"In all revenge tragedies we need three characters (sometimes doubled or in groups): a character to be killed, a character to kill him, and an avenger to kill the killer." (Fry, Anthrop, The anatomy of Criticism) The theme of vengeance and guilt plays an important role in Shakespeare's Hamlet. In the beginning of act 1 scene 5, a ghost visits Hamlet claiming to be the ghost of his father. He tells Hamlet to avenge his death for he can't go to heaven because he was killed with all of his sins upon him.
"Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin, .
Unhouseled, disappointed, unaneled,.
No reck, ning made, but sent to my account.
With all my imperfections on my head." (P61, L83-86.
Hamlet replies to the ghost promising to kill Claudius. As of this point Hamlet is undecided about whether the ghost was his father or the devil in disguise. He feels that it is a good possibility that Claudius is the murderer, but he needs proof before he takes action. To prove the fact that Claudius killed his father he performed a play that mimicked the same exact type of death Hamlets father had. One of the reasons that Hamlet is not sure if the ghost is his father is because it has to leave by dawn. This is a classic sign of an evil spirit. The ghost is not the only thing that affects Hamlets opinion about Claudius. "Hamlet has always despised and distrusted Claudius, and is inclined to think the story authentic whether the teller of it is or not." (P87 Fry, Northrop, the Anatomy of Criticism) .
Hamlet had the chance to kill Claudius many times, but passed them up for he thought a better opportunity was approaching. He passed up his best opportunity while Claudius was praying. Hamlet thought back to what the ghost had told him about suffering in purgatory. This is why "Hamlet decides that he won't kill Claudius while he's at prayer because he wants him to go to hell and not to purgatory." (P87 Fry, Northrop, the Anatomy of Criticism) .
