In the play Hamlet (1307-1407) by William Shakespeare, a young prince named Hamlet is forced to deal with many things: his father, King Hamlet has died and his mother, Gertrude, has quickly remarried. She is now married to King Hamlet's brother Claudius. Claudius also replaces King Hamlet as King of Denmark. So now prince Hamlet must deal with his father's death, his mothers "o"erhasty marriage" (2.2.57), and the fact that his uncle is the king when that position should rightfully be his. This is a lot for young Hamlet to handle. He even continues to wear black months after his father's death. When Hamlet's good friend Horatio tells Hamlet that a ghost looking exactly like the late King Hamlet keeps appearing, Hamlet is very eager to see the ghost. When Hamlet does finally get a chance to see the ghost he is afraid, but anxious to find out why the ghost has decided to show itself. Hamlet learns that the ghost is his father's spirit. The ghost tells Hamlet that if he ever loved his father then he must "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder" (1.5.25). Hamlet is shocked when the ghost tells him that his father was murdered. Hamlet is even more stunned when the ghost tells him "the serpent that did sting thy father's life / now wears his crown" (1.5.39-40). Hamlet learns that Claudius murdered his father by pouring poison in his ear. With all of the things Hamlet was already upset about he now had an even bigger problem to face, avenging his father's death. With this news one would think that Hamlet would find his uncle and kill him right away. But Hamlet does not seek out Claudius. Instead, he waits. Hamlet's tragic flaw is the fact that he thinks before he acts. Hamlet is a procrastinator. Hamlet the young prince, the tragic hero with the tragic flaw, could have saved many lives, including his own, if he would have just acted on impulse instead of thinking so much. .
One of the lives Hamlet could have saved is also one of the lives he takes himself.