Shakespeare's Hamlet is a character that had all that a young man would want. He was the son of a king, and was in line for the throne. He was also a very educated boy, who was intelligent in all aspects of life. When his father, King Hamlet, died, he lost all of his promise through direct and indirect causes. Hamlet had much potential to become an example of a heroic winner, but his anger drove him to revenge and caused him to lose everything he could have become.
             Hamlet's anger was what catalyzed the events that would ultimately ruin his life. When Hamlet learned of his father's death, he came home to find out his uncle, Claudius, had married his mother, Gertrude. This angered Hamlet even more than the fact that Claudius had taken his throne. After meeting with his father's ghost, he learned that Claudius was the one who killed his father. Hamlet wanted to make sure that the ghost was not one from the devil. After finding out that the ghost was truly the ghost of his father, Hamlet, in his anger, decides to seek revenge for his father and himself. His seeking revenge became so great, that it became an obsession that would ruin his heroic potential.
             His obsession for revenge emerged through two different points: his anger at Claudius, and obeying his father's command to seek revenge. Hamlet thought is his enemy, Fortinbras, could come and seek revenge on Denmark with little army, he could easily seek revenge on one man. He lost his family and his love because of his tormented conscience of vengeance. It began when he acted "mad" to plot his retaliation. His actions made the King and Queen worry about him. They thought his madness came from the death of his father, but it was all an act. This drew his family and his farther apart from each other. It indirectly caused him to lose his chance for a loving and united family. His madness also caused his love, Ophelia, to think twi...