says that, "Your fat king and your lean beggar is put variable service--dishes but to one table." So, in his first real chance to verbally mock the king, Hamlet succeeds in that regard by even working in the death of Polonius into his "crazy" behavior. To the king, not only was this not amusing, it was also confusing. Claudius was often left asking heistant questions after Hamlet's statements before he told him of his sending to England. For having finally a chance to directly get inside the head of Claudius, it can be said that Hamlet succeeded in that regard.

Once Hamlet leaves for England, his encounter with Fortinbras and his army is important, due to the level of motivation it gave to Hamlet. Seeing thousands of soldiers gathering to move in on Denmark brought to mind a new soliloquy that clearly shows his motivation to continue with his plan and gives insight into his state of mind. He is determined, energetic and optimistic. His determination is captured in scene 4 when he says, “I do not know why yet I live to say 'This thing’s to do,' sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means to do’t.” (46-49). Also, within this soliloquy, Hamlet acknowledges his overthinking of his situation in seeking revenge. "Now whether it be Bestial oblivion or some craven scruple Of thinking too precisely on th' event," (41-43). He admires Fortinbras and his army as being of "such mass and charge" and willing to risk "fortune, death and danger dare" to fight and do what they see necessary. It ends with Hamlet realizing that to be truly great means risks must be taken even if a consequence is certain death. He becomes riled up and committed to his task due to the influence of others once again as he cries out, "O, from this time forth My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!" (68-69).

In the finale of the tragic play, Act five, Hamlet finally completes his ultimate goal of killing Claudius. Hamlet's statement as the King forcefully drinks the poison is that relief and satisfaction in what he accomplished despite his certain death that comes soon after. "Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother." (352-353). Despite his dying state followed his poisoning of Claudius, he was able to achieve what he had desired to do for so long. However, this task was carried out not by plan or by thought, but instead by Hamlet's immediate instinct of the chaos that took place as his mother was accidentally poisoned and died. The fact that she died nullifies the ghost's statement that Hamlet was apt to carry out his wishes because he did not want his widow Gertrude to be harmed. So, in the end Hamlet succeeds in one aspect of the Ghost's wishes by killing Claudius, but fails in another with the death of Gertrude.

While it cannot be said that Hamlet was incapable of avenging his father’s murder and killing Claudius, it is evident through the text that he would not have been able to do so without the inspiration and actions of those around him. His indecision, lack of motivation and stipulations about committing the murder would have rendered him unable to perform it. Without thinking he is able to kill someone, like Polonius and Claudius, but cannot plan out a murder. The ghost of his father told him he believed he could do it and he was not wrong, but Hamlet failed him by letting Gertrude die, as well as dying himself.