t the role that he so resolved in act one. However, when the traveling theater troupe comes around, the resolve Hamlet once had returns. Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again, by the moving speech that is given by one of the players. About this speech, he says, "What is Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba that he should weep for her? What would he do had he motive and cue for passion that I have?" (Act 2 Scene 2). In this praise of this players ability to act, Hamlet is saying that if this was a play, and he was an actor in it, he would have killed Claudius by now. He is then moved to swear that he should kill Claudius when he says, "I should have fatted all the region kites with this slaves offal. Bloody, bawdy villain! O, vengeance! Why, what an ass am I?" (Act 2 Scene 2).He makes this big buildup of what he should have done and how he will seek revenge, but then shoots it down in the next statement. This passage is the model of Hamlets tremendous problem. After all of this swearing and support of the value of acting and words, he backs out of it again. He cant decide whether to play the role or not. Being caught in the middle, he decides that he needs more proof of the Kings guilt. He keeps going back on his resolve when he says, "The play is the thing, wherein Ill catch the conscience of the King." (Act 2 Scene 2). Hamlet feels that not only can the inner and outer self not be linked, but also acting will transform ones inner self to match the exterior. This is a strong statement, but one backed up by the play. If Hamlet believes that acting can transform your ones inner self into whatever role one is playing, then it is clear to me why this play ends tragically. Hamlet has inherent flaws in the way he perceives the way people function. By what he says here, if he would only act the part he wouldnt have a problem taking action. However, the contradictions that are so commonplace in Hamlet are shown again when he says, "God hath given...
