endof Act III). Although not every one of them might have come to killing Claudius. ButHamlet does not seem to do anything. Again, he thinks too much. But why? Hamlet is self-conscious, while the majority of characters that surround him are not.This explains why he feels inhibited to act. Hamlet resembles a real person more than anyother character in the play, which might be another reason why he still remains a subject of discussion, and why the play remains so popular. Hamlet is one of the most interestingcharacters in English fiction because we can identify with him, and understand, althoughnot always agree with his actions. Hamlet is also set apart by his elusiveness. Many of the characters in the play can becategorized within minutes of their introduction. I'm not calling them caricatures, butthere is definitely a caricature-like side to some of them. The pompous Polonius and thedeceitful and thick-headed Guildenstern and Rozencrantz come to my mind. However,this does not hold true for some other characters, such as Laertes and Ophelia. The character of Hamlet refuses categorization. Interesting with regard to this is hislove of theater. He is particularly interested in the idea that things may seem differentfrom what they really are, just like the people that surround him. His mother is no longerhis father's wife, but his uncle's, his girlfriend is no longer there for him, and Guildensternand Rosencrantz are no longer his friends. Also, he is aware that he will have to disguisehimself and his real motives and goals in order to attain them - this is why he fakes hismadness. It is not until he picks up Yorick's skull in the beginning of Act V that he findsout what is real and what not. In the end, when the truth is revealed and everyone's"masks" are removed, death is all that is to be found. ...
