- Is Hamlet a coward because he does not kill Claudius immediately?
- Is Hamlet intelligent because he chooses to weigh his options and think things through?
- What is more important: avenging his father's death, or saving his own soul? Should Hamlet have to choose between the two?
- What would you do in Hamlet's situation? Why? Is there a "good" solution to his problem?
Your response must respond to at least one of the preceding questions. Do NOT, however, answer all of the questions; you need to give yourself time to develop and support your ideas. Incorporate evidence from the play and from other relevant sources (your life, society, etc.).
Post your response in conversation with those of your classmates; do not repeat their ideas. Make sure you proofread and revise your response, and make sure you generate at least two full paragraphs of well-developed ideas.
All responses are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15th.
I do not think Hamlet is a coward for not killing Claudius right away. In the story Hamlet wants to have a play that is very similar to his father’s murder. By doing this Hamlet hopes that he will be able to see Claudius get uncomfortable because of his guilt. Hamlet will use Claudius’ behavior as evidence that he did kill King Hamlet. I think it is wise of Hamlet to try and get Evidence before he acts out of his anger and depression. He is risking possibly being king, the support of his people, and his soul, if he kills Claudius. Therefore this is not a decision that Hamlet should take lightly. He needs to be positive that his uncle is a murderer, because if he’s wrong he will be making a HUGE mistake. He will never get the chance to take back what he did.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that fact that a ghost told Hamlet that Claudius was a murderer. I don’t know if I would believe what a ghost has told me. Hamlet even questions if what apparition he saw was a demon trying to trick him and not his father’s ghost. Hamlet wants to double check that what the ghost has told him is right before he acts.
Hamlet is not a coward because he does not act immediately in killing Claudius. First, Hamlet is confused. Secondly, Hamlet is grieving. Thirdly, killing someone is a great offense, Hamlet acted correctly when he took his time in planning Claudius murder.
ReplyDeleteHamlet saw the ghost of his dead father. How scary this must have been for him. The ghost thold him to avange Hamlet's fathers death. Having your dead father's ghost tell you that what you expected was the truth. Having a father tell a son that he wants him to kill someone also sends a mixed message of doing something wrong.
Additionally, hamlet was having a difficult time dealing with the actual death of his father. Hamlet misses his father, he is also sad that his mother married his uncle Claudius so soon after his father died. Knowing that his father was murdered and did not died of natural causes makes him even sadder.
Equally scary is the thought that killing someone is against the law of god and men. Hamlet must be thiking of consequences of obeying a ghost and of killing another human being. I beleive that Hamlet was correct in thinking out his plan before he acted in killing Claudius.
In Korea, similar to one of the Ten Commandements in the Bible, Respecting parents is one of the important virtues. So it is very unlikely to happen if we don't do anything if our parents were murdered. From the circumstances in which I have been raised and the values I hold, avenging his father's death is way more important than saving his own soul. From the context in the play, Hamlet seems to respect and admire his father very much. That is why he pretends to have gone crazy in order to make his plan to kill Claudius go well.
ReplyDeleteI think Hamlet has to choose between avenging his father's death and saving his soul. My point of view is that Hamlet will eventually suffer if he does not choose between the two options. Hamlet's soul will ultimately be destroyed if he lets his father's death go. He will be tied to sense of guilt if he doesn't avenge, which in turn will lead to his soul's suffering, which then result in destroying his soul.
During Hamlets struggle of when to act he faces alot of decisions that need to be made. I feel that by weighing his options instead of taking action right away would definitally be the smarter thing to do. He isnt to sure of his decisions and is trying to take the smarter way about it then just throwing out a plan that he isnt to positive about and not succeeding in the longrun. Hamlet is not a coward because he does not kill Claudius immeditaly, he does not find out his uncle had killed King Hamlet until the ghost appears to him. He is so startled after this that he has to take the time and figure out how to handle this. Even though he hates his uncle with a passion for marrying his mother its still his uncle and hes very confused. By coming up with somewhat of a plan or an idea of what hes going to do helps him weigh his options more instead of just getting a weapon and killing him on the spot.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Hamlet is a coward for not killing Claudius immediately. I think Hamlet is smart and wise for thinking his plan out before he follows through with it. If Hamlet would have preceded his plan when his father’s ghost first contacted him, the plan wouldn’t have been very successful. The king’s guards would attack him if he tried to attack the king with a dagger or sword during the night. He couldn’t try to poison the king’s food because a servant always tastes the king’s food for that main matter. By Hamlet not killing Claudius immediately it gave him time to conduct a fool-proof plan that wouldn’t cause suspicion towards him. When he’s pretending to be mad, is all part of his scheme to plead insanity if anyone of the kingdom were to find him guilty. I believe that Hamlet handled his plan for his father’s revenge in a well manner.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Hamlet is acting in an intelligent manner in the sense that He wants to make sure all the other variables that could be the cause of his Fathers death are cleared. In the same token, He is setting himself up for a downfall, not one that I can see right away, but it seems to me that he is waiting to long. His choices of when to act crazy and when to act sane are being chosen to freely. Hamlet is intelligent because he knows that a murder of Claudius won't be easy and the precautions are great. But there are flaws in Hamlets plot to kill him. Especially in the choices of the act of being crazy.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if Hamlet is doing the right thing by waiting and weighing out his options. It’s good that he is doing this because while thinking he could realize that instead of killing him he could announce what his uncle has done. And I do not think that this makes him a coward at all, just smart because he is thinking about his options. This way if he is able to think of a better plan he will be able to save is soul in his afterlife.
ReplyDeleteI think that if I were Hamlet I would maybe kill his uncle because I would be so angry. But then again he is a prince, he has power he could probably arrange a “hit man”. So that way he didn’t kil him and yet still was successful to avenge his father.
Hamlet is not a coward for not killing Claudius immediately. He needs to seriously weight the options of taking Claudius’s life because the consequences could come back to haunt him. I think if he takes Claudius’s life there will not be any good benefits from it and he will have a guilty conscience. He is not a coward at all because that is a big risk to take and it needs to be thought over.
ReplyDeleteI defiantly think he is more intelligent than a coward for weighing his options. He is not intelligent for even thinking of killing someone but he is making a start decision to think it over. He would be intelligent if he decided to not kill Claudius because there are no benefits to killing anyone besides the revenge of taking the man’s life who killed your father.
No, I do not think Hamlet is a coward for not killing Claudius immediately. Hamlet did the smart thing by not acting upon his utter anger when he discovered that Claudius had, in fact, murdered his father. By not acting on the anger and misery he was experiencing, Hamlet was able to avoid making a huge mistake. Had he gotten out of control and murdered Claudius then he would be no better than Claudius, they would both be murderers. In my life I have always been told that two wrongs do not make a right. In this case that little slogan is very present. Hamlet may think that by killing Claudius he will completely avenge his father’s death, but instead he would just be setting himself up for a trying and miserable life.
ReplyDeleteI understand that Hamlet was upset about his father’s death, and there are many different things that he could have done. I do not think that Hamlet made the wrong decision by waiting to kill Claudius because he actually waited and thought it out before he did it. Now, if it was up to me, I would not murder at all, but give him this, inleast he put some thought of doing it before he killed her. Its not as if he just did it instantly out of pure rage.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that he is intelligent. He gave himself time to weigh his options and he still ended up killing her.
I think that, in the debate between avenging his father’s death and saving his own soul, he made the wrong decision. It should be left up to the authorities to take care of the killer. He should not give up his own soul to help someone who is already dead.
From what I have gathered from reading the play Hamlet is most certainly not a coward for taking his time to avenge his father’s death. As one could imagine killing someone is a very big deal and is not taking lightly. Murder is something Hamlet will have to live with for the rest of his life and this does not make him a coward. In fact he is very intelligent for not acting right away. Taking time to weigh the options can prove to be a huge help in the situation. It gives Hamlet plenty of time to make a plan, and it also gives him the chance to make sure Claudius really did kill his father.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is in a struggle between avenging his father and saving his own soul from hell. I believe murder is wrong no matter what ergo I believe he should have to choose which one is more important to him. If I were in the situation Hamlet is in I would choose saving my soul over avenging my father. There are other ways of making Claudius pay for what he did without killing him. Also I believe murder is never justified so killing Claudius back is wrong.
I do not think Hamlet is a coward for not killing Claudius yet because it might be obvious that it is him if he were to do it now. He isn’t a coward because he knows he’s going to do it no matter what but he is just trying to find the perfect time. Seeing as Hamlet’s mental state isn’t the best or the most stable, people may be quick to judge and assume that he did it and I think he is aware of this. It is a good thing that he waits it out and finds the perfect time to do it although it isn’t a good thing to do either way. The idea of committing murder isn’t intelligent but it is smart, however, to really examine and weigh his options. One mistake or wrong move can cause him to be caught in the act or caught by being proven with evidence. On the other hand though, I think it’s as if he might be over-thinking the whole process too. If he waits too long he might lose his chance and his over-thinking may lead to his demise.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe Hamlet is a coward for not deciding to kill Claudius. I think he has a lot of bravery and courage for even giving him a second chance. He is thinking about all of his options and more importantly thinking before he takes any action. I compliment him for doing so because he has so much anger inside and did not take action right away.
ReplyDeleteHis plan will work out for the better if he does not kill Claudius right away. He was in a state of depression but in the end it is for the better and helps him realize a lot about himself. Keeping to himself will be the most influential decision for Hamlet because it decides his fate. No matter what he does he will always be able to depend upon himself for his future.
I do not think that hamlet is a coward for not killing to avenge his fathers death immediatly. hamlet handled the situation very well. He was smart by not killing claudius because he would have had a lot of supition drawn to him. He played it smart and took the time to develop a good plan. I feel that he should avenge his fathers death, because his fathers ghost appeared to him for a reason, i think his father wants him to avenge his death. And if i were in his situation i would avenge his fathers death. Even though i kow it is not the right thing to do, i would want claudius to suffer in some way for what he did.
ReplyDeleteYes i do think that he is a coward for not killing his uncle because the king that currently reigns is on the throne for selfish greed, and well being. I think that hamlet should go through with avenging his father because then all might seem right in the world and the throne will be ruled by right person hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI think hamlet is taking to long to make desicions because it seems tat things could be getting worse as time goes on, so just for him making desicions takes forever. I think that it is the right choice to avenge his father because then all will be right? I think that faking going mad is never a good thing for someones health, so it isnt a good thing at all
I do not think Hamlet is a coward for not killing Claudius immediately because wants he finds out about his fathers' death, Hamlet thinks over it and tries to figure out how to avenge his father. I think it was smart of Hamlet to weigh his options and think things through because he wants to figure out the ultimate way to get revenge on Claudius. I believe the best way to find out the real solution is to sit down, think of choice and their consequences. Hamlet eventually comes up with the brillant idea of putting on a play for Claudius, but with a little twist in it. He wants to re-enact his fathers' death and watch for Claudius to react to the scene.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in Hamlet's shoes, I would most certainly avenge my father because he is the person I look up to in my life. It does seem from the movie and text that Hamlet always looked up to his father and wanted to persue his legacy as a King. Ultimately , I think that Hamlet did the best thing he could do to avenge his father, by catching Claudius reacting to what it the play portrayed as King Hamlet's death. He acted crazy so it could buy him time to think of way to get revenge on Claudius. For me, I think this is one of Hamlet's best decisions he has made all story long.
Hamlet is very intelligent for thinking things through and weighing his options. By doing this he does not make the mistake of doing something without thinking, something that he could regret later. By thinking before he can decide what the best thing to do is and find the best possible thing to do for himself. In fact by thinking everything through he has come up with a plan to kill Claudius that may prevent him from even being blamed. Whereas if he had just killed him without planning he would have been punished immediately. So regardless of whether he decides to kill Claudius or not, thinking things through first was the best thing for him to do.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is definitley intelligent for weighing his options and thinking about things. In every situation if you rush into something the finished product or outcome will never be as good as taking your time and analyzing things. Especially in Hamlet's situation, he is contemplating avenging his fathers death which involves killing the current king, his uncle, Claudious. This is a major decision and requires a lot of thought and planning.
ReplyDeleteIf I were put in Hamlet's situation I would most likely take my time and think about things. Of course there is always going to be that thought of killing Claudius, but I would end up telling someone about what is going on and seeking their opinion. Then going to the proper authorities with my evidence.
Is Hamlet intelligent because he chooses to weigh his options and think things through?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Hamlet is indeed intelligent that he thinks things through before he says things or does actions. I believe this because when you think things through before you actually say or do them you can figure out the best way to express them. If you just do something without thinking it through it could lead to you saying or doing something bad or something you could possibly regret in the future.
Even though it may seem that Hamlet seems scared or is very unsure about what he is doing it is all because he knows the right things to do and its all in his head. He is just waiting for the time to express them. In the future of the play i think that you will realize that after all the thinking Hamlet did you will see he made all the right decisions and thought them through carefully.
If I was Hamlet, I would weigh my options and then decide on what to do with my situation. Hamlet is in a very difficult situation and it would be very tough to just kill Claudius immediately. If I were hamlet I would put poison in Claudius’ ear much like how he did to King Hamlet to give Claudius a taste of his own medicine. But I would consider this a little too kind for what trouble and pain that he has caused to Hamlet and his emotions. Since Claudius is with his Mother this would make me very angry because that was King Hamlets True Love and Wife and he honored her with everything he had and Claudius has committed “The Robbery” by taking her.
ReplyDeleteSo basically I would want Claudius to suffer much more then Hamlet so he can feel Hamlets pain. So my plan to dispose of Claudius is to ask to take a walk with him alone. I would take him into the woods where The Ghost met with Hamlet and have the Ghost take care of Claudius himself. I would then proceed to tell the Queen that Claudius fell into a lake and drowned.
I dont believe that hamlet is being a coward because killing somebody is a much bigger step then just standing up for what is right. Your obviously going to be hesitant to killing somebody, nomatter what they did to deserve it. I think that he is acting intelligent by not acting just on feelings but he is making a plan and using his head. The third question is hard to answer because he is torn between both of those things. He wants to avenge his father but yet he doesnt want to be punished for his actions if he does it. If i were in Hamlets situation, I believe that i would be just as confused, if not even more. To me I would have no idea what to do
ReplyDeleteI am answering the questions "What would you do in Hamlet's situation? Why? Is there a "good" solution to his problem?" In response to the first one about what I would do in in Hamlet's situation, I would have probably killed king Claudius within the first week or so of finding out of his murderous deeds. The reason I would have done this is that knowing that my father's own brother betrayed him in such a way that it ended in my fathers death would probably have driven me close to insanity if not completely insane. I do NOT believe that there is a good "solution" to this because for Hamlet to be happy he is either going to have to die or kill his father's assassin, either way ending up in death and death is never the answer. EVER. The most "moral" thing to do would be to tell everyone of the current kings treachery and leave it up to the people to decide what happens to him, whether he lives or dies.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think Hamlet is intelligent because he chooses to weigh his options and think things through. That is the most important thing to do in a situation, you do not always want to act on impulse. When caught at a difficult time, you need to think and make a decision based on what is right and what is wrong. Hamlet, merely did the same thing. He did not want to regret his actions and face unwanted consequences. In his situation, he was caught between the respect of his father by killing Claudius and avenging his father's death, or simply the possibility of getting caught during this action. He does not want to make his own life or death on Earth miserable aslo. I would want to make the best of my life, which I try to do everyday, and I am sure he had the same outlook. He wanted to make his time here worthwhile, so he was unsure of what he wanted to do at the exact time. I do not blame him. Any normal person would think through the plan of killing someone and what would happen afterwards, before actually doing it.
ReplyDelete