William Shakespeare's play Hamlet is one of the most widely performed plays in history and of the world today. The play contains many twists and turns, which mostly stem from Hamlets indecisive quest for revenge. The theme of revenge is the driving force of the play and should therefore direct the outcome of many of the scenes and characters - especially those involving Hamlet, and to a lesser extent, later in the play, Laertes.
             After his lengthy conversation with his father, the ghost, Hamlet's personal goals are clearly set out, as is his hatred for the enemy, Claudius. "That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain...so, uncle, there you are. Now to my word". By this Hamlet shows a degree of honour to the wishes of the ghost without actually swearing directly to him that he will avenge his murder. Perhaps it is safe to assume the ghost, being Hamlets father, trusts him enough to carry out his wishes and that the ghost, being an unnatural being, heard Hamlet's passionate, enthusiastic and enflamed words used after his exit. The ghost demonstrates behaviour to support this when he, whilst not being present, calls for Horatio and Marcellus to swear to their word.
             The ghost and Hamlet's own personal agendas immediately come in to direct conflict, however, in Hamlet's short soliloquy that follows their conversation. The ghost explicitly asks that Hamlet
             "Taint not thy mind nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught". Hamlet then perhaps gets someone caught in the moment when he says, rather dramatically and angrily: "O most pernicious woman!" The power and emotion he expresses here against both Gertrude and Claudius is contrasted with his inactivity and inability to follow what he has set out to do. He causes more grief to his mother, before he has even done anything to harm Claudius.
             Before his meeting with the ghost Hamlet is motivated in no way at all, ...