Hamlet was a very intelligent young man whose biggest downfall in life was his huge delay in taking revenge for his father's death. Hamlet's delay was due to his intelligence; Hamlet was a well-educated man who needed to think things through, and make them perfect. His religion, Hamlet was a very religious man who followed Christianity, and obeyed god's word. In addition, he was uncertain about the truth, Hamlet needed to be certain Claudius was the killer. This delay ultimately leads to his own death, and the deaths of many loved ones.
Hamlet was a very intellectual man who recently came back from university in Wittenberg, to morn the passing of his great father King Hamlet. Being a loyal prince and son, and one whom entire kingdom respected, he should seek revenge. Hamlet is unable to take on this vengeance for his father's death as himself, so he creates this whole other person inside of him, someone "insane" proving to everyone that he was truly insane would take some time to accomplish. Hamlet plans to slowly go insane and than avenge his father's death "I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw" (2,2,376). This was brilliant on his behalf if everyone thought Hamlet was insane when he does kill Claudius it will be considered not completely his fault it only happened because he was mad. Hamlet knows that killing Claudius will only result in the death of himself, killing a king was considered high treason and the murderer would be immediately put to death. Hamlet wanted it to be perfect if he was going to go to hell for this. He wanted Claudius to suffer just like his father is suffering in his after life he doesn't want Claudius to get away with what he has done. He wants his father and him to be respected after their passing, he doesn't want his father to be remembered as king who was killed by a snakebite, he also doesn't want Claudius to be remembered as a great king that he never was, nor himself as a murdering mad man.
