Just like oil and water, the desire for responsibility and the inability to act do not combine positively. The character Hamlet in Shakespeare's play Hamlet learns this reality; however it is too late. The ghost of Hamlet's father speaks to Hamlet and gives him the task of avenging his murder. This requires Hamlet to kill the current king, Claudius, who is also his uncle. Hamlet chooses to accept this task yet is slow to act. He tries to maintain a middle ground neither by giving up what he believes he should do nor by taking action. It is this middle ground that ultimately leads to Hamlet's death. Many different factors play into why Hamlet maintains this middle ground, including his desire for everything to be perfect, his sense of responsibility to avenge his father's death, and his procrastination. Hamlet believes that in order for him to act, everything must be perfect. In part, this belief prevents him from killing Claudius. When given the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, Hamlet instead of acting, lets the opportunity pass by saying that the time wasn't right. Hamlet believed that because Claudius was praying, the time was not right. The phrase "Because this is hiring and paycheck, not revenge!" shows that he feared that by killing Claudius while he was praying he would send Claudius to heaven and not avenge his father's death. This act shows that Hamlet is unable to act, a trait strongly contrasted by the character Fortinbras. Fortinbras is another prince in a similar situation to Hamlet. Instead of waiting for the moment to be perfect, Fortinbras simply takes action. He realizes the commitment he has made to avenge his father's death and wastes no time. When Fortinbras discovers that he is unable to attack Denmer... halfway through the card... he loses his life. Throughout Hamlet the idea that people must act or give up their commitment is very strong. Unfortunately for Hamlet, he does not understand this concept until it is too late. Instead, Hamlet procrastinates and maintains a middle ground between these two concepts. He is neither able to act nor to completely give up the idea of ​​killing Claudius. His desire to kill Claudius is caused by the feeling that he is required to complete this task; also that is his purpose in life. He is also unable to make the commitment. This is caused by his desire for the timing of his action to be perfect. This desire causes him not to act when he is given the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius. His procrastination and inability to make the decision to act or give up ultimately costs Hamlet his life when the decision is brutally made for him..