The classic question of Hamlet, by Shakespeare, is referred to as "the Hamlet problem." Many critics analyzing the play have asked the following questions: Is Hamlet a coward, why does he delay so long in completing his revenge, and what are the justifications for his actions? "Am I a coward? Who calls me 'villain'?" (2.2.530-531). At the end of Act 2 Scene 2, Hamlet deplores that he has failed his father by taking such a long time to kill Claudius and avenge the late King Hamlet's death. It is clear that Hamlet himself does not understand why he has not yet taken action against Claudius. Many critics have suggested that Hamlet is "too intellectual." .
Hamlet is a thinker, which in turn prevents him from being in touch with his feelings. Hamlet compares himself to the player, who could so quickly work up emotions about a queen who lived a thousand years ago. Hamlet's directly violent actions are always impulsive, proving that he can only act in such a way before he has time to think it through. But Hamlet's caution in murdering Claudius is both reasonable and respectable. The circumstances in which Claudius was implicated in his father's death are questionable. Hamlet damns himself "[I] must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words" (2.2.548). He should be given credit for being heedful. It would be foolish to kill a man based on what a specter tells you without doing further investigation.
Hamlet says that he will avenge his father's death with "wings as swift as meditation" (1.5.30). Hamlet's use of the word "meditation," which is not all that swift, tells us that he is prone to ponder things from various angles before acting. Hamlet's impulsive actions lead him to act irrationally. He killed Polonius and set up Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to be murdered without showing any remorse for his actions. He doesn't hesitate to kill these men while the murder of Claudius took time to pursue.
