"Hamlet is better at talking about revenge, than he is at doing it." Consider the reasons for his delay.

... Hannah Waddilove 12.3 English Literature AS "Hamlet is better at talking about revenge, than he is at doing it." Consider the reasons for his delay The question of why Hamlet does not immediately avenge his father's death is perhaps one of the most perplexing problems faced by an audience. Each generation of viewers has come up with it's own explanation, and it has now become the most widely known critical problem in Shakespearean studies. A rather simplistic, yet valid standpoint to take on this problem is that it was essential to the tragedy's narrative progression. As Hanmer said "had he gone naturally to work, there would have been an end to our play!". Shakespeare, then, is faced with a problem - Hamlet must delay his revenge, and he has to come up with reasons why. The ingenuity of his solutions in depicting this complex and troubled man has given us an insight into

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