HAMLET, WHY WAIT?

one man of action Hamlet is anything but indecisive, he is just contemplative. He loves to think. He needs to think in order to justify his actions, and this intellectual capacity is the major difference between Claudius and himself. Hamlet is extremely aware of the relation between action and reaction and realises that he has to proceed very carefully. In the play, Claudius is the paragon of decisiveness, of action. He takes the first action, …

…his right to kill him. The bible is actually quite confusing in whether or not Hamlet would have been in his right to kill Claudius, praying or not; 'If the slayer did not act with intent...the slayer may flee to a place which I will appoint for you. But if a man has the presumption to kill another by treachery, you shall take him even from my altar to put to death.' (Exodus 21,12)