Abstract

     Hamlet, one of the four great tragedies written by William Shakespeare, is the most celebrated tragic drama. It reveals the dark social reality of Elizabeth times. The thesis tries, from the three perspectives of Hamlet's humanist consciousness, religious superstition, and his complex mentality, to dissect the process and causes of Hamlet's delay of revenge, and thereby further reveal the inevitability of his tragedy and its social significance.

Key words: Hamlet, revenge, delay, causes

摘要

    《哈姆雷特》是莎士比亚四大悲剧之一，也是最有名的悲剧，它揭示了伊丽莎白时代黑暗的社会现实。本文试图从哈姆雷特的人文主义意识、宗教迷信和复杂的性格特征对他的影响三个方面，较为系统地剖析其拖延复仇的过程和原因，从而揭示其悲剧的必然性和社会启示。

关键词：哈姆雷特, 复仇，拖延，原因

1. Introduction
     William Shakespeare, an English playwright and poet, is considered to be the greatest dramatist of all time. Shakespeare was born at Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. At home, he was the third child and eldest son. His father John Shakespeare was a town official and local businessman. His mother Mary Arden came from a family of higher social status.
     Although there is little record about Shakespeare's early life, it is widely believed that when he was seven years old, he attended the local grammar school where he learned a little Latin and Greek. At the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway who was twenty-six years old. About seven months later, they had their first daughter. To make his fortune, he left Stratford for London in 1584. There, he worked as an actor. After years of hardships, Shakespeare became a leading member of the Lord Chamberlain's company which performed frequently before court. His working experience as an actor developed his interest in writing plays which led to his future success as a great playwright. His career as an actor and playwright lasted for more than twenty years. By 1611, Shakespeare retired from London and went back to Startford. He died there in1616.