Did Hamlet Cause His Own Death Essay

, Research Paper

Did Hamlet Cause His Own Death?

Hamlet s unfortunate death is caused by numerous reasons, many of which are his own fault. Despite Hamlet s fatal ending by the mysterious Claudius and deceiving Laertes, there are steps leading to Hamlet s final moment that could have been easily avoided. But unfortunately, they are unavoidable because of Hamlet s unique and complex personality.

Hamlet s main flaw in life is over thinking. He tends to ponder about every possible outcome of each scenario that he faces in life. It seems that many are aware of Hamlet s excess of thought. Horatio accurately observes Hamlet:

‘Twere to consider too curiously to consider so.

(5,1,212-213)

Hamlet over thinks for many reasons. He wants to make sure that whatever decision he makes is the right one in his mind. He wants to assure this because one wrong move has proven to change everything. Hamlet also considers every possible outcome of a situation. This is done to insure the right solution to the problem. It can also be said that Hamlet is a what ifer in that he might ask himself, What if I do this or What if I do that . By doing so, he creates more and more possibilities in his mind. When given the opportunity to take action, he doesn t. But rather he thinks and then convinces himself of why not to take that action.

Hamlet s faith is another cause of his death: his faith in old King Hamlet s ghost, in himself and in religion. When Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo describe the ghost s appearances to Hamlet, Hamlet has the idea that his father might possibly be alive. But throughout the play, he realizes that the apparition is his father s ghost and soul rather than his father. This is significant because it allows Hamlet to have a different perspective on death. The ghost is a metaphor for not necessarily becoming just food for creepy-crawly creatures when one passes on, as seen in Hamlet s later view of death.

and we fat ourselves

for maggots

(4, 3, 25-26)

The ghost informs Hamlet of old King Hamlet s murder by Claudius in hopes that Hamlet will not let Claudius get away with it. Since Hamlet already despises his uncle for having an incestuous marriage with Gertrude, it is not hard for him to have another reason to dislike him. Hamlet desperately wants to believe the ghost s story, so he vows revenge on Claudius.

O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!

My tables – meet it is I set it down

That one may smile and smile and be a villain.

At least I am sure it may not be so in Denmark.

So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word.

It is adieu, adieu, remember me.

I have sworn t.

(1, 5, 113 – 119)

Hamlet should now take his words and actually act on them. But, because Hamlet is who he is, he does not. He is the type of person to think and never act. He gets too caught up in his thoughts while in the meantime, he loses track of his goals. Hamlet knows his duty with regards to Claudius, but does not act on it immediately.

Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

(1, 5, 31)

Later on in the play, Hamlet allows himself to get carried away in his thoughts and he places more faith in himself by devising a plan to not only determine the ghost s credibility, but to see if Claudius did in fact murder old King Hamlet.

I know my course. The spirit that I have seen

May be a (devil,) and the (devil) hath power

T assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps,

Out of my weakness and my melancholy,

As he is very potent with such spirits,

Abuses me to damn me. I ll have grounds

More relative than this. The play s the thing

Wherein I ll catch the conscience of the King.

(2, 2, 627 – 634)

Hamlet s plan works and he realizes that the ghost was telling the truth. So, he now has the go ahead to actually kill the deserving Claudius. But on the way to his dear mother s closet, Hamlet spots Claudius praying. One would think that this would be the perfect time to finally extinguish the King, but as predictable as Hamlet is, he develops an excuse for not wanting to kill his uncle at that moment. He thinks that by killing Claudius while he is praying would just send him straight to heaven and thus would not be avenging his father s murder.

Now might I do it (pat), now is a praying,

And now I ll do t. And so he goes to heaven,

And so am I (revenged.) That would be scanned:

A villain kills my father, and for that,

I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

(3, 3, 77-83)

This scene shows the reader that Hamlet places his faith in religion and intends to wait to kill the King until he is committing a sin. What Hamlet doesn t realize is that putting off his uncle s death would lead to his own.

It can also be argued that in fact, Hamlet is a coward and needs some sort of encouragement to take such meaningful actions. Hamlet himself questions not only how much courage he has, but if he is threatening to others.

Am I a coward?

Who calls me villain ? breaks my pate across?

Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face?

Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i th throat

As deep

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