Choose one scene or incident, which seems to you to be of crucial importance in the development of the play. Explain its importance and outline the dramatic consequences of decisions which are made or events which take place.

Although depressed and upset about his father's death and his mother's hasty marriage, Hamlet is completely devastated by the news that his father's ghost brings him. He was already angry at his mother and disliked his new step father as he saw him to not be fit for comparison with his father "So excellent a King, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr" This also shows just how high a regard he had for his father, he has obviously acquired this view of perfection where his father is concerned and we cannot help feeling that this must be exaggerated. Hamlet's initial reaction to the news that his father was murdered was shock and then anger which soon turned into unease about what he should do. Hamlet wishes to seek revenge, but his nature makes this difficult, it simply is not in his nature to plot and kill someone in cold blood. So whilst struggling with this decision he removes himself from suspicion by feigning madness. During this time of thought (mostly during Act II) Hamlet becomes very depressed and moody, he also contemplates suicide on more than one occasion "To be or not to be" yet cannot tackle his conscious even for a decision over this.

Hamlet then, becomes angered by the moving acting of a player, he finds fault in everything about himself and feels cowardly for not yet having taken any action. The only action to result from this is another plan which enables him to procrastinate even further. He decides that he cannot trust this ghost in case it is in fact an evil daemon and puts on a play to find the truth through his uncle's reaction. This plan works and leads to the incident which could have changed the play entirely. Hamlet feels he cannot kill his uncle at this time, there is dramatic irony in that the reader knows that Claudius is in fact not at prayer, as he feels he cannot talk to God, so Hamlet has really been provided with the perfect opportunity to seek revenge for his father. Yet another reason Hamlet does not act may be the fact he was on his way to see his mother, At one time Hamlet had an incredibly close relationship with his mother, maybe he views trying to convert his mother as higher in priority than seeking revenge. Either way, Hamlet does not act and this leads to many dramatic consequences.

Hamlet, then carries onto his mother's chamber, still with the rage that he felt after the confirmation of his father's murder. He then has an in depth talk with his mother. Hearing a noise which was made by Polonius who was spying on the conversation, Hamlet strikes without thinking and kills Polonius. Hamlet was able to act here due to the lack of time or thought to allow a conscience decision, this was not a premeditated murder like the one which his father's ghost asked of him.

Hamlet could not have possibly seen the effect that his actions would have. Ophelia, whom he had once cared for, and had also greatly upset during his time of feigning madness, was driven to despair by both the rejection of her lover and death of her father. She firstly went mad and then died as a result of it. She did not fully commit suicide but lost the will to strive to live. When Hamlet found out about Ophelia's death he was overwhelmed with grief and guilt which he then turned into anger and fought with Laertes in Ophelia's grave.

The killing of Polonius also had a "knock on effect" with Laretes, he was already irate and vengeful because of his fathers murder, this was greatly heightened when he heard of his sister's death. With this wish for revenge on Hamlet, Laertes played straight into the hands of Claudius and became nothing more than his pawn. Laertes had a completely different nature from Hamlet in that he found no qualms in acting instantly when he hears of his fathers murder, he had one aim and that is revenge "To cut his throat i' the' church" this contrasts greatly with Hamlet as he wouldn't even kill Claudius when he suspected he was at prayer.

The King hatched a plan to kill Hamlet, he couldn't do this publicly as he was very popular with the subjects of Denmark. The duel scene is very dramatic and becomes the climax of the play, and this situation would never have been reached the point where practically everyone dies if Hamlet had simply used his opportunity in Act III scene III, and hadn't hesitated.