The Doubts in William Shakespeare s Hamlet

The general atmosphere of the entire play is characterized by doubts—it is not only the doubts of Hamlet concerning his uncle s crimes, but also the doubts of the latter who is skeptical about Hamlet s knowledge concerning his crimes, not to mention the doubts of Polonius about Hamlet s behaviour and also about his son s about whom he has already employed spies to keep an eye on them both. This atmosphere may point to William Shakespeare s skill in handling one of the most important ingredients of settings—the emotional setting. This does not only allow the dramatist to draw the main lines of his drama, but it also allows the spectators to trace and expect whatsoever significant happenings to be contained in the entire action of the play.