To act or not to act; was Hamlet a jackass?

Every moment, we all have a choice of what to do or not to do, and we have to live with what follows from each choice.

The play explores the dilemmas and considerations rather well.

I wouldn’t say Hamlet was a jackass, except to Ophelia.

I don’t want to get into personal details, but I feel like this has come up frequently for me. There are many times I would have preferred to take actions, and chosen not to. Often because the morality is almost never black and white, particularly because actions often have consequences other than one intends.

Courage in love are my main regrets.

With villains, I’ve actually liked most of the few times I’ve acted, and mostly been satisfied that when I didn’t act, that there would have been worse negative consequences than what would’ve been achieved. I do think though that there are plenty of people who deserve some justice and don’t get it. I’ve met a lot of discouraged family lawyers, including some that have advocated vigilante violence against perpetrators. I’ve also heard a few stories about people who managed to get some retribution. But even child abusers were/are victims, too. There are better solutions. Having a good life and evicting abusive people from one’s life tends to be much better than trying to go after anyone unless it’s the last resort and it protects victims from ongoing abuse.

The main choices I regret have been about romance rather than retribution. I wish I’d known what I know now, then. Don’t be afraid to express love. Love genuinely. Leave when it’s not working.

“Do you have duties, first, to family or employer before you act on a moral imperative?”

Duties, yes, but not always first. Sometimes, one has to put oneself first. However, if the action is suicide (which I guess you are implying with the question), I would always advocate putting others first. This, simply because I think suicide is a terrible, terrible idea.

@dappled_leaves Don’t be worrying about that implication – though, very insightful for you to get that at a different time, it is no longer true -

My current Hamlet moment is whether to take a stand against a dangerously incompetent boss. Public safety is an issue. I get paid well to cover his ass, but not well enough to feel ok about it.

@Blueroses

From the soliloquy:

Whether ‘tis Nobler in the mind to suffer the Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune,
(Do I take my cover my boss’s ass, swallow my moral compunctions, and feed my family…Or)

Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,/And by opposing end them…
(Or do I take the moral high ground, out my boss in favor of public safety, possibly save a few lives, and end my relationship with this person)

Duties to family, IMHO, include taking the higher moral ground, even though the times might get a little rough in the short run. There are many examples in history; volunteer troops who fought in the revolution (US and others); workers in the labor movement who refused to work under poor working conditions. these people risked livelihood and lives to see wrongs righted.

Hamlet is about a care free kid being required to grow up in a hurry. The gravity of the decision required of him is rendered even more difficult because he is unable to confide in those he loves and trusts. In fact it is in wrestling with what to do that forces the realization upon him that the folks around him are every bit as flawed as himself. There’s no reasonable answer to your question of process and priorities without consideration of the nature of what is to be decided. The only thing certain is that it must be prudent to weigh and consider a course of action (time permitting) rather than knee jerking your way to a solution.

Blueroses! Hi!

Thank you all for your answers. I know it’s a bit irritating to put thought into a response and then never hear the outcome, so I will give you the update:

I did decide to “Take arms against a sea of troubles/And by opposing, end them”.
The risk was too high to ignore. The mistakes were too grave, and the response too cavalier.

I acted. I spent a few days worrying and struggling with my action. I refused to work one more shift with an incompetent boss and went on strike! I let him flame and burn without my support. I covered myself by having a doctor diagnose extreme anxiety reaction to stress.

Nobody asked for my medical excuse. I was begged to return to work, opposite shifts from the person I opposed, with holiday pay for the days I missed and the corporate boss (3 levels over mine) flew in to meet with me. My concerns were heard and addressed.

As of today, the Incompetent One is gone!
I’m excited to have a fresh start after we make all the reparations.
In this case, Silkwood didn’t die for principles. Sometimes the good guys win.

Hi! Dutchess!