HAMLET’S PROCRASTINATION
Procrastination takes the best time of
the life of any person. There are always hundreds reasons to wait and to
postpone something that seems to be extremely unpleasant to do. Procrastination
hides in almost every aspect of our everyday life and it is so hard to overcome
it.
Hamlet's delay is the result of a
melancholic state of mind, brought on by the death of his father and the hasty
remarriage of his mother. While we may accept that a depressive state of mind
causes Hamlet's inaction, this idea becomes highly suspect when Bradley stated
that Hamlet's melancholia accounts for his energy as well. Another reason
offered for Hamlet's delay was the psychoanalytical one, first suggested by
Freud, the originator of psychoanalysis. According to this theory, Hamlet is
rendered incapable of acting against Claudius because of a repressed Oedipus
complex, he restrains his actions because he has a subconscious desire to
replace his father and lie with his mother. However this issue in Elizabethan
age was a prominent issue. Since Hamlet himself is not aware of the reason for
the delay, it is not conscience taken in its usual form that we are
considering. It is, instead, a more deeply inner voice that causes him to
hesitate, a voice that Hamlet fails to bring clearly to the surface of his
consciousness.
Another cause of Hamlet’s
delay is physical difficulties in situation. Claudius is not a weak king. He is
a shrewd man who does everything to protect his life from unforeseen attacks.
He is not only surrounded by courtiers but also strongly protected by Swiss
body-guards. Hence Hamlet would find it difficult to meet his enemy alone. Also
he does not in the beginning have any strong proof of Claudius’ guilt except
the Ghost’s story. With this he cannot hope to win the people’s help in
deposing the king.
Another
cause which makes Hamlet delay his action are within his own character. Most of
the time he is torn between Christian scruples and the obedience to fulfill his
father’s desire. But he puts aside this thought on the ground of Christian
ethics that committing suicide is a sin. We notice, however, that Hamlet
hesitates to kill Claudius not on the ground of Christian spirit but because of
a most revengeful thought that his soul should go to hell straight and not to
heaven. In addition he feels no remorse at the deaths of Polonius, Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern. So this theory also does not account for his delay.
Some feel
that the cause of his delay is irresolution, which is due to an excess of
thinking and reflection. The energy that should have gone out as an action is
spent in the process of cogitation.
Many other reasons can also stop to
Hamlet to delay in revenge because he loves his mother and never wants to lose
her.This thing makes him coward.When his father’s ghost came to him and told
him to avenge his murder, Hamlet was eager to take immediate action. However
before seeking revenge he needs to know if the ghost is telling the truth about
his murder. “May sweep to my revenge.” Hamlet feels that if the ghost isn’t
telling the truth and he acts, he too will become a murderer. “Thus conscience
doth make cowards of us all.” In order to determine if Claudius is truly
guilty, Hamlet produces a play in which the plot is parallel to King Hamlet’s
murder. Hamlet asks his good friend, Horatio, to watch Claudius’ reaction to
the play and to determine whether Claudius is guilty or not. By Claudius’
reaction, Hamlet could come to the conclusion that the ghost was telling the
truth and Claudius did murder his father. By the time the player’s came to
Elsinore, it’s been a while since Hamlet promised the ghost that he would take
revenge. However, finding out the ghost was telling the truth didn’t make
Hamlet seek immediate revenge. He had to overcome other factors stopping him
from seeking revenge.
So,We can say that Hmlet wanted to take
revenge on time but some reason never allowed him to take it
immediately.Hamlet,s procrastination is created due to these factors.
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