In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the main character Hamlet vows to avenge his father's death at the hands of Claudius. Claudius' motives to kill the old King Hamlet was to become King himself, to be more important and powerful than he was before and also to marry Gertrude whom he loved. However, Hamlet procrastinates throughout the play and does not seek revenge until the end, when Hamlet finally follows his instincts and kill's the murderer of his father. Hamlet's uncertainty causes delays in seeking his revenge, and ultimately fulfilling his destiny throughout the play. Hamlet needed to be sure that the Ghost was telling the truth before he sought revenge, Hamlet procrastinates killing Claudius while he is praying and lastly his trip to England further delayed his revenge.
Throughout the play, Hamlet has failed to realize that his true destiny was to kill the one who murdered his father. The Ghost delivered his news by saying, "The serpent that did sting thy father's life/ Now wears his crown" (1.5.39-40). Once Hamlet had found out it was his uncle that he must seek revenge on, he began to complain that, "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,/ That ever I was born to set it right!" (1.5.190-191). Hamlet is aware that soon enough, he must murder Claudius for causing the death of his father as well as putting Hamlet through the pain he has been in. Hamlet refers to King Claudius as a "bloody, bawdy villain" (2.2.580). However, despite all of this, Hamlet decides that instead of taking revenge right away, he would find out if the Ghost was telling the truth. After Hamlet expresses doubt in the Ghost, he conveys that he must take revenge but does not have the heart to do so when he says "That I, the son of a dear father murder'd,/ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell," (2.2.581-582). Hamlet then continues to comment on what he has been doing, "And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sickled o'er with the pale cast of thought,/ And enterprises of great pith and moment/ With this regard their currents turn awry,/ And lose the name of action" (3.
