.
51}~THEME 1: MORALITY, JUSTICE AND THE PROBLEM OF ACTION
‘Hamlet is a play about indecision’
Paragraph 1 Shakespeare presents Hamlet’s inner conflict as the root of his indecision.
AO5: Hazzlit argues that Hamlet’s ‘ruling passion is to think, not to act”
AO1: ‘too solid flesh would melt, /Thaw, and resolve itself into dew”
“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”
AO5: This idea is further emphasised in Laurence Olivier’s 1948 film
interpretation, with the camera ‘zooming in’ to give the illusion of entering
Hamlet’s head at the beginning of a soliloquy.
Paragraph 2 However arguably Hamlet’s later hesitation is marked by his desire to certainty
proof before acting and morality, demonstrated in the play-within-the-play of
the ‘Murder of Gonzago’ and his delayed revenge of Claudius feeds into his
indecision.
AO1: “The play’s the thing, / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” -
instead of killing he stages a test, choosing to observe not to avenge.
AO5: In Gregory Doran’s film interpretation, he strongly scrutinises Claudius’s
reaction to the play, by recording his reaction close up on camera to scrutinise
his reaction. This suggests that Hamlet seeks moral proof before seeking
revenge.
This is further demonstrated later in the play in Act 3 scene 3, where Hamlet
decides to choose what should happen to Claudius’ soul after death.
AO5: T.S Elliot writing in the 19th century argues that Hamlet’s emotions are ‘in
excess of the facts’.
AO1: He wants to kill him when he is in the “incestuous pleasures of his bed” to
ensure that his “soul may be damned and black” and go to “hell” and not when
he is “praying”.
Hamlet’s moral thinking (wanting Claudius damned, not saved) is a justification
to avoid action – demonstrating his indecision.
Paragraph 3: However arguably in ‘Hamlet’ Shakespeare deliberately highlights indecision by
contrasting him with characters who act quickly and decisively.
Unlike Hamlet, Laertes demonstrates decisive action
AO1: He directly confronts the king when he finds out Polonius has been killed:
“O, thou vile king, / Give me my father” unlike Hamlet’s who speaks through
soliloquys.
AO5: The critic Burton argues that ‘Fortinbras is Hamlet’s foil’ – demonstrating
the way in which he is a man of action compared to Hamlet’s indecision.
, AO1: Fortinbras is described at the beginning of the play as a man “of
unimproved mettle’ who sharked up a list of “lawless resolutes”. He is also
responsible for restoring order through his receiving of Hamlet’s ‘dying voice’
and claims the throne through his “rights of memory”.
AO5: Branagh Fortinbras taking decisive action at the end.
‘A play in which characters are preoccupied with justice and morality’
Paragraph 1: The Ghost introduces ideas around justice, through his instruction to Hamlet to
seek revenge over Claudius. He raises questions around morality through
exposing the corruption of Gertrude’s un-timely remarriage.
AO5: In Branagh’s film interpretation of ‘Hamlet’ during the ghost scene there
are gory flashbacks of Claudius killing the late King Hamlet – emphasising the
ill-justice of his regicide.
AO1: He encourages Hamlet to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”
and “Let not the royal bed of Denmark be / A couch for luxury and damned
incest” – illustrating the Ghost’s preoccupation of justice by encouraging Hamlet
to seek revenge over the murder and highlights his preoccupation with morality
by presenting Claudius as a corrupting force over Denmark.
AO5: As the critic A.C Bradley argues ‘The supernatural gives a confirmation …
to suspicion in Hamlet’.
AO1: This leads Hamlet to both question the moral validity of the Ghost itself, by
fearing that he could be committing sin by following a deceptive spirit: “The
spirit that I have seen / May be a devil”.
Paragraph 2: Shakespeare portrays Hamlet’s indecision and hesitation to act as a direct
consequence of his preoccupation with morality. This is demonstrated through his
desire for certainty before acting, in the Play-within-the-Play in Act 2 scene 2.
AO1: “The play’s the thing, / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” -
instead of killing he stages a test, choosing to observe not to avenge.
AO5: This is reinforced in Doran’s film interpretation of ‘Hamlet’, where he
strongly scrutinises Claudius’s reaction to the play, by recording his reaction close
up on camera to scrutinise his reaction. This suggests that Hamlet seeks moral
proof before seeking revenge.
Hamlet’s pre-occupation with justice is further portrayed later in the play, after he
watches Claudius’ soliloquy and decides to delay taking any action in revenging
Claudius.
AO5: This is further reinforced by the critic Hazlitt who argues that Hamlet’s
‘ruling passion is to think, not to act’.
AO1: He wants to kill him when he is in the “incestuous pleasures of his bed” to
ensure that his “soul may be damned and black” and go to “hell” and not when he
is “praying” – demonstrating that Hamlet chooses to ‘think’ rather than ‘act’ by
51}~THEME 1: MORALITY, JUSTICE AND THE PROBLEM OF ACTION
‘Hamlet is a play about indecision’
Paragraph 1 Shakespeare presents Hamlet’s inner conflict as the root of his indecision.
AO5: Hazzlit argues that Hamlet’s ‘ruling passion is to think, not to act”
AO1: ‘too solid flesh would melt, /Thaw, and resolve itself into dew”
“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”
AO5: This idea is further emphasised in Laurence Olivier’s 1948 film
interpretation, with the camera ‘zooming in’ to give the illusion of entering
Hamlet’s head at the beginning of a soliloquy.
Paragraph 2 However arguably Hamlet’s later hesitation is marked by his desire to certainty
proof before acting and morality, demonstrated in the play-within-the-play of
the ‘Murder of Gonzago’ and his delayed revenge of Claudius feeds into his
indecision.
AO1: “The play’s the thing, / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” -
instead of killing he stages a test, choosing to observe not to avenge.
AO5: In Gregory Doran’s film interpretation, he strongly scrutinises Claudius’s
reaction to the play, by recording his reaction close up on camera to scrutinise
his reaction. This suggests that Hamlet seeks moral proof before seeking
revenge.
This is further demonstrated later in the play in Act 3 scene 3, where Hamlet
decides to choose what should happen to Claudius’ soul after death.
AO5: T.S Elliot writing in the 19th century argues that Hamlet’s emotions are ‘in
excess of the facts’.
AO1: He wants to kill him when he is in the “incestuous pleasures of his bed” to
ensure that his “soul may be damned and black” and go to “hell” and not when
he is “praying”.
Hamlet’s moral thinking (wanting Claudius damned, not saved) is a justification
to avoid action – demonstrating his indecision.
Paragraph 3: However arguably in ‘Hamlet’ Shakespeare deliberately highlights indecision by
contrasting him with characters who act quickly and decisively.
Unlike Hamlet, Laertes demonstrates decisive action
AO1: He directly confronts the king when he finds out Polonius has been killed:
“O, thou vile king, / Give me my father” unlike Hamlet’s who speaks through
soliloquys.
AO5: The critic Burton argues that ‘Fortinbras is Hamlet’s foil’ – demonstrating
the way in which he is a man of action compared to Hamlet’s indecision.
, AO1: Fortinbras is described at the beginning of the play as a man “of
unimproved mettle’ who sharked up a list of “lawless resolutes”. He is also
responsible for restoring order through his receiving of Hamlet’s ‘dying voice’
and claims the throne through his “rights of memory”.
AO5: Branagh Fortinbras taking decisive action at the end.
‘A play in which characters are preoccupied with justice and morality’
Paragraph 1: The Ghost introduces ideas around justice, through his instruction to Hamlet to
seek revenge over Claudius. He raises questions around morality through
exposing the corruption of Gertrude’s un-timely remarriage.
AO5: In Branagh’s film interpretation of ‘Hamlet’ during the ghost scene there
are gory flashbacks of Claudius killing the late King Hamlet – emphasising the
ill-justice of his regicide.
AO1: He encourages Hamlet to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”
and “Let not the royal bed of Denmark be / A couch for luxury and damned
incest” – illustrating the Ghost’s preoccupation of justice by encouraging Hamlet
to seek revenge over the murder and highlights his preoccupation with morality
by presenting Claudius as a corrupting force over Denmark.
AO5: As the critic A.C Bradley argues ‘The supernatural gives a confirmation …
to suspicion in Hamlet’.
AO1: This leads Hamlet to both question the moral validity of the Ghost itself, by
fearing that he could be committing sin by following a deceptive spirit: “The
spirit that I have seen / May be a devil”.
Paragraph 2: Shakespeare portrays Hamlet’s indecision and hesitation to act as a direct
consequence of his preoccupation with morality. This is demonstrated through his
desire for certainty before acting, in the Play-within-the-Play in Act 2 scene 2.
AO1: “The play’s the thing, / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” -
instead of killing he stages a test, choosing to observe not to avenge.
AO5: This is reinforced in Doran’s film interpretation of ‘Hamlet’, where he
strongly scrutinises Claudius’s reaction to the play, by recording his reaction close
up on camera to scrutinise his reaction. This suggests that Hamlet seeks moral
proof before seeking revenge.
Hamlet’s pre-occupation with justice is further portrayed later in the play, after he
watches Claudius’ soliloquy and decides to delay taking any action in revenging
Claudius.
AO5: This is further reinforced by the critic Hazlitt who argues that Hamlet’s
‘ruling passion is to think, not to act’.
AO1: He wants to kill him when he is in the “incestuous pleasures of his bed” to
ensure that his “soul may be damned and black” and go to “hell” and not when he
is “praying” – demonstrating that Hamlet chooses to ‘think’ rather than ‘act’ by
