At various times, Shakespeare has been seen by critics as presenting Hamlet as a sensitive poet, unable to endure the cruel pressures of the world, a man driven by sexual desire for his mother and a representative of resistance to corrupt political regime.
             Which would be your interpretation of Hamlet, and why?
             Trapped inside the prison of his mind, chained by a grief consciousness served only to torture him with, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, reveals to the world that more gruesome than the death thinking brings him is the carnage it brings to those around him. Which builds up to the question, was Hamlet mad or was it all an act to distract people from his thoughts to his actions. Hamlet's character and mood changes drastically in the play. It is difficult to understand why he would put the act of madness because all it brings him is attention and suspicion. This could be a useful method to build up the opportunity to kill the king, which is a likely option seeing that Hamlet does not want to kill the king conspicuously because it is what Claudius did to his father. Claudius is seen by Hamlet as immoral, disgusting and 'beast-like', and Hamlet wants to contradict that completely. He wants justice for his father's death, which is why he waited so long to plan the murder. It is also necessary to consider it being likely that under all the pressure Hamlet was under his madness could have been inevitable.
             In Elizabethan times, death was seen morally acceptable if it was out of honour and loyalty. This is apparent in Hamlet's character as he questions himself many times, having doubts considering his actions in the future. Hamlet is able to bring out the audience's opinions on whether the deaths are deserved, or justified. It would be seen acceptable if Hamlet executed Claudius in revengeful circumstances based on his instinct, but Hamlet anticipated this to happen too long which made his feelings and emoti...