Disillusionment. Depression. Despair. These are the burning emotions churning in young Hamlet's soul as he attempts to come to terms with his father's death and his mother's incestuous, illicit marriage. When Hamlet tries to pick up the pieces of his shattered idealism, he consciously embarks on a quest to seek the hidden truth. Hamlet is faced with the fact that he has to avenge the murder of his father. Contrary to the fact that Hamlet delays his revenge and acts insane, he proves that he is fit for his task by his intelligent and rational thinking.
             Hamlet shows a remarkable amount of intelligence, consciousness, as well as rational decision-making in efforts to resolve his situation. Nearly all of Hamlet's actions, with the exception of his outburst at Ophelia's grave, were preplanned and precisely calculated. His inborn thought process prolonged his revenge, and while Hamlet may have appeared listless with inaction, the wheels in his mind never stopped turning. Hamlet's actions in the play after meeting the ghost lead everyone except Horatio to believe he is crazy, yet that madness is continuously checked by an ever-present consciousness of action which never lets him lose control. First, he had to prove that the ghost was actually telling the truth, and he did this by staging the play "The Mousetrap" at court. For example, Hamlet questions his conduct in his soliloquy at the end of II.ii, but after careful consideration decides to go with his instinct and prove to himself without a doubt of the King's guilt before proceeding with his plan. The proof that Hamlet requires does not defer from the role that he is supposed to play. It becomes intriguing that Hamlet's uncle is to be judged upon how he acts during the play. If Claudius is a consummate actor and does not reveal his guilt, his life will be spared. Yet, Claudius is a poor actor, and when he rises during the play Hamlet reacts with "What, frighted ...