] There are five people that Hamlet kills (or has others kill) ~ Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, the King, and Laertes (have I forgotten someone?).

Well, he could be seen in some way partially responsible for Ophelia'a death too, but you can't really say he caused it.

Of course, he should not be going around killing anyone, no matter what they have done, but there would not be much of a revenge drama if he didn't.

] He doesn't find out if the ghost was telling the truth or not until the night of the play, and immediately afterwards he is sent to England. Basically, I see him as stalled out, waiting for a plan to present itself.

I do think that Sheena has a point in that Hamlet is in control of the the events up until the moment he kills Polonius. He is trying to find out if the Ghost has spoken true or not and while he is doing it his manipulating the whole court with his antics. But when he does act it is an emotional, unpremeditated act of violence which does back-fire badly on him.

] Hamlet is certainly not my favorite Shakespearian hero (did anyone say Benedick? ;-) ) but I do feel sorry for him. It seems to me that under normal circumstances, he would have married Ophelia and ruled well. Things just didn't go that way.

I am not sure I agree Hamlet would have been a good king, not the pre sending-to-England Hamlet at least; There seems to be a change in the character caused either by the trip or meeting with Fortinbras' army.

Sari