The Meaning Of Hamlet: Why He Can't Act

5/22/16

So, here's one way to see the meaning of Hamlet.

He's to avenge his father's killing and so must kill Claudius. But for Shakespeare, in this play at least,  murderous revenge is barbaric bloodletting. Hamlet intuits this but can't bring his intuition to consciousness. He's bound by his time. And so he's ripped apart between what he's obliged to do but unwittingly strains against. So, he can't act and, famously, procrastinates, but doesn't understand why. For a much fuller setting out of this idea see:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/itzik-basman/futility-as-tragedy-an-interpretation-of-hamlet/ebook/product-17576151.html