Suspension and Action in Hamlet

“Suspension and action”
in: Hamlet.

“Hamlet” is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare between the years of 1599s and 1601s. The play is set in the kingdom of Denmark. It is about life and death, and recounts the tragic tale of how Prince Hamlet enacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, for murdering his father King Hamlet, marring Gertrude his mother and succeeding him to the throne.
First off all, Hamlet is in deep sorrow with the death of his father, and very angered of the re-marriage of his mother. And the fact that she gets married to his uncle makes things worse. Then, when the Ghost tells him that his father King Hamlet had been murdered by his uncle Claudius, he becomes quickly impulsive to seek immediate revenge. After that, Hamlet is required to take actions to avenge his father, but each time he finds a reason to suspend his action.
So, what are the reasons behind Hamlet's suspension of action? And how does he manage to avenge his father?
To give an answer to these questions, the first part of the dissertation will deal with how Hamlet delays his revenge and what makes him hesitate and suspend his action. Then, the second part will reveal how he finally acts and whether he will succeed to avenge his father or not.

The idea of revenge is the central idea in the play.   And this is also a concept which produces conflict within Hamlet. Throughout the play, it seems that he is fighting an inner battle of what he should and should not do. He hesitates and cannot take decisions, which sometimes results   in a suspension of actions.
When he contemplates an action, he thinks about it, and finds reasons not to act. For instance, in his first monologue in Act1, Scene2 (1.2.129-131), Hamlet says:
“Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter. O God! O God!”
He thinks of suicide as a solution to his problems. But he says that he cannot commit it...