Hamlet was overly critical of himself for not thoughtlessly and impulsively taking his revenge
...ing Hamlet; Claudius would surely go to heaven. This was not revenge enough for Hamlet, whose own father did not have the chance to pray before his death, and perhaps was in hell. Hamlet was thoughtful and decided to wait for the perfect time and place for revenge. In the following scene, Hamlet impulsively stabs Polonius. This was the only time in the play that Hamlet does not appear to thoughtfully contemplate his actions. Hamlet was angry for not killing Claudius when he had the chance. Now he was angry and disappointed for not taking his revenge, and vented his frustration on his mother for her deceit and disrespect to King Hamlet. He despised her act of marrying Claudius in such a short time. His mother simply replied: “Come come, you answer with an idle tongue,” (III iv 14) dismissing Hamlet’s anger at her. Queen: “Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.” (III iv 12) Hamlet replied: “Mother, you have my father much offended.” (III iv 13) As Hamlet’s rage was building, the Queen felt as though her life was in danger: “What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, ho!” (III iv 26-27) At that point Polonius revealed his presence by responding to the Queen’s cry for help. Polonius: “What ho! Help?” Hamlet: “How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead.” Polonius: “Oh I am slain!” Queen: “O me, what hast thou done?” Hamlet: “Nay, I know not, is it the King?” Even though this killing appeared to be impulsive, Hamlet had hoped the person behind the arras was the King. After all why would Hamlet expect Polonius to be in the Queen’s bed chamber? Hamlet was unable to kill Claudius earlier,when he had the chance. In this scene, Hamlet might have realized that the only way he would actually be able to kill Claudius, would be spontaneously without thought and introspection. Therefore, even though the act of killing Polonius seemed spontaneous, had that been Claudius, Hamlet would have gotten the revenge he now was planning, and how sweet it would have been, the murder right in front of the Queen. Now Claudius convinced the Queen that they would be judged on the action they took with Hamlet after he had killed Polonius. The king said “His liberty is full of threats to all- To you yourself, to us, to everyone. Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answered?” (IV I 15-17). Hamlet would be sent to England with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. While they were preparing for departure, Fortinbras and his Norwegian army stop to seek permission from Claudius to travel through Denmark to Poland. Hamlet inquired as to the cause of the conflict and the Captain replied “We go to gain a little patch of ground that hath in it no profit but the name. To pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it.” (IV iv 19-21) Hamlet could not believe that Fortinbras was leading an army to kill thousands of men for a small piece of land. Hamlet and Fortinbras were both princes of slain kings, and Hamlet related to Fortinbras because of like circumstances. Hamlet contrasted his cowardice to seek justifiable revenge against Claudius, to Fortinbras’ bravery of seizing a small piece of land merely for the name. Hamlet reflected: “To all that fortune, death and danger dare, even for an eggshell. Rightly to be great is not to stir without great argument, but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honor’s at the stake. How stand I then, that have a father killed, a mother stained, Excitements of my reason and my blood, and let all sleep?” (IV iv 55-62) When Hamlet speaks of rightly to be great, he meant to act upon honor. Hamlet’s honor was indeed torn, and he had not acted upon it. He thought of this as a great disgrace in contrast to Fortinbras’ dedication to a cause which was less worthy in the eyes of Hamlet. This forced Hamlet to realize: “O, from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!” (IV v 68-69) Hamlet once again reflected and reconfirmed to himself, that to be a worthy son, he must abandon his cowardice and seek his rightful revenge, for his own honor, as well as that of his slain father’s. To further spur Hamlet’s quest for revenge, he discovered the sealed letter from Claudius to England calling for the immediate death of Hamlet. Hamlet was enraged and changed the sealed letter to call for the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet felt no remorse for the disposition of his college friends, and remarked to Horatio: “Why, man, they did make love to this employment. They are not near my conscience. Their defeat does by their own insinuation grow. ’Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes between the pass and fell incensed points of mighty opposites” (V ii 64-69) In this passage Hamlet felt betrayed by his two friends, and could not understand their loyalty to Claudius. He felt that their death was by their own ha...