Hamlet makes this big buildup of what he should have done and how he will seek revenge, but then contradicts himself in his next statement. After all of the swearing and support, he backs out again. He can’t decide whether to play the role or not. Being caught in the middle, Hamlet decides that he needs more proof of the King’s guilt. He keeps going back on his resolve when he says, "The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King" (2.2.559-560). Hamlet believes that acting will transform one’s inner self to match the …show more content…
He does not hesitate and fully embraces the act. In reaction to Ophelia’s death, he is again behaving as he should have. She was his love and he should have loved her more than her brother. This is shown when Hamlet says, "I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with their quantity of love make up my sum" (5.1.243-245). Hamlet should have loved her, but he did not. Had he loved her he would not have treated her so poorly earlier. He is now committed to acting, and loving Ophelia fits the role. In the rest of the play Hamlet sticks to his resolve. He barely has time to tell his story of escape to Horatio before he is challenged. He does not refuse the challenge because as nobility, he cannot refuse he has to keep his honor. Hamlet goes to the match and because he has now accepted the role, he does not hesitate to kill the King when prompted to do