Hamlet Theme of Action vs. InAction
Hamlet can fit what is called a traditional revenge play, however, what it is ingenious about Hamlet and sets it apart from the rest, is that its protagonist is unable to commit the act of revenge. Therefore, revenge is not a central theme in the play (despite still being a theme) but rather indecisiveness is. In Hamlet, there are characters in the play that act brashly and with very little hesitation while Hamlet seems to be the only one that pauses, contemplates, and continuously delays his quest. An example of this is Laertes, who after hearing the news of his father’s death, immediately storms his way to Denmark and demands the head of his father’s murderer without a second of doubt. This greatly contrasts Hamlet, to which he needs not only to prove that Claudius murdered Old King Hamlet but must act insane so that he may have the opportunity to kill him at just the right moment. In any case, Hamlet’s exhaustive meticulous thought process and procrastination whose motivations are often debated, make him unique to the rest of the characters in the play. However, what is interesting is neither side has particularly more success than the other (actions vs inaction).
For example, although Claudius promptly formulates a plan to kill Hamlet, his plan backfires and ends up in his death. Laertes immediately acts on his father's death but is manipulated and dies by his own treachery. Shortly after Old King Hamlet's death, Gertrude marries Claudius but ends up dying for it at the end. Similarly Hamlet does not have much better success because although he has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius quietly while he is praying, he does not, and thus dies for it at the end. So, the question remains, is it better to be active or inactive? Better to be a risk taker or a passive decision maker?
The answer is neither, it is somewhere in between. It is not good to over think a situation to the point that one can never come to a decision and thus continuously delays the decision and neither is it good to act too quickly or on impulse. Instead, a fair bit of reasonable thought should be put in (not extensively) and action should be made after a respectable time frame and with careful consideration. In the case of the play, Hamlet should kill Claudius while he is kneeling as it represents the perfect time frame to do so. Hamlet does not act too briskly because he had already proven to himself that Claudius is guilty of the murder, but neither does he procrastinate which would lead to a missed opportunity and his death in the future. In any case, Shakespeare might imply that there is always an impossibility of certainty one can never be sure of the results of their actions or whether they are right in acting in such a way. This theme correlates to society nowadays as people are constantly and will always encounter tough decisions.
For example, although Claudius promptly formulates a plan to kill Hamlet, his plan backfires and ends up in his death. Laertes immediately acts on his father's death but is manipulated and dies by his own treachery. Shortly after Old King Hamlet's death, Gertrude marries Claudius but ends up dying for it at the end. Similarly Hamlet does not have much better success because although he has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius quietly while he is praying, he does not, and thus dies for it at the end. So, the question remains, is it better to be active or inactive? Better to be a risk taker or a passive decision maker?
The answer is neither, it is somewhere in between. It is not good to over think a situation to the point that one can never come to a decision and thus continuously delays the decision and neither is it good to act too quickly or on impulse. Instead, a fair bit of reasonable thought should be put in (not extensively) and action should be made after a respectable time frame and with careful consideration. In the case of the play, Hamlet should kill Claudius while he is kneeling as it represents the perfect time frame to do so. Hamlet does not act too briskly because he had already proven to himself that Claudius is guilty of the murder, but neither does he procrastinate which would lead to a missed opportunity and his death in the future. In any case, Shakespeare might imply that there is always an impossibility of certainty one can never be sure of the results of their actions or whether they are right in acting in such a way. This theme correlates to society nowadays as people are constantly and will always encounter tough decisions.