From the start of the play, the reader is shown a tormented Hamlet, mourning the loss of his father and insulted by his mother's hasty remarriage to his uncle. However, this sadness and disappointment quickly turns to wrath as the ghost of his father reveals to him that it was Hamlet's new stepfather who murdered him. As the play unfolds, all these factors play an integral role in the young prince's untimely end. It is also notable that Hamlet had little control over these events, seeing as his father was killed while he was abroad at university and even if he were there, he would not have been able to intervene, as he would not have known of Claudius' murderous intentions. Similarly, Hamlet was unable to stop Gertrude's marriage to his uncle seen as his protests to that end fell on deaf ears.

Perhaps the true beauty of Shakespeare is the room he gives to audience to interpret the plays in whatever way they wish. Hamlet is a prime example of this, with perhaps as many different ways to look at it as there are pages in the script. The matter of Hamlet's role in his own demise is one of the play's greatest ambiguities and as such it is impossible to attribute it to one factor, in fact it is the delicate balance struck between unfortunate fate and foolish behaviour that makes Hamlet such a great tragedy. However, the impact of these outrageous twists of fate could have been dampened if not completely averted had Hamlet not reacted as he did and so it is fair to say that overall Hamlet is the one to blame for his own death.

Hamlet's conscience is a tangible force throughout the play, understandably so seeing as even the most amoral of people must do some ethical pondering before committing mass murder, so a godly Christian man, like Hamlet, would be deeply troubled by having to avenge the death of his father. But he also feels that he must seek revenge and faces equal pressure to that end form the dead king's apparition. This case of divided loyalties and guilt is bound to put considerable pressure on Hamlet and perhaps spur him into acting in ways he might not under normal circumstances.

Laertes is an important character in the play, not least of all because it was he that murdered the protagonist. However, his true importance does not stem from his role in the play's plot but rather from his function as a dramatic device. Laertes and Fortinbras both have had their fathers killed a

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1080
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)