Point of View

On one level, and as is the case with most, if not all, dramatic narratives, the point of view of "Hamlet" is essentially objective but limited, focused on the actions and experiences of the central character in relationship with, and reacting to, the characters and circumstances around him. On another level, the play's point of view is tied in with its themes, making the essential suggestion that, as Hamlet himself says, that "conscience does make cowards of us all". On yet another level, there is the play's psychological point of view, its perspective on character as being defined both by inner and outer states of being. Finally, there is the play's moral point of view, its suggestion that even the noblest of souls (i.e., Hamlet) or the gentlest of souls (i.e., Ophelia) or the most responsive of souls (i.e., Laertes) can be, and...