Pg. 832 #9

At the end of Act II in his soliloquy “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I”, Hamlet expresses his shame for stalling to act impulsively against his father’s death. In order to express such intense self-hatred and disgust, Hamlet compares his inaction to a fictional character’s dramatic grief for his dead father. “What would he do, / Had he the motive and cue for passion/ That I have” (2.2. 484-486). The actors amaze Hamlet by making their death scene, which seems so realistic. Stupefied by their skills to emotionally connect with a “fake scenario”, Hamlet condemns himself for taking a passive stance on patricide. Hamlet then calls himself a coward for his inability to say anything in defense of his father: “Am I a coward” (2.2.497). Though he has the intentions of soothing his grief and becoming more aggressive, Hamlet continues to comment on the actors, a rather passive action. His inaction, therefore, reveals his lack of self-esteem: “Yet I, a dull and muddy-mettled rascal” (2.2. 493). Full of indecision and criticism, Hamlet eventually plans to invite actors to perform a play that will mimic his father’s murder, thereby yielding insight into Claudius’ guilt-ridden conscience or lack thereof.

From Hamlet’s emotional diction (“Bloody, bawdy villain!” (2.2.507)) and his doubtful questions about his identity, the reader is able to infer his unstable emotions through his rampant tonal shifts. His instability may also be a result of his ignorance about how to proceed after his father’s death, thoughts that are both rational and semi-psychotic. Despite his intent to avenge Hamlet’s death, Hamlet is insecure about himself and unsure about his future, thus legitimizing his procrastination.