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Exploring Inaction:
A Light Look at Hamlet's Inaction in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Critics, when writing their official commentaries or even writing their own Hamlet essay, have long taken a look at Hamlet's inaction in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, and scoffed, suggesting that Hamlet could have and should have been much more active at his return to Denmark and finding out what had happened in his absence. Yet many of these critics criticize and don't follow their recommendations to completion. After all, what could have happened to Hamlet had he pursued something differently? It is a valid question, and one that would make a delightful Hamlet essay for a class or even just for personal reflection.
When Hamlet comes home, he is faced with the reality that his Uncle Claudius has married his mother, Gertrude. While some may find this appalling and move towards writing off Gertrude and Claudius at the very beginning of their Hamlet essay, a closer look suggests that this practice of a brother marrying the widow of his brother to be actually quite normal. In Biblical times, brothers were encouraged to marry the widow of their brother's. After all, it kept the family line going and with men being the property and power-holders of the day, marrying within the family kept the power firmly at home, or at least in the family. Hamlet speaking up at a time where there was much celebration would have been an awkward confrontation without reason. Again, even though Gertrude married Claudius quite soon after the death her husband, this too could be explained away by the possibility that Gertrude remaining unmarried would be a danger to the kingdom; in Hamlet's day, being an unmarried female monarch of a country was often enough of a reason to be invaded. Therefore, an early confrontation was out of the question.
Other possibilities to be explored by a Hamlet essay writer might be Hamlet running away, killing Claudius, confronting Claudius and Gertrude in front of the court (which, effectually, he does do), confronting Gertrude (again, which he does do) or telling Ophelia about what happened. Yet all these options are dead end possibilities. Any Hamlet essay writer knows that Hamlet running away would have done nothing for the state of Denmark, killing Claudius would take the secret of Claudius killing Hamlet's father to the grave, confronting Claudius and Gertrude in some form would only lead to their public denial of what happened and telling Ophelia, who already seems to have a rather delicate disposition, would do nothing to help the situation.
Ultimately, it comes down to the question - what was Hamlet supposed to do? Even the best Hamlet essay writer would have a hard time answering that question. Hamlet could have killed Claudius, but would that have really helped things? He could have confronted Claudius and his men, but that would have only brought the entire kingdom against him. While Hamlet certainly had a right to the throne, who would have believed that Hamlet had his dead ghost father appear to him and tell him the cause of his death? And who would have followed Hamlet, anyway? He was away at the University most of the time, and certainly didn't hold the respect or love of his people. Any Hamlet essay writer can tell you that he didn't have much leverage with the people of Denmark, especially after being away for so long and being responsible for Ophelia's death. A Hamlet essay can only go so far in explaining alternate possibilities for Hamlet's inaction. When we take a good, hard look at what happened in Denmark, it really comes down to the fact that we would have done very few things differently if being handed the same situation as Hamlet.
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