Introduction
People often face enormous pressure when making decisions; friends, colleagues, and family members express their opinions about what they think is best. This external force puts pressure on them to conform to their ideas. In addition to others imposing their views, people can influence others through tragic events such as a death in the family. This can test their core values and make them re-evaluate their ideologies.
In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Hamlet’s father dies, and Gertrude’s mother remarries shortly after her death (Shakespeare, 1998). Initially, Hamlet worries about his father’s death and his mother’s quick remarriage because he feels Gertrude did not fully pay her homage and honor his death. However, he learns the terrible truth after meeting and talking with his father’s ghost. Hamlet’s father was murdered by Claudius, his uncle and now his stepfather, to gain the throne.
In a call for revenge, Hamlet’s father tries to convince him to kill Claudius. On the other hand, Claudius presses Hamlet from the opposite side to fulfill his visions for him. In Hamlet, the society exemplified by his father and Claudius causes Hamlet great suffering as he is torn between two versions of who he could have been. Shakespeare nevertheless demonstrates that Hamlet fails because of a lack of conviction, emotional stability, and critical evaluation of the circumstances, even though it is possible to successfully avoid this outside pressure.
Hamlet’s Incapability to Critically Assess the Situation
Hamlet’s capability to critically and adequately assess the situation is one component of what could allow him to resist the influence of others and make the right choices. Initially, Hamlet is swayed by others, which prevents him from conducting this assessment and acting on his beliefs. Hamlet knew nothing about Claudius’ disgusting actions. Thus, he poured out his despair and rage in brief moments of solitude. Hamlet is emotional and infantile in his thoughts and actions. Hamlet was in such grief that he was on the verge of suicide,
“O that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!“ (Shakespeare, trans. 1998, 1.2, 129-130).
He has all the evidence of people’s misdeeds or harmful qualities, as he indirectly complains about them. His initial characteristic was how he perceived the situation in which he found himself. Hamlet finds himself helpless and unable to act due to his lack of more profound knowledge and understanding of his circumstances.
The example of Hamlet demonstrates how public expectations can bind people because they refuse to face reality and look at the facts of their circumstances. He lives in contradiction with his beliefs, and his life has become dreary and lost as he chooses to escape the need to know and assess. He could only complain and moan alone in despair as he had to close his mouth. Shakespeare conveys that public expectations influence the main character and cannot influence anything because of his lack of critical thinking and proper assessment of his circumstances.
Hamlet’s Lack of Conviction
Another factor in Hamlet’s inability to take purposeful and appropriate actions is a lack of conviction. Further, as the actions develop, Hamlet shows that when making decisions, he needs to have strong levels of conviction to have an effective solution. Having learned the potential truth behind the situation, Hamlet must act. He was informed of his father’s murder by his ghost; it was impossible to spread this to the public, so Hamlet had to bear responsibility or refuse to take action against Claudius. This prompted Hamlet to act according to his beliefs.
As soon as he finds out about his misdeeds, he despises Claudius, and his mother’s incestuous marriage with him only angers him even more. However, even after gaining knowledge of the situation, he continues to stall and find excuses not to act based on his new findings. He spoke as if he was crazy, intending to devalue his speech. The best example of this behavior is the famous speech,
“To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them“ (Shakespeare, trans. 1998, 3.1, 58-62).
He spread it through Ophelia and, therefore, through the king to find even more evidence of the apparent truth to stall the inevitable need for action. Later in the play, Hamlet arranges a place for the king to see how he reveals the truth about the matter through the king’s reaction. Only after this confirmation does he hesitantly start to act, even though it may be too late. What sets Hamlet apart from other revenge plays written earlier is that the action we expect to see from Hamlet himself is delayed because he lacks the conviction to stand by his decisions.
Hamlet’s Emotional Instability
The last reason for Hamlet’s inability to decide and act accordingly lies in his emotional instability. Hamlet progresses through the play and comes closer to confirming the truth until it is revealed. Now that he has received it, he is still unable to act. He still does not act even when he has a clear chance to kill Claudius. Moreover, Claudius was praying, and Hamlet felt that now was not the right moment to act, providing another excuse for his inaction.
While Hamlet is waiting for the right moment, he encounters other people who contribute to his anger, such as Polonius and his childhood friends. They sided with the despised king, which made him even more furious. It only contributes to his emotional instability and consequent inability to make the right choices; as he describes his madness,
“I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw“ (Shakespeare, trans. 1998, 2.2, 312-313).
His emotional impulses and the negative consequences of his actions lead to an inability to restore his honor and confidence until his last breath. In the end, it was only when Claudius’s next atrocity became known that he could act on the situation because his emotions overtook his consciousness. At this point, after stalling and refusing to face the truth and act, Hamlet is overwhelmed by feelings of grief and anger because he still wants to avenge his father. His stalling only enhances these negative emotions, leaving no room for rational decision-making.
Conclusion
Overall, Shakespeare shows how the different components contribute to Hamlet’s inability to make sound decisions and act, including insufficient judgment, confidence in one’s stance, and emotional control. Hamlet always acts indirectly and never plays a decisive role throughout the play. When people are faced with the expectations of others, they can accept them if it does not strongly contradict their beliefs. However, as they get closer to these others, their expectations put a heavy burden on the shoulders of the person, and he will try to push them away.
This is precisely what happens in the case of Hamlet, as he tries to close his eyes to the truth of his situation, refusing to assess his circumstances critically. Moreover, his lack of conviction makes him stall and create excuses for his inactivity. In the end, due to the stalling, Hamlet is driven mad by the intense emotions of grief and anger, making him unable to make sane decisions. In a way, Shakespeare shows his audience how critical thinking, conviction, and emotional stability can help a person act appropriately and wisely by using the contrary example of Hamlet.
Reference
Shakespeare, W. (1998). Hamlet. Penguin.