During his lifetime, William Shakespeare composed a numerous number of plays, most of which are considerably famous today. Unlike several authors of his time, his work included a large range of genres upon which he created his plays. One of the most famous tragic plays written by Shakespeare is “Hamlet”. Based on the life of a fictional young Danish prince, Shakespeare explores the emotions that this prince experiences, as he faces the murder of his father, and plots for revenge. Among the many characters included in the play, Hamlet remains one of the more tragic figures. The circumstances he grows up with, in addition to his own nature, and morals, lead to his own destruction.

Hamlet grows up in a very unstable environment, following the death of his father. Being very close to the Late King Hamlet of Denmark, the young prince is even more distraught when his mother soon weds his father’s brother, Claudius. However much he tries, Hamlet continues to have a strong suspicion that something is not right and upon his encounter with his father’s ghost, he very eager to be done with Claudius. He also refers to as a ‘Villain, villain, smiling, damned villain.’(1.5, 31, 106) Yet Hamlet then faces a great dilemma when, he needs proof to prove to the world that Claudius did, in reality, murder Hamlet’s father. Furthermore, Hamlet is still not certain if his father’s ghost be ‘a spirit of health, or a goblin damned.’(1.5, 25, 40). This way, he is not certain if the news that the ghost gives him is in his best interests or not.

Hamlet is portrayed as a very focused young lad, who takes a lot of time to ponder over the meaning of lie, and his own actions. Through the play, Hamlet delivers several soliloquies, all of which seem to revolve over the course of his actions, and death. Included in his famous speech beginning with ‘To be, or not to be: that is the question :’( 3.1, 63, 56), Hamlet discusses whether or not it is worth giving up life and it’s strives by surrendering to death herself. Yet he begins to wonder, ‘To die, to sleep—To Sleep—perchance to dream :’( 3.1, 63, 64-65) and yet. ‘What dreams may come when we have schuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.’(3.1, 63, 66-67). Here, he compares death to sleep, where his conscience fears the dream that may come during his sleep. In another instance, when Hamlet is on his way to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he rejuvenates his spirits by watching an army of marching soldiers, who ‘for a fantasy and trick of fame, go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot whereon numbers cannot try the cause’(4.5, 102, 61-63), while he himself, with ‘a father killed’ (4.5, 102, 57) and ‘a mother stained’ (4.5, 102, 57) has more reason to kill another person.

One of the most troubling factors that Hamlet faces through his life however is his sense of morals. Throughout the play, there is a certain feeling that though Hamlet wants his revenge on Claudius, he respects the idea that one should not kill another unless the cause is justified. In other words, he does not wish to continue the cycle of revenge. This is especially apparent in the instance when Hamlet has just found out the means by which his father was murdered, yet does not immediately, as he does not wish to kill another person unless he is sure that are wrong. Also, when Hamlet catches Claudius admitting his sins to God, he could have very easily done away with Claudius, yet he chooses not to use that opportunity, as once again, after repentance, Claudius would have been pardoned for his sins, and would no longer be guilty of his deeds.

Towards the end of the play, when Hamlet has succeeded in taking his revenge over Claudius, he too collapses and dies, categorising it as a tragic play. Though portraying a tragic figure, Shakespeare moulds Hamlet into a very scholarly and merciful person.