THE ACT OF THINKING. THE OXYMORONIC EXISTENCE IN WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S HAMLET

Many critics debate about delay in Hamlet's actions. Shakespeare's character presents many contradictions and contrasts in heart, mind and soul. The aim of this study is investigating the contrast between thought and action in Hamlet’s masterpiece from a literary-philosophical, sometimes psychological point of view. By exploring some rhetorical devices such as chiasmus and oxymoron, this brief survey analyses Shakespeare's peculiarity in inventing the tragic character and in expressing his concept of art, which will inspire modernity.