Hamlet: Prince, Philosopher, Procrastinator
First appears: Act 1, Scene 2
Hamlet is a man who thinks too much and acts too little, and that gap between thought and action is what destroys him. Summoned by his father's ghost to avenge a murder, he spends most of the play testing, doubting, performing, and delaying. His famous indecision is not cowardice. It comes from a mind that cannot stop examining every angle of a problem, including the problem of whether revenge is worth the cost.
He is also one of the funniest characters Shakespeare ever wrote: sardonic, cutting, brilliant in conversation. His cruelty to Ophelia is real, not theatrical. His love for his dead father is genuine. His contempt for Claudius is earned.
By the time he finally acts, in Act 5, he has made peace with death in a way none of the other characters manage. His acceptance ('the readiness is all') makes the play's ending feel less like failure than completion.
Key Scenes
Hamlet's Key Quotes
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5
“What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty!”
Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2
Themes
Other Characters in Hamlet
Test Your Knowledge
Think you know your Shakespeare? Put it to the test with one of our free quizzes.
See all quizzes →