Hamlet’s indecision is a critical part of the play Hamlet. One reason is the basic fact that if Hamlet had acted immediately on the news that his uncle Claudius had killed the king, Hamlet’s father, and taken over the throne of Denmark the play would have ended with the first act. The fact that Hamlet learns that something is rotten in the state of Denmark early on fuels the conflict that makes the play interesting and continues it for five acts. Hamlet’s indecision is what made the play interesting and a classic.
Another reason that Hamlet’s irresolution affects the play is that it allows for character development and let’s us see a glimpse of humanity. The whole theme of the play is to be or not to be, to act or to stand by, to live or to die. The fact that Hamlet analyzes his surroundings and situations allows ourselves to experience his feeling for ourselves. If Hamlet had acted rashly, we would not see the doubt he had, experience the fear of the unknown, and feel the pressure of facing eternity and mortality.
However, Hamlet’s indecisiveness allows for some sad things to occur in the play. For example, Hamlet was not sure how much Rosencrantz and Guildenstern loved him and were his true friends because of this they were sent to their deaths in England. Another example is he wasn’t sure who was spying on him and the queen. So acting out of guessing he stabbed to death the man hiding behind the tapestry doing the spying, Polonius, king of France.

Nick B.