Hamlets Tragic Flaw Essay Example

Procrastination is an action or rather an inaction, because when you procrastinate, you are avoiding completing a task. “Emotionally, Hamlet’s procrastination produces in him a growing rage that leads to his killing of Polonius (3.4) …. Set in motion the incidents that lead to the bloody climax” (Boyce). This quote illustrates the topic of the following essay. It clearly outlines why the inability to act is ultimately the tragic flaw of the character Hamlet. Firstly, Hamlet’s procrastination ultimately leads to the premature death of many characters throughout the play. In act 3 scene 4, while confronting his mother, Hamlet hears a noise from behind a curtain. Thinking it was Claudius spying, Hamlet passes his sword through the curtain and stabs Polonius. Polonius calls out “O, I am slain!”(3.4.22), then falls and dies. Hamlets Procrastination led to this because his emotions are being built up so, that when he hears the slightest thing that may be Claudius, he reacts in a violent way. That is not a good thing, because the death of Polonius will lead to two other events that will eventually cause three other characters to die. Moreover, in the final scene, three more characters die. Claudius has a cup of poisoned wine for Hamlet, but Gertrude unknowingly drinks it and immediately starts to die. Just before she passes, she exclaims “No! No! The drink, the drink – O my dear Hamlet – the drink, the drink! I am poisn’d (dies)” (5.2.299-300). After Gertrude dies, Hamlet and Laertes fight more violently, and Laertes cuts Hamlet. In a brawl, Hamlet gets a hold of Laertes’ sword and stabs him. When Hamlet realizes the sword is poisoned, he turns and stabs Claudius. Hamlet says “…the point envenomed too… (stabs the king)… Follow my mother! (Claudius dies)” (5.2.311-317). After Claudius dies, Laertes says to Hamlet “…he is justly served…” (5.2.318-322) then dies. He says this to reassure Hamlet that he did the right thing. Hamlet’s procrastination led to the