Character guide for Hamlet.
The most complex protagonist in Shakespeare. Intelligent, philosophical and intensely self-aware, Hamlet is paralysed by doubt and the burden of knowing too much. His delay in taking revenge is the engine of the tragedy.
The villain — a cold, calculating murderer who successfully hides behind the mask of a good king. His one moment of apparent conscience (the prayer scene) is undercut when he admits he cannot give up the rewards of his crime.
Hamlet's mother, whose remarriage appals him. Shakespeare leaves deliberately ambiguous whether she knew of the murder. Her death is accidental but deeply poignant.
One of Shakespeare's most tragic figures. Obedient and loving, she is caught between her father, her brother and Hamlet's disturbed behaviour. Her madness and drowning are among the most moving scenes in the play.
Hamlet's loyal, rational friend — the moral anchor of the play and the one person Hamlet trusts completely.