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Hamlet, Freewill, Fatalism, and Moral Responsibility
Introduction
The universal fight between the human instinct to accept fate entirely and the natural urge
to control fate, as well as his responsibility as a prince to do the right thing, is at the heart of every
significant tragedy. From the old days to the present time, free will and determinism have often
been considered contra-dictions. (Smit 1) Classical tragedians like Shakespeare recognized this
tension between fate and free will and the role of moral responsibility and played it out in their
works. In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, there is only a thin line between fatalism, free will, and moral
justification of and for the various factions of the play's characters, particularly the play's
protagonist, Hamlet. This conflict has a terrible impact on Hamlet because it gradually transforms
his act of madness into reality. This conflict is essential because it develops Hamlet's ongoing
confusion and his reluctance to act on his desire for retribution, which ultimately shapes the tone
of the play's events and happenings. As a result, the study examines the protagonist's actions and
attitudes from various perspectives to justify his actions and inactions.
Freewill of Hamlet
Hamlet made choices in the play's plot that ultimately led to his death, all of which were
driven by his own free will. It all started when Hamlet was morning his father; in grieving his father's
death, Hamlet chooses to do so for an extended period, which others think excessive. “But to
persevere/ In obstinate condolement is a course/ Of impious stubbornness.”(Shakespeare 1.2.9698), according to Claudius. Hamlet meets his father's spirit during this grieving period and swears to
revenge his father's death. However, on second thought, he doubts the authenticity of the Ghost's
message. At this point, he meticulously selects a course of conduct that will invariably demonstrate
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that the king is to blame. The attitude of doubt as exhibited by Hamlet is a nature of a free being,
showing the willingness and ability to make decisions for himself.
Hamlet is summoned to his mother's chamber after the performance of "The Mousetrap."
Hamlet murders Polonius after arguing with Gertrude about the play's purpose and his reasons for
openly distressing the monarch. “How now? A rat? Dead for a ducat, dead (3.4.29). Although there
is a possibility that the murder of Paulinus was but a mistake, however, it was willingly committed,
for he thought it was king Claudius, as this is made evident in his speech. “Thou wretched, rash,
intruding fool, farewell! / I took thee for thy better”(3.4..38-39).
Following Claudius’ discovery of Hamlet's intended assassination, the king devises his
scheme to eliminate Hamlet. Claudius sends Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
to kill Hamlet, but the situation changes. "My head (too) be struck off" (5.2..27). Hamlet changed
the sentence papers, knowing that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would be executed instead. Finally,
Hamlet's and Laertes' swords duel. Claudius' poisoned glass and Laertes' poisoned swordpoint are
unknown to Hamlet. When Laertes stabs Hamlet, he chooses to stab back, and his later killing of
Claudius were all premeditated actions.
Fatalism in Hamlet
In an article by Jeff Speaks, he articulated a fatalist view which is the view that “no one
has a choice about his acts or can act other than he does” (1). Just as seen in the preceding, Hamlet
is aware of his destiny to be the one who kills Claudius, his father's murderer. Hamlet has the
chance to get revenge but is excited, yet, he still ends up killing Claudius himself; this implies that
it has been fated that Claudius will die at the hand of Hamlet, irrespective of the situation. Hamlet
writes the last few lines in the play-within-the-play, which the Player King recites, "Our wills and
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fates do so contrary run/ That our devices still are overthrown. Our thoughts are ours, their ends
none of our own" (Shakespeare 3.2.198-200).
Hamlet's life and the vengeance he feels compelled to exact bind him to his fate. Hamlet
is well aware of his own and all men's fates: death. But he refuses to embrace it. Hamlet is both
perplexed and terrified by the prospect of death. But death is not an option for Hamlet. "To be or
not to be, that is the question," he says. (3. 1. 57). To be or not to be is a question, and a question
is a thought, and therefore a type of freedom; but, death is an end, and thus none of our own. What
worries Hamlet the most is that death is not a choice, and the unknown nature can never be known
in this life, no matter how much pondering Hamlet does; it's as if he knows that pursuing retribution
will lead to his death, and he can't accept that. He wishes to meet his fate, but his thoughts keep
him from doing so: Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,/ And thus the native hue of
resolution/ Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,/ And enterprises of great pitch and
moment/ With this regard their currents turn awry/ And lose the name of action (31.91-95) Hamlet
is constantly at odds with himself as a figure who despises thought but always thinks. Hamlet feels
compelled to carry out his father's heavy burden of vengeance, but he is unprepared to meet this
fate.
All along through the course of the play, it more seems the fate of most characters of the
play has been predetermined, like Claudius to die in the hand of Hamlet, and Hamlet to mee his
death after he has accomplished the burden placed on him by his father's Ghost and many other
tolls of events.
Moral Responsibility in Hamlet
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Through the course of the opening of the play, the Ghost tells Hamlet of the crime
committed by Claudius. When Hamlet finds out his father was murdered by Claudius, his brother,
who also stole his wife and crown, he is committed to avenging his murder; "Haste me to know,
that I, with wings as swift/As meditation or the thoughts of love/May sweep to my revenge."
(Shakespeare 1.5.35-37). He believes what he hears is accurate after seeing his father's ghost, but
he does not act on it until he can prove it somehow. Because Hamlet is still grieving his father's
death, this enrages him and makes him want to murder Claudius in retaliation, but Hamlet's
obligation as prince prevents him from doing so. Hamlet is torn between believing the Ghost is his
father and believing the Ghost is a demon attempting to steal his soul because of this obligation.
This is seen in his planning of the Plays presentation of "The Murder of Gonzago," as he
waits to watch Claudius' reaction to the play before acting on the Ghost's cry for vengeance.
Claudius' reaction to the description of his precise acts practically declares his guilt, and Hamlet
is ethically justified in exacting any vengeance he desires. Each of Claudius' ethically wrong
behaviors is countered by Hamlet's morally correct answer as the play develops. At this point, a
justification is already created, even if Claudius was murdered by him immediately. However, a
justification is not provided for the sin of murder but the motive of the murder.
As the play progresses, Hamlet's accidental murder of Polonius, a minor character,
counteracts the moral wrongs perpetrated against Hamlet by Polonius and Laertes, Ophelia's father
and brother. "In few, Ophelia/Do not believe his pledges... but mere implorators of unholy suits,"
Laertes and Polonius had mocked Ophelia for believing Hamlet was genuine about his intentions
to her. Through the play, Hamlet is the most moral of the character. He never does or makes a
move without thinking it over, either justifying his act religiously or morally; he always tries to
provide a moral sanctitude for his actions.
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Conclusion
We must examine the concept of being responsible for our actions, whether God controls
what happens, and whether Hamlet is controlled by other forces larger than him or was acting out
of morality, based on his free will, to determine whether he lives by free will or is controlled by
forces larger than him. From the preceding about Hamlet, it is evident that Hamlet was indecisive
in decision-making, which amounted to his flaws and fall; therefore, this caused him to make poor
decisions. Hamlet had many plans executed wrongly; no one is responsible for that but himself.
reflecting on this more, it is different from being free, but another path is a reflection on the notion
of responsibility that comes with the action of being free (Kane 4)
Hamlet says, " To be or not to be—that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in mind to
suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,/ Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And,
by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep—/ No more—and by a sleep to say we end /"(Shakespeare
3, 1. 64-69). This soliloquy depicts one of many instances in Hamlet's story where he has no idea
what to do with the problems he is presented with. He discussed his actions, demonstrating that he
is solely responsible for his choices. A product of moral sanity and a free agent. However, it is also
feasible to believe that his acts were affected by a greater force, which could be God (fatalism).
There are moments of the play where Christianity is mentioned, leading the reader to feel that God
is the more potent force. Everything happens for a purpose; however, many individuals are
unaware of that reason.
This is made evident when Hamlet made this allusion " Not a whit. We defy augury. There
is a/ special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now,/ 'tis not to come; if it is not to come,
it will be/ now; if it is not now, yet it will come." (5. 2. 233-236). Hamlet expresses in this remark
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that God is in charge of everything, including the death of a sparrow. This is in line with the adage
"everything has its time and place." If anything happens later, it's because it was supposed to
happen that way.
Hamlet believes that God is in charge of both men's and everything else's fate. Our fate is
set, but the path we take to get there is not. Many individuals now blame God for not revealing the
path to us more plainly. This element is open to interpretation, as it could also mean that the
individual didn't stop to listen to the excellent and terrible devil on their shoulders. It's human
nature to avoid taking responsibility for one's conduct. We tend to blame our surroundings for our
conduct, so his acts could be classified as fatalism; this idea was also rendered vocal by Smit when
he asserted that “determinism sometimes was indicated within Christianity with the word:
predestination.” (Smit 2)
Furthermore, the Ghost in the story plays an important role and might be viewed as the
catalyst for Hamlet's disastrous decisions. "I am your father's spirit," the Ghost claims. (1, 5, 9)
The Ghost, according to this remark, is Hamlet's father. We learn our beliefs from our parents as
we grow up; they teach us right from wrong, and we know that no matter what they say, we must
follow their instructions. Because the Ghost is Hamlet's father, he feels compelled to act because
he adores him. Our parents influence us. As humans, we would never allow someone to harm
someone we care about. Hence his freewill decision to kill Claudius is morally acceptable.
Hamlet is proof that various factors influence our lives and have free will. Things that
impact you are merely influences; whether or not you choose to act on them is entirely up to you.
No one can compel another to do anything, not of interest. Specific influences can lead us astray,
but it is up to our mental power to guide us in the right direction. This drama should help every
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reader realize that every good or terrible action has a consequence, and we are not the only ones
affected by our choices.
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Reference
Kane Robert, A Contemporary Introduction to Freewill, Oxford University Press, 2005, New
York
Smit Wim, Freewill and Determinism, Conference: IIAS Symposium (Ed. Markus Locker),
Baden-Baden, Germany, August 2005, Baden-Baden, Germany
Speaks
Jeff, Foreknowledge and Fatalism, https://www3.nd.edu/~jspeaks/courses/20078/20229/_HANDOUTS/foreknowledge-fatalism.pdf, Accessed
22 December 2021
William
Shakespeare,
The
Tragedy
of
Hamlet
Prince
of
Denmark,
https://shakespeare.folger.edu/downloads/pdf/hamlet_PDF_FolgerShakespeare.pdf,
Accessed
22 December 2021
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