The Shakespearean story of "Hamlet" has been performed and analysed for centuries. Throughout these centuries the character of Hamlet has been portrayed in so many different ways; from that of a passionate hero to an angry rebel. Yet over these years no actor playing the role of Hamlet has been able to clearly expose to the audience the true character of hamlet. For this new production of Hamlet an actor playing the role would need to depict Hamlet as being a grief stricken, melancholic yet also a cunning young man. Although all past performances of "Hamlet" have identified these characteristics, the actor playing the role of Hamlet has not emphasised these characteristics sufficiently therefore leaving the audience in question of his true character. .
Hamlet is a tremendously grief stricken person. His first true introduction to the audience is in his first soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 133- 134 , "How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world." Through this quote Hamlet immediately expresses the enormous amount of grief he is suffering. The whole play is based around the revenge of the suspected murder of Hamlet's father, which is clearly stated by Hamlet in Act 4, Scene 4, Lines 32- 33, "How all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge!" Hamlet is subjected to revenge on his father's suspected murderer, Claudius, as it is the only way for Hamlet to overcome the grief associated with the death of his father. Hamlet's grief is the basis for the whole play and is the primary reason of his suspected madness by the other characters. The first sign of this suspected grief stricken madness is by the king in Act 2 Scene2, Lines 4- 9, where he says, "Something have you heard of Hamlet's transformation; so call it, sith nor exterior nor inward man resembles that it was. What it should be more than his father's death, that thus hath put him so much from understanding himself.
