One Man's (Hamlet) Struggle with Choice

Essay by urvit21A+, April 2005

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In every good story, the protagonist usually has to make a dramatic decision or two that affects the entire plot of the story. Depending on this key decision, the character may be good or evil, right or wrong, victorious or defeated. Just like all of Shakespeare's other works, Hamlet is full of these tough choices. When one's father dies, especially when the father is a very influential character on one's life, life-changing decisions will surly follow. One may have to find a job, look out for an entire family, or be forced to gain knowledge by one's self. Hamlet not only faces a few tough choices after his father's death, but many that keep coming back to haunt his every thought. Hamlet's decisions are so important that they not only affect his life, but every life in Denmark. Hamlet first must decide whether or not to believe the ghost of his father, King Hamlet, about whether his uncle is the murderer his father or not.

Another tough decision that Hamlet faces is whether or not to kill himself as a result of all the stress that he is facing. Finally, Hamlet has to decide when to kill his uncle, whether to get it over with and kill him quickly or find the perfect time to ensure his uncle goes to hell. Though Hamlet is very witty and intelligent, and he usually finds an intelligent way to think through each and every decision, sometimes his emotions and desire for revenge get in the way and impact the decisions that are made. Every decision that Hamlet makes will affect Denmark for a long time.

Ghosts were always seen as a prophesy or sign in Hamlet's culture, and the ghost of Hamlet's father is a prime example, telling him that Claudius, Hamlet's...