Throughout this play, Hamlet likes to engage in soliloquies to voice his innermost thoughts and conflicts. It is through these that we are allowed the most signigicant insight into Hamlet's character and the apparent emotional distress that has him so conflicted. It is clear from these soliloquies that avenging his father's death is forefront in his mind at all times and shapes all his actions. It is also noticeable that Hamlet goes though a number of stages in his pursuit of revenge. It is evident from his soliloquies in Act II along with Act IV, that a transition occurs from his hesitation in fulfilling his destiny to his awareness that there is no escaping it.
Hamlet's soliloquies in the first Act, though important because they introduce his character to the audience and help to set the foundation of his though processes, aren't quite as significant as the ones found later on in the play. For instance, in Act II, Hamlet voices his tormented state of mind because he has neglected his promise to his deceased father. He begins this soliloquy after watching one of the players which kindles a spark of revenge in him. Hamlet's emotional response wants to model the brutality of the player's version of Pyrrhus and his revenge. However, Hamlet himself feels weak in comparison. He calls himself a coward and instead identifies more with a "john-a-dreams, unpregnant of cause" (l. 595) then to the player's rendition of the revengeful Pyrrhus. As much as Hamlet wants to think everything through carefully before deciding on a course of action, he is also driven by an emotionally-charged passion. .
This conflict between his brain and heart is what's causing him to hesitate. The passion that he felt rise in him from the player's performance is in direct conflict with the rational thinking that he is also trying to maintain. Hamlet is a very pious person, who is propelled by a rigid moral code.
