Climax of Shakespeares Hamlet

The main conflict in Shakespeares play Hamlet is Hamlets lack of proof that his

uncle, King Claudius, is the person that killed his father. This conflict is resolved during

Act III, Scene ii, the moment Claudius stands with guilt during the play that Hamlet has

planned for the court. This moment is where Claudius realizes that Hamlet knows that

he was responsible for his fathers death, while Hamlet receives his definitive proof that

Claudius was the one who did it and that he did it with poison. With this proof, Hamlet is

able to kill Claudius without questioning his guilt.

Hamlet waits so long to kill Claudius because he does not want to kill him without

definite proof. What if his fathers ghost was really a demon preying on his weakness?

Also, if he killed the king without proof, wouldnt it look like he was after the throne?

Throughout the play, we see that two of Hamlets main characteristics are his

indecisiveness and over-thinking, as he is a man of thought rather than a man of action.

This is most notably seen in his to be or not to be soliloquy where he wishes for death

because of all of the overwhelming things that have happened (III, i). He contemplates

suicide because he wants to avoid his problems, that is, until he realizes for in that

sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must

give us pause (III, i, 74-76). In other words, he does not know what follows after death.

He contemplated the consequences of suicide and concluded that not knowing what

comes after death outweighs the benefit of dying. He does not act on this wish

because he weighs the consequences.

 This indecisiveness and overthinking is Hamlets main problem. His fathers

ghost has asked him to revenge his foul and most unnatural murder (I, v, 31), which

many people would do as soon as they possibly could, despite the consequences that

might follow. An example of such a person would be Laertes, who was quick to plan his

attack to avenge his father, Poloniuss, death. However, after Hamlet hears of his

fathers murder, he decides that he will put [on] an antic disposition ( I, v, 192) so that

he can find proof that his uncle truly did kill his father. He does this assuming that

people mind what they say less in the presence of a crazy person as they would with a

child. After a while with no definitive proof, Hamlet arranges a play with a group of

actors to see how his uncle will react while watching a scene with poison-through-the-

ear murder. His quest to find proof demonstrates that his main conflict is not truly

knowing whether Claudius killed his father or not.

With Hamlets main conflict being his lack of proof, we see this resolved when

Claudius reacts with guilt and surprise while watching the play. After Claudius calls the

play off, Guildenstern tells Hamlet that the king is in his retirement marvelous

distempered...with choler (Act III, scene ii, 294 & 296). Why would the king be angry

with the play and call it off if he were an innocent man? Claudius standing with surprise,

calling off the play, and feeling intense anger are Hamlets proof that Claudius killed the

king.

With Shakespeares play structure, we find that Act IV contains the

consequences of this resolve. Hamlet demonstrates his willingness to kill the king after

he finds his proof when he and his mother are talking in her chambers. Polonius is

listening in on their conversation behind the curtain when Hamlet stabs him, thinking
that it is the king eavesdropping. Claudius hears of this from Gertrude and realizes how

great a threat Hamlet really is and sends him off to England so that he will be executed.

Everything following the moment Hamlet gets his proof are consequences of his

decision to kill Claudius.