¶ … Hamlet's Character Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is a complex character full of intrigue and non-linear dispensation. He is well aware of it though, for he starts his quest by pretending to be confused, a cloak, he cannot always easily shed or even distinguish his real self from the assumed role-playing as he himself observes in Act 1, 13-14 "Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly." Hamlet insists on having a multi-psychological facet notwithstanding that he demonstrates difficulty in understanding and accepting all his layers.

Aspects of Hamlet's Character that are Admirable

Hamlet is not reckless or impulsive. He weighs his action and thoughts through all perspectives. He is endowed with logical, analytical, and spiritual dimensions. His discrimination of people and situations help him choose how much and what to reveal about himself and his intentions.

Hamlet is a perplexing person whose story has captured the imaginations and interest of its readers for many years. Hamlet portrays an air of mystery, in that each incident reveals more facets of his character, at various times. He appears to be a sort of mystery even after several readings of his story. This goes beyond his own confession of having more about him that others do not know about, including his mother Gertrude and the courtiers, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He always seems to be withholding some information whenever he speaks, and the reader gets the feeling that he may not fully comprehend what he (Hamlet) is withholding.

Shakespeare excelled at writing these kind of stories where the reader is captivated by the prudent omissions in characters and their soliloquies and dialogues (Bonjour, 336; Craig, 231). Such truncated description of characters lends an aura of mystery throughout the reading.

Hamlet's Weaknesses

The same characteristics that make Hamlet a formidable person also act against his own good at times. The multifaceted and thorough dissection of each person and situation delays his predetermined, inevitable actions. Hamlet delves so deep into the situation at times, that they overwhelm him leading to inadvertent actions that come across as impulsive, rash actions. Hamlet comes out as a person of deep thought, and given to philosophy, this can be seen when his father dies while Hamlet is studying at the university. This contemplativeness seems to possess Hamlet even though sometimes he acts in the total opposite by doing things on impulse and recklessly. One of these rash acts is seen when he knifes Polonius, without prior confirmation of who his victim is as he does it through a curtain. The rash acts of Hamlet reveal weaknesses probably brought about by too much thought. Instants of insanity seem to come to him very easily and he behaves wildly and speaks as a madman. This deep thinking to a fault, shows that he is a sad young man disillusioned of his country, Denmark, the world, and even in his own family (Dessen, 57; Calderwood, 343).

Hamlet's Mental State

At the beginning, Hamlet pretends to be mad as he seeks an opportunity to find out the cause of his father's demise and whether Claudia was involved. In Act II, the second scene, Polonius seems to stumble on this truth as he points out that this madness of Hamlet has actually got a motive behind it. The interesting thing is that Polonius is half right because Hamlet is acting mad, but not for Ophelia, as he imagines. Though Hamlet's madness is based on pretense at the start, throughout the progress of the play, Hamlet gets lost in it and cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality. The mental pressures that he must endure, place pressure on him. Arising from his emotional state, Hamlet gives in to violence, a situation that would not have emerged from a person who was only pretending. He seems to act without regard for the result of his behavior, acting just on his impulses (Dessen, 61).

Hamlet's Intelligence

Hamlet is capable of analyzing situations, anticipating outcomes and predicting others' behaviours and intentions on many different levels -- spiritual, mental and physical. He can think of ways to satisfy his curiosity...

Hamlet is capable of deceit and subterfuge, if only to lay credence to his conjectures.
In school, Hamlet emerged as an apt student. In life, he seemed to plan his moves with a lot of care. He has a good strategy for finding out the culpability of Claudius. This can be seen by his move to have "The Mousetrap" performed for the royals by the actors that he has hired. The hired actors reenact the death of Hamlet's father in the presence of Claudius, whose reaction is watched by Hamlet and Horatio. From this observation, it becomes clear to them that Claudius is guilty. Claudius is again confirmed guilty when asking for forgiveness through prayer. Hamlet's intelligence is again portrayed when he keeps his hand from slaying the king after considering that Claudius' soul would gain entry into heaven, should he die while praying. He sees the futility of his action in reaching the goal of revenge that he has (Act iii, 83). The pretense at madness to fulfil a goal also brings out the intelligence of Hamlet in his strategy and his disguise of it. Melancholy and Feigned (or Unfeigned) Madness Add Complexity to his Character

The melancholic state of Hamlet is revealed in the play as he is seen as one who has a lot of discontent not only with his family, but also his country and the world at large. The discontent in his family is increased by the act of his mother who marries his uncle. He even expresses discontent with Ophelia whom he once felt love for, and not only her, but her entire gender. Hamlet's dark thoughts are further revealed when he entertains thoughts about death and the possibility of taking his own life (Act I, 15). However, given his status and the responsibilities that will be his in the future, it is interesting that Hamlet does not consider the country's safety and stability, and the things that would jeopardize this (Craig, 234).

Hamlet's viewpoint of the World

The telling circumstances and incidences Hamlet encounters at personal level influence his views about the world. He sees selfishness, greed, deceit and amorality take over his own kinsmen and closest relatives that then seep into him making him feel disturbed. He is disillusioned with the family, country and world at large.

Hamlet faces personal tragedy in the death of his father. He then watches as his mother hastily marries his uncle, Claudius, soon after the death of her husband. This is not only too fast into her widowhood, but in the eyes of her son, is an incestuous union (Boyce, 232). Hamlet who holds on to what is good and right seems like a misfit in a world where corruption is embraced. He finds the world to be a place where evil is embraced (Act III, 83). He even finds the air to be repugnant as he no longer enjoys life (Act V, 140). The country that the prince found himself in suffered treason when the king was murdered. It is full of plotting and cunning and seems doomed to destruction. Thus, Hamlet is justified in his world view as seen through the eyes of personal tragedy and the state of his country (Bonjour, 339).

Hamlet Takes too long to Kill Claudius?

Prior to Claudius admitting the crime through his prayer for forgiveness, Hamlet has not had the opportunity to kill him. However, at this time, Hamlet sees that revenge will not be the result of this act as Claudius will gain access to heaven (Act III, 83). His constant analysis of the act may also have delayed him as it increased his uncertainty. Hamlet is conflicted in the contemplation of this act, as he is not sure it is the right thing and doubts whether the ghost he encountered was that of his father (Calderwood, 357).

Conclusion

Hamlet is arguably one of the greatest character creations by the legendary Shakespeare. From the first instance when he appears in the play, he displays elegant intensity. Hamlet is a person of radical contradictions, cautions yet reckless, uncivil yet courteous, ferocious yet tender. The death of his father drives outrageous anger and righteous indignation yet when he is responsible for the death of Guildenstern, Polonius, and Rosencrantz, he shows no compunction. Hamlet as a character is full of faults, which coupled with his complexity, makes him one of the greatest Shakespeare's characters featuring all human facets.

Works cited

Bonjour, Adrien. "The Question of Hamlet's Grief," in English Studies: A Journal of English Letters and Philology 43 (1962): 336-43.

Calderwood, James L. "Hamlet: The Name of Action," in Modern Language Quarterly 39, No. 4 (December 1978): 331-62.

Craig, Hardin. "Hamlet as a Man of Action," in The Huntington Library Quarterly XXVII,…