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The main, and, most often, flaw that has been attributed to Hamlet is his delay. This seems to constitute the central part in Hamlet. The tragic play Hamlet can be considered one of William Shakespeare's most popular works. One of the possible reasons for this play's popularity is the way Shakespeare uses the character of Hamlet to express indirectly the complex workings of the human mind. This approach taken by Shakespeare has produced many different interpretations of meaning that are not fully explained to the audience. In Renaissance times, religions played a central role, and divined law was fundamental for justice, politics, and social life. Although in Shakespeare`s Hamlet there is no textual evidence that the act of revenge is overly delayed, it is generally acknowledged that there actually is an inappropriate delay of Hamlet`s vengeance. Through Hamlet's internal struggle of deciding when to avenge his father’s death, critics and the reader become aware of the fact that Shakespeare is attempting to comment on the influence that one's state of mind can have by the decisions they make throughout their life. Hamlet constantly reasons out a plan to kill his uncle, King Claudius of Denmark, due to a cry for revenge by the ghost of Hamlet's murdered father. Hamlet attempts to use logic and reason to plan his uncle's death, yet Hamlet prolongs this decision making process with logical inconsistencies, and in doing so, Hamlet sheds unnecessary blood by this influence and delay of corrupted content. Hamlets’ false, illogical assumptions in regard to his own self-worth cause long delay in which the forces opposing Hamlet grow stronger. Self-doubt and self-helplessness, which delays Hamlet's decisions and actions, in Hamlet's first and second soliloquies set the tone for Hamlet's illogical reasoning which gives Claudius, Hamlet's uncle and object of revenge, time to acquire his strength against Hamlet. Hamlet, in his first soliloquy, expresses dismay “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable/ Seem to me all the uses of this world ” (I.ii.135-136). Suicidal tendencies themselves distribute in illogical and aggressive conclusions about life, and so much of Hamlet's reasoning will turn out to be. Hamlet also feels he “must hold my tongue ” (I.ii.161) and do nothing about the incestuous marriage between his mother and uncle. Hamlet eliminates many plans of action that he could take against this marriage, and he will do the same when he must revenge his father's death. Again, this is an irrational act, based not on fact, but on Hamlet's belief that he would not be able to criticize this marriage. Hamlet, in addition to, condemns himself into a sensitive state, making him unable to initiate action against his uncle. As Hamlet soon learns from his father's ghost that he must revenge his father's death, the self-defeatism and ultraconservative tendencies continue into his reasoning in Hamlet's second soliloquy. Due to these tendencies, Hamlet gives unlimited time to react to his opposition, whereas Hamlet, knowing what he must do, does nothing.
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