Hamlet is Not a Coward Essay - 955 Words

Hamlet is Not a Coward The first seven lines of Hamlets soliloquy in the third scene of the third act have been the cause of debate for centuries as to what they reveal about Hamlets character. Some say that he has chickened out of the prime opportunity to obtain the revenge that he has been commissioned to achieve by the ghost of his father. They accuse Hamlet of being a pacifist who hasnt the heart to put his thoughts into action-that he has merely talked himself out of the deed. My interruption of these lines, however, shows that just the opposite is true. The Prince of Denmark is indeed set upon avenging his fathers death, and rather than backing away from the task at hand, he is going forward in away which is intended†¦show more content†¦Thus, in the closing soliloquy of the scene, Hamlet, after having had the ghosts testimony confirmed, proclaims that he is now prepared to drink hot blood and go forth to perform the deed of darkness. So why didnt Hamlet strike the King down when he had the opportunity? Is he a coward? He does not fear following the ghost of his father, which considering the perception of the people of phantoms and demons at this time in history demonstrates great courage. He leaves to England on a ship which is suppose to carry him to his death. He fronts a grieving Laertes who holds him responsible for both the death of his father and his sister. And in the end he shows up to the duel with Laertes, before the court, fully aware that the King intends to kill him. To have struck the king down in this prayer scene would have been the escape for a coward. From his soliloquies, it is evident that Hamlet is a deep thinker which is another reason he delays the Kings death. With each he delves into serious introspection, which awakens his mind to all sorts of discoveries, each of which causes the reader to see Hamlet become more and more isolated from the other characters. As a student at Wittenberg, his mind has become quick and sharp; some claim him to be a typical renaissance man, skilled in both the arts and the sciences. Such training helps him to pick apart the traps that Polonius and the King have set for him. In this case he quickly realizesShow MoreRelated Hamlet Essay1107 Words   |  5 Pages Perhaps the most famous soliloquy in literature, these words reflect the state of desperation in which Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, finds himself as he contemplates suicide. His father, the King, has died. His mother, the Queen, has remarried within a month of the Kings passing, an act which has disturbed young Hamlet in and of it. To m ake it worse, she has married the Kings brother, Hamlets uncle, who is now the King of Denmark. 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