In this scene Hamlet is faced with yet another major dilemma. He is torn because he has to decide between killing his uncle or not. Although he detests his uncle and wants to avenge his father, Hamlet doesn't kill him. Even with the hate he has towards his uncle, I don't think Hamlet should kill someone while they're praying. His uncle was asking for forgiveness when it came to killing King Hamlet, so this means he does feel sorry for what he did. Even though he feels sorry and asks for forgiveness, he asks for it in a way where he will keep everything he gained. He wants to keep the throne and Gertrude, but be forgiven for his sin. I think he is a hypocrite for doing this because if he was really sorry he would give up everything he gained to earn forgiveness. The only motive he had for taking the life of his own brother was to get to the crown, so truly being sorry for what he did should be the equivalent to giving up everything. While his uncle is praying and asking for forgiveness, Hamlet is spying on him trying to make up his mind. There are several times throughout the play where Hamlet is indecisive and over thinks his actions.
Hamlet ultimately decides to not kill his uncle. I think this was the best choice and Hamlet made the right decision. Hamlet is already viewed as crazy, so killing his uncle would hinder his reputation rather than helping it. If Hamlet wanted to become the king, which was the original plan, he cant look like a lunatic in the eyes of the people. If he does want to kill his uncle, he can't do it in a cowardly way. It has to have importance and be eventful for him to keep his promise to his father. I think Hamlet should only kill his uncle if he does not willingly step down from the thrown. By doing so, it would prove that is genuinely sorry for his actions and deserves to live. By forgiving his sins he has a chance of getting into heaven after killing his brother. Overall, Claudius cannot ask for forgiveness without somehow paying for what he has done. He must accept that actions have consequences.
This post was very well written! I like the points you brought up, which some of them even made me doubt my opinion of disagreeing with Hamlet's final decision. You mentioned that if Hamlet killed Claudius he would never succeed as king because people would think he was crazy. I never thought about him taking the crown if he killed Claudius and what the aftermath would be like. I really enjoyed reading your post because you definitely showed me a different side regarding Hamlet's decision.
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