So my Dad used to own multiple fish plants in P.E.I. between 1986-1993. Back in the day, they used to sell fish to the Japanese, so the Japanese would send down some of their inspectors on a yearly basis to make sure that the fish they would get was well processed, that who they were doing business with were legit. This one night as my dad was leaving the plant, on a chilly September evening, and due to cold all the bugs would go up against the big heat pump that was outside. Anyway, has my dad looked over his shoulder back at the shop he saw the Japanese standing beside the heater just killing bugs, and my dad said that it was the same thing every night that the guy was there.

Tell me a story!

Today we discussed what a short story is (and is not), what makes for an interesting story, and why short stories matter. Take some time now to tell me a story: it could be a joke, it could be true, fake, it could be sad, or funny... it doesn't matter. There are only two requirements: it has a beginning, middle, and end... and it has at least one character that has a problem. 

All good stories have a great conflict... ask yourself: What is your conflict? Is it an internal conflict or external? Person vs Nature? Person vs. Self?

Go!!! Ps: it can be short:)

One of the two certainties in Life is death

One of the two certainties in Life is death, and it’s ultimately the most final of the two. Death is the predominant theme in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Because of this exposure to death, Hamlet gains an adolescent fascination of it by the end of the play. Hamlet’s depression and madness enables him to cope with death, to become violent and to even kill. Throughout the whole of the play, Hamlet views death differently. From his dour and gloomy brooding at the beginning, to his intriguing madness and desirability about death in the middle to the comfortable, cold killer in the end.

Hamlet’s depression is quite apparent in the beginning of the play. The people closest to him, his mother and stepfather, make notice of this by mentioning “How is that the clouds still hang on you”(1, II, 66) “Do not forever with thy vailed lids/ Thou knowest ‘tis common. All that lives must die.”(1, II, 70-72).

In the scenes following what happened in the battlements, Hamlet’s situation causes him to think more about death. He beings to think about the ghastly, supernatural revelation told to him by the ghostly apparition of his father. He has now become very depressed because of what he has agreed to do, kill Claudius. It is almost as if a bit of Hamlet is dying with each passing moment. In Act 2, Scene II Lines 301-319 Hamlet announces his plea to the universe, saying that he’s fed up with everything around him.

After the murder of Polonius, Hamlet is much more comfortable with death than he’s ever been before. His madness has reached him so much that he doesn’t feel for anyone anymore. When the King confronts Hamlet about the location of Polonius, he simply states “at supper” (4, III, 17) and begins to rave about being eaten by worms. Hamlet points out that everybody ends up dead in the end. At the beginning of Act 5, Hamlet’s conversation with the Gravedigger shows how lightly he views death. The digger and his partner make jokes about the sturdiest builder of all, and then Hamlet joins in and then they casually begin to wisecrack about death. Hamlet actually picks up a thrown human skull from one of the graves and stares at it in amazement. This is a moment of epiphany for him, he is defiantly staring death right in the face.

In the end, Hamlet has gone through a horrible metamorphosis caused by his madness and depression. He began as a soft and brooding young man and became a stern and hardened man.  

http://www.whatsonningbo.com/education/1439.html

The Noble Horatio

In the world of Hamlet a character with nobility is very hard to find. There are only two Characters that show any slight glimmer of being noble. These characters being Horatio and Laertes, the only difference between the two is that one decided that it was just to cheat death upon Hamlet by poisoning him. Laertes may seem the Noble character, but it is evident at the end of the play Laertes eventually loses all credibility of being noble. Where a noble man would honorably let his opponent have a striking chance during a duel. Laertes agrees to cunningly poison the unknowing Hamlet in the so called friendly fencing match. “With this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, It may be death” (IV.VII.148-149). Laertes also never says that poisoning Hamlet is against his conscience he merely states it is ALMOST against his conscience and continues with stabbing and poisoning Hamlet. This proves that Laertes is not the honorable man that he was once thought to be.  “And yet it is almost against my conscience.” (V.II.287).

            Horatio on the other hand is most definitely the most honorable character in the play of Hamlet. He is a genuine friend to Hamlet despite the circumstances no matter how dire, “Never believe it: I am more an antique Roman than a Dane: Here’s yet some liquor left.” (V.II.332-5), Horatio’s heroic words prove that he is willing to commit a passionate act of suicide if it means he can still be with his treasured friend. Horatio never commits any foul doings (To the reader’s knowledge) and is always trying to help better Hamlet. The loyalty that Horatio shows throughout the play proves that he is the only character in Hamlet that is respectable and trustworthy. Even Hamlet praises Horatio for his honorable and respectable qualities. “Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation coper withal.” (III.II.52-3). These few acts of nobility solidifies Horatio’s spot as the most noble character in Hamlet.

            Nobility in the world today is just as hard to come by as it is in Hamlet. Today society has shaped people to become “Selfish Beasts” (Quoted from Brent Hurley) through the want for self-gain so they can get a seat on Forbes Top 100 and most people will attempt to achieve this almost impossible feat no matter the consequences. However there are people who have no interest in self-gain and only wish for the better of others. In the world today you will find both ignorant self-indulgent people and people who seek to mentor others of good will and happiness. It just depends in which direction you look. 

Picture Link

The value of life is a subjective matter that often dictates people’s lives. Throughout the play, the question of mortality is faced by multiple characters in the play. Hamlet’s begins pondering about the meaning of life after the death of his father. His views on the subject of mortality are dynamic and they change as the play progresses.   His initial opinions are revealed in Act 3 scene 1 with the “To be, or not be” soliloquy. Through this, Hamlet debates on whether it is nobler to go through the struggles of life or to take his life.  He describes death as a way to “end the heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks” (3.1.62-63). At this point, Hamlet is in a suicidal state as he wonders why he should have to battle through life when he can end it “with a bare bodkin” (3.1.77). After mourning over his father’s death, Hamlet overhears Claudius confessing that he killed his father. This stirs up anger in Hamlet. Although Hamlet has the perfect chance to kill Claudius, he chooses not to.  This quote clearly portrays Hamlet’s change in perception. He is no longer debating on whether he should or shouldn’t kill himself. His “thoughts be bloody” as all he was suddenly hungry to kill Claudius.  At this point, Hamlet has given in to the madness that he has been displaying. The traits associated with madness begin to come into play as Hamlet strives to find the perfect way to kill Claudius.  Based on the situations mentioned above, it is evident that Hamlet’s opinion on the subject of mortality has changed. He is no longer interested in killing himself. All he wants is to avenge Claudius for the death of his father.

http://lifehacker.com/5799860/the-smarter-way-to-seek-revenge 

Uncertain Decisions

Hamlet’s perception of mortality is very complex and evolves quite dramatically throughout the play. All major decision making is expressed in the four soliloquies and certain events in between that make him realize how his view of death can differ in an instant. In Hamlet,

In his first soliloquy, Hamlet is so unbelievably mad at Claudius and his mother that he seriously considers suicide as a solution. He wishes he could leave this “weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable” (1.2.133) world. It sounds like life has very little meaning compare to his problems at the moment. Although it seems like the next logical action to take religion forbids it, and therefore he gives up for now.

The actual problem at this stage is that the ghost of Hamlet’s father asked him to kill Claudius to avenge his death but Hamlet does not seem to be able to do so. “Am I a coward?”(2.2.530) is the question on his mind. He finally admits that Claudius is a “bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain!”(2.2.541-543) he finds reasons to want to kill him after all and decide to get himself together and act! Before doing so though, he puts on “The Mousetrap” to prove that Claudius is guilty so he does not kill and innocent man.

So far, Hamlet only really thought about dying and killing as a wrong or right, not as a whole complicated concept. In “To be or not to be,”(3.1.57) Hamlet actually discusses the idea of suicide from a very logical intellect point of view. In this part of play, Shakespeare intertwines themes of death and nobility when Hamlet is wondering if dying is a noble act, or if suffering is the better option. Before, Hamlet just thought of suicide as a way to end his misery and now he compares it to sleeping, but he is becoming more open to expanding his knowledge of death and all its aspects. A new idea he’s considering is afterlife. No one knows what it is like really and it can be wonderful or scary, no one will ever be able to tell. I believe this to be one of the existential questions that everyone must have asked themselves at least one because death is the biggest mystery of life and we do not know if we should fear it, or welcome it when the time comes. As Hamlet recognizes, “conscience does make cowards of us all… thus the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought.”(3.1.84-86) I think this thought illustrates perfectly how someone on the verge like Hamlet might want to reconsider the act of suicide. Because we are human, we think. And because we think, we realize that no one chooses to live, but ending our own life can be hard because of the uncertainty of what is on the other side. This soliloquy is very philosophical and the focus shifts from killing Claudius to this existential mortality question…

In Act 3 Scene 3, Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius but for some reason he delays… (Why the delay? You’ll have to read another post to figure that one out!) After that major event, the ghost appears to Hamlet once more to remind him of his purpose because he seemed to have backed down. This is the first step of a big motivation for Hamlet. Following that conversation with his father’s ghost, he observes something that truly inspires him to accomplish what is asked of him. Noticing how Fortinbras’ army is ready to fight and die for him for a valid cause in their eye, Hamlet is now certain he has the motive he needs to act and kill Claudius! At that point, he even questions why he delayed earlier, he wants blood! Also, he sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their death instead of him! He does not seem so worried about killing people for his personal benefit anymore...

Near the end of the play, Hamlet is discussing with the gravediggers and he sounds like he is almost mocking death, but he will discover a whole new side to it when they show him the skull of someone he once knew, Yorick. Seeing his old jester’s in this decaying state makes him truly uncomfortable, we can even say upset. At this moment, he stops laughing at death and makes a realization that will completely change his view on the matter: death is what makes us all human, it is the great equalizer. It does not matter who you were when you were alive, we all end up in the same place because death is unavoidable no matter how famous, rich, or beautiful someone is.

In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the idea of mortality finds very deep meaning in Hamlet’s character. In the beginning, he did not know exactly how he felt about death; if he understood it, or if he hated it. In the end, it is clear that he finally accepted the fate of the human race and uses it to avenge his father and welcomes his own death when it comes.

This is a video of Steve Job’s speech at Stanford University. His third story is about death and seems relevant after reading Hamlet. Start watching at 9:00, it’s a really inspirational story that can actually be related to Hamlet! 

This picture simply illustrates how Hamlet keeps changing his mind about the concept of mortality and how much he questions it.

The Noble Prize

I believe one of the only noble characters in Hamlet is Laertes. There are multiple ways to define noble, and Laertes embodies almost all these characteristics. A noble person to me is someone who is loyal, just, compassionate, honourable, merciful, forgiving, and righteous. Throughout Hamlet there are many examples of Laertes exhibiting these characteristics. At the beginning of the play, in Act I Scene iii, Laertes talks to Ophelia and shows genuine concern for her happiness, worried about her relationship with Hamlet: “Fear it, Ophelia. Fear it, my dear sister” (I.iii.33). Laertes warns her not to get too attached with Hamlet, for he will not be able to be with her. This exemplifies Laertes compassion. Laertes is also honourable, and has lots of pride. When he discovers the death of his father and the madness of his sister was caused by Hamlet, he vows revenge against him. “Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged. Most thoroughly for my father.” (IV.v.109-110) Although it may not be the most intelligent or thought-out of vows, it is certainly noble to want and actively seek vengeance, as opposed to moping and hesitating like Hamlet. Laertes is also honourable in the sense that he opposes the idea of using poison to defeat Hamlet, instead desiring to defeat him in a fencing match. Although Laertes does use poison and trickery to kill Hamlet, he starts feeling guilty when fighting Hamlet, “And yet it is almost 'gainst my conscience,” (V.ii.288) and shows genuine remorse after he is mortally wounded by Hamlet and forgives Hamlet of all his wrongdoings: ”Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet. Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee” (V.ii.324-325). Laertes is truly a noble character, exhibiting noble traits such as compassion, honour, loyalty, remorse, and forgiveness throughout the entirety of the play, from first appearance to untimely death.

Nobility in the modern world is very similar to nobility in Shakespearean times. The same characteristics that made someone nobel in Hamlet still apply today. A person is noble if they are loyal, just, compassionate, honourable, merciful, forgiving, and righteous. There are many people today who fit the criteria, although it is difficult to pick them out. The reason for this is that it is very difficult to remain noble while still being successful. Oftentimes success relies on doing ignoble things and requires ignoble practices and principles. It is just as important to be a noble person today as it was in Hamlet’s time, as nobility is a trait that transcends cultural and material changes. Even as the world and the people in it change, being noble will always be an important trait.

http://0.tqn.com/d/taoism/1/0/0/-/-/-/yinYang.gif

Hamlet has a knack for reading situations. He analysis them and acts based on the circumstances. This can either be a good or bad thing, depending on how he choses to react. When he is presented with the opportunity to kill Claudius for his wrong doings, he opts not to. It can be said that most characters in this situation would be reluctant, but maybe for different reasons than Hamlet. There is the obvious, that Hamlet is finding it difficult to kill because he hates the fact that if he kills Claudius he will end up in the same place, when he killed his father. He does care what people think of him and more importantly what Gertrude will think. It could be seen as Hamlet being brave or strong, but I see his madness taking form. If a reason for the delay is possibly him caring for his mother Gertrude in a lustful way, and not wanting to hurt her by killing her lover, I think it's safe to say Hamlet's true colours are starting to show. 

Hamlet sees that Claudius is praying. According to his Religion, if he were to kill Claudius at a time of prayer, his sins would be condoned and he would go to heaven. As hamlet says; "And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do the same villain send To heaven" (3.3.75-79), we see his motives. It would make much more sense that the man you hate go to hell, so this is one reason for his hesitation. Hamlet is very clever and wants Claudius to spend the rest of eternity suffering, which is really the most horrific form of torture. He is also conflicted with what the ghost asked him to do. He is contemplating whether or not to follow through. Again, he is over thinking the whole situation and giving us an insight to his character. 

Shakespeare definitely thought Hamlet's delay through very carefully. Not only does it put the audience in the position of Hamlet, but It also tells us more about his character and motives. It is easier said than done how one would act in a situation involving murder. Seeing how Hamlet reacts reveals his take on stability and rationality. 

http://unstruck.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/is-it-in-fact-nobler-in-the-mind-to-suffer-the-slings-and-arrows-of-outrageous-fortune-and-if-not-what-is-the-alternative/

I believe Hamlet’s reluctance toward killing his uncle comes from the immense pressure he puts on himself. Hamlet is constantly comparing himself to others and is very hard on himself when he cannot do something as well as someone else can. An example of this is when Hamlet gets angry while watching the first player take brutal revenge on his uncle for killing his dad. After watching the performance Hamlet says “is it not monstrous that this player here, / But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, / Could force his soul so to his whole conceit / That from her working all his visage wann’d?” (2.2.546) When Hamlet says this he is describing his frustration with the fact that the first player is able to show more emotion than he is even though he is living the same situation in real life. Hamlet also goes on to describe how he wishes he could show the same emotion so he would be able to avenge his Father’s death. He describes this by directly comparing the first player to himself and imaging what the first player would do if he were in the same situation. “What would he do, / Had he the motive and the cue for passion / That I have?” (2.2.555). Because of this immense amount of pressure Hamlet puts on himself, when he finally gets the chance to kill his uncle, Hamlet chokes under the pressure and delays. I believe by having Hamlet delay in killing his uncle Shakespeare is trying to teach us that if you have the chance to do something, you should do it and not waste your opportunity. I believe this is true because when Hamlet decides not to kill his uncle it’s because he reasons with himself and decides he wants to wait until his uncle is doing something sinful so he can get true redemption. However ironically when Hamlet’s uncle is praying and Hamlet is debating killing him he is confessing all of his sins and it would be a perfect time for Hamlet to kill him. This reminds me of approaching a traffic light just as it is turning yellow because if you delay and don’t accelerate you won’t make it through the intersection before the light turns red. This relates to Hamlet’s situation because the longer he takes to kill Claudious the more likely it is that something will happen and it could be too late to avenge his Father's death.

Shakespeare makes us believe that Hamlet’s only choice to get his old life back and to be happy again is to kill Claudius. The murdering of Claudius was not even Hamlets idea, Hamlet feels obligated to the ghost of his father’s request, and the delay would be no different for any sane person as we would all hesitate in killing another human. With that being said Hamlet does comes off as insane to many of the other characters in the play although, the delay in murdering Claudius shows that the antic-disposition is really just to throw people off. At first when the Ghost of his father tells Hamlet that he has to get revenge on the murderer Hamlet is all for it, saying, ‘’Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge.’’ (1.7.5), but this is before he is told the murderer is Claudius. There is a chance Hamlet changes his mind after he finds out who the true murderer was, as Hamlet is not ready to take fill the role of Claudius.  When Hamlet passes up the opportunity to kill the King he makes excuses of how he does not want Claudius to go to heaven as he was in time of prayer and also that he (Hamlet) needs rightful proof of the murder so he will not be guilty of regicide, as Hamlet  sees himself becoming the king. After all these delay tactics from Hamlet not once does he make any further plans to kill the King. Overall, I believe that Hamlet was being torn between what was right and wrong not just for himself but for the people that were close with him although, there was reasonable purpose for Hamlets delay in killing Claudius.  

 

 https://discipleswomen.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/seed-and-bread/

The Noble Ones

In Hamlet, I think the only two truly noble people are Horatio and Laertes. In my opinion, being noble is being honorable, reputable most importantly loyal. So although both Horatio and Laertes carry out or aide in some questionable actions, their motive behind the actions is worthy. Firstly, Horatio is a tried and true friend of Hamlet's. He is there for Hamlet through the death of his father, helps Hamlet in all his crazy schemes, and consistently stands by his side, even when Hamlet is acting mad. When Hamlet is poisoned, Horatio states "I am more an antique Roman than Dane: Here's yet some liquor left." (5.2.335-6) implying he would even take his own life so he could die with his friend.  These are all characteristics of a reliable friend and Horatio is someone who will be there for you when you need it. This unfailing loyalty proves that Horatio is one of the few characters in Hamlet you can be confident has your back. The only other character I see as noble in this play is Laertes. Despite conspiring with Claudius to kill Hamlet, Laertes is doing this only to avenge his father who was killed unjustly. He proclaims he will "be revenged most thoroughly for my father" (4.5.133-135). This familial obligation shows that Laertes is noble and loyal to his family. It it the duty of a family to stay together and protect each other so Laertes sees Polonius' murder as a threat to himself and his sister as well as a huge invasion of the little trust Laertes had for Hamlet previously.  I think Laertes' case is the one that is more relatable to the modern world and especially my life. The responsibility I feel for my family and very close friends is much more than for my other peers. Now I'm not one to step on anyone to get what I want but to each person, everyone else is competition, for jobs, for acceptance into university, for respect, relationships etc. The desire to do well and be the best can sometimes cloud our judgement on how to treat others. Meanwhile, I would give my life for my family without a second thought; something I would only ever do for a couple of my closest friends. Maybe this makes me heartless but what really makes their life more valuable than mine. I think it is natural and how humans evolved to try to be the best and sometimes that leads to manipulation or putting one's self first.

http://laurelpoint.com/loyalty-program/

Final Blog for you to discuss: Mortality or Noblity... which will it be?

Option 1: 
As we have discussed in class, Hamlet's attitude towards himself and the issue of mortality seems to evolve over the course of the play. With every new soliloquy (there are four major ones), he seems to change his thinking on what it means to live and die. 
Your prompt: consider Hamlet's opinion on mortality over the course of this play. How does his perception of death change throughout the play and provide specific explanations for why that opinion changes. If you'd like to extend your learning, consider how Hamlet's discussion of mortality has influenced you or how you see the world. Use evidence from the play to support your response.

Option 2: Is there anyone in this play with a heart? It has been argued that there are only two actually  noble people in this play. For your prompt, please identify who you believe to be a noble character in this play and provide specific reasons why. Justify your response. To extend your learning, discuss the role of nobility in character in the modern world. Are there actually noble people in our world, or are we all just selfish beasts looking out for ourselves?
Click here if you would like to see the Blog Rubric. 

source: http://chooseabetterlife.com/2012/10/noble-character-2/

 

I chose this picture because it reminded me of Hamlet and the fact that every time he realizes something or gets something in his head he gets more confused.

http://www.desicomments.com/babies/the-more-i-think-the-more-confused-i-get/

From the very beginning of Hamlet, Shakespeare has prepared us for Hamlet to delay. I believe that Hamlet's reluctance for killing Claudius is very reasonable. Hamlet has been faced with many challenges not only his father being killed by his uncle, but then his mother marrying his uncle a few months later. In act two scene 2 hamlet has a soliloquy, he's reflecting upon the amazing acting of the first player. It allows us to see how hamlet is likely to ponder ideas from many different angles before proceeding through with any plans, and this generally takes quite a bit of time. Which is one of the many reasons that prove why Hamlet becomes so confused.

When the ghost, who is presumed to be hamlets father comes into play, Hamlets friends attempt to warn him that getting involved with this ghost could cause him to go crazy and maybe lead him to suicide. “What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord? / Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff / . . . And there assume some other horrible form / Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason?"(1.4,69-73). Horatio and the others find the ghost very questionable, but hamlet decides not to listen to them. I believe that Hamlet thought it was an obligation that he owed his father to kill Claudius and get revenger. We begin to see later on that Hamlet might be starting to doubt his judgement from before and maybe he should do some further researching into Claudius. This is where the "mouse trap" comes into play, to see Claudius's reaction and if he really is behind the death of his father.

There are many more reasons that could lead to why Hamlet decided to delay , because of reasons like the consequences of killing, his religious beliefs and not wanting to hurt his mother along with the reasons that were stated above.These are all very valid reasons that prove that Hamlets reluctance for killing Claudius is very reasonable.

I think Hamlet feels as though he is in a pickle and therefore can't act upon his dad's request to kill his uncle. I believe Hamlet is torn between what his father expects of him and what he thinks is right. On one hand he wants to be loyal to his father and take revenge, but on the other hand his mind is playing tricks on him. Hamlet fears the idea of being a murderer and can't bring himself to pursue the murder. After presenting a play to Claudius, that is similar to the murder of King Hamlet, Claudius breaks down and Hamlet is convinced that the ghost told him the truth. This gives him reassurance, but he still doesn't seem to be able to kill Claudius. A possible reason for his reluctance might be that the only opportunity that presented itself to kill Claudius was in a church. In Elizabethan time, people believed that when you kill someone during prayer they will go to heaven. Since Hamlet doesn't want Claudius to go to heaven, he doesn't follow through with his plan. Although he draws his sword at one point, he decides to wait for a moment that exposes Claudius as a sinner so he can kill him without feeling guilty,
  "Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.

   When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,

   Or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed,

   At game a-swearing, or about some act

   That has no relish of salvation in ’t—" (3.3.89-93).
I think his reluctance is reasonable considering he is insane. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to get revenge, but I understand why he can't. The reluctance of Hamlet tells us a lot about his character. He is a person that thinks a lot and self-evaluates his actions and thoughts. I find his internal struggle to be very interesting, because I believe nowadays the minority of people would hesitate even a second to get revenge for a beloved one.
When the ghost tells Hamlet he was murdered and wants his son to seek revenge, Hamlet is all for it: Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift. As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge (1.5.29-31). Only after he finds out that it is Claudius he has to kill, he begins to show reluctance. To some extent I believe this to be because of his mother. He wonders how Claudius death will affect her and his country, which explains his hesitation.
Some people believe that Hamlet was sexually attracted to his mother and didn't want to hurt her by killing Claudius. This article suggests that Hamlet would be tempted to sleep with his mother himself, if he killed Claudius. He could also fear sharing the same fate as his uncle - a murderer. I think sometimes he's on the verge of killing Claudius, which explains why he stabbed Polonius. Hamlet can be dramatic and act on impulses, but he also tries to be rational. I believe my picture is a representation of how Hamlet feels. Again, he is in a pickle, because he thinks no matter what he does he is doomed. Whether he kills Claudius or doesn't, he will sin and therefore feels miserable.
As one can see, there are many possible reasons for Hamlet's delay in killing his uncle. I think in general, Shakespeare is trying to show us that in life it is important to really think about big decisions and how they affect you and people around you.

Source of picture: http://www.rottenecards.com/card/333670/damned-if-you-do-damned-if-yo

Hey Gr. 12's! Here's the blog rubric and another link that you might find interesting... Enjoy!

Hi Everyone, here are two things you might find interesting:
1. Click here to see the rubric we will be using for the blog evaluation

2. Click here to read my latest post in my Cohort21 teacher's blog
This Cohort21 is a year-long learning opportunity I've been participating in. This blog post discusses how I plan on approaching assessment and evaluation in the coming months in my class, focusing on improving student learning through choice and improved feedback. Enjoy!

Pink Floyd's "The Wall" provided the inspiration for my most recent blog post

I believe that Hamlet is reluctant when presented with the opportunity to take the life of the man who killed his father, because Hamlet does not want to kill Claudius while he is openly regretting the murder of King Hamlet. Hamlet does want revenge but perhaps not in these circumstances. As hard as it would be to kill someone, it would be much harder to kill them while they are at their most vulnerable point; because we would like to picture the person we are trying to kill as evil, not emotionally compromised, regretful, or human. This delay is very reasonable and speaks to Hamlets thoughts and self-reflections. Hamlet has given this murder much thought and has perhaps come to the conclusion that Claudius must not just be killed, but killed at the right time. Hamlet may also think that to kill Claudius at this time when he is so vulnerable is no more honorable than the way Claudius killed the king, and that it is not what the king would have wanted. This point ties in perfectly to the message that Shakespeare may have been trying to convey. I believe by showing this delay Shakespeare was saying that although revenge seems like it is the best thing todo or the easy thing to do it may not be the right thing to do. By the easy thing to do I simply mean it  would be easier for hamlet to kill Claudius then to easier to kill Claudius than let the murder of King Hamlet go. Sometimes the easiest thing and right thing aren’t the same, and I think that is the point Shakespeare was trying to make. That in order to be the better person Hamlet had to overcome what he thought was just.

(Pyrrhus son of Achilles)