The character of Hamlet does not conform to the usual blood-thirsty protagonist who will stop at nothing until his desperate need for revenge is satisfied, as is expected by the audience. In contrast, Hamlet's intelligence prevents him from being overcome by his need for revenge, and he is unusually subdued and hesitant to fulfill his beloved fathers request, finding many obstacles that hinder his decision and delay any action until the very end of the play. Hamlet's first issue to ponder is regarding the nature of the ghost itself; could it be a demon disguised as his father taking advantage of his vulnerable state of mind and tricking him into murdering Claudius, or is it really King Hamlet come seeking help? "Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd." Hamlet is so intent on making sure Claudius is guilty he employs actors to preform a play to the court, reenacting the way Claudius supposedly murdered King Hamlet as told by the ghost. He then watches Claudius's revealing reaction to determine his guilt. This is just one example of the way Hamlet continually postpones any real action through acts of procrastination, much unlike the typical revenger. Even after Hamlet confirms Claudius's role in his fathers murder relatively early in the play, he still manages to come up with more reasons for delay, right up until the last scene. Despite being given a near perfect opportunity to finally avenge his fathers death and kill Claudius, Hamlet does not take it. This scene once again catches the audience off guard, as Shakespeare tricks us into thinking our want for the expected revenge is about to be satisfied, only to have Hamlet rethink his timing at the last moment. Hamlet suddenly decides he does not want to kill Claudius while he is praying, as that would sent him straight to heaven while his father has been unfairly condemned to purgatory. Instead, he must wait until Claudius is "about some act that has no relish of salvation in't and that his soul may be as damned and black as hell, whereto it goes.
