For centuries scholars, directors, and actors have attempted to decipher the single unified meaning of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The lack of consensus continues as Hamlet remains an important source of dramatic and scholarly conversation. The ambiguity of Hamlet is often noted as the reason the play has survived, partly resulting from the three different printed versions of the play. Each version loses some important aspects of the work and thus creates a completely new interpretation of some characters and events. Any version of Hamlet read today is likely a “patchwork quilt” of the three different print additions, pieced together in what is believed to be the spirit of what Shakespeare intended (Rosenbaum 30). Without the benefit of asking Shakespeare himself, it is difficult to definitively select what he meant. Although a definitive version of Hamlet has yet to be printed, the patchwork of Hamlet has offered scholars an uneasy compromise while at the same time providing an all-encompassing text for the classroom. Since this version contains a coherent narrative, the ambiguity mostly comes from the characters. Many of the characters, Hamlet in particular, have disjointed behaviors and seem like completely different people as the play progresses. The duality of dispositions that many actors portray conveys the universal truth that human behavior is not black and white but is instead a mix of different and often conflicting behaviors. Ophelia provides a great example of the duality of human behavior that is prevalent in gaming. At first, Ophelia is the good-humoured, innocent and stable-minded waitress. As the show progresses, Ophelia seems to lose her good nature and innocence until she finally succumbs to madness. Claudius comme...... middle of paper ...... ost focused on conflicting personalities and characteristics. Shakespeare's focus on multifaceted personalities gives the characters more depth and realism. Indeed, Shakespeare reflects the reality of the world in which individuals act very differently from one situation to another. Depending on their nature, subsequent actions may be at odds with their personality. Shakespeare allows audiences to see a play with realistic characters who provide insight into the frailties of human nature. William Shakespeare's skill at crafting dialogue, which creates complex characters, has endeared Hamlet to scholars and audiences throughout the centuries. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Literature "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark": an introduction to reading and writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print