Why did Hamlet struggle to murder Claudius?

There are a few reasons which explain why Hamlet struggled to kill his uncle. The main explanation is that Hamlet was a scholar as opposed to the typical character's Shakespeare presents. His personality involved weighing up situations and evaluating the consequences. Therefore, Hamlet struggled to use brute force and the single motivation of revenge to murder his Uncle. Another explanation for Hamlet's struggles links to Sigmund Freud's Oedipus complex. The Oedipus complex suggests that young boys resent their fathers due to unresolved feelings towards their mothers. Therefore, Hamlet may have believed his Uncle had supported him by murdering his Father and saved him from carrying it out himself. Ultimately, he was grateful for his Uncle's act and did not want to cause him any harm.

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Answered by Jessica G. English Literature tutor

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