哈姆雷特是莎士比亞筆下最具哲學氣質的王子。但在劇中,哈姆雷特兩度拒斥了哲學。哈姆雷特追問存在的形而上意義表明,他深受自然哲學影響。然而,哈姆雷特的沉思天性與他過強的血氣結合,導致他對靈魂和德性的認識出現偏頗,甚至表現出強烈的相對主義和詭辯傾向。由于哈姆雷特王子所學的哲學缺乏對人的靈魂與人類基本政治事務的恰切認識,最終導致他走向世界主義。通過呈現潛在王者與哲學的不恰當結合,莎士比亞在劇中透露了哲學可能敗壞政治的隱憂。

In Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet is the prince who is most deeply stained with philosophical temperament. In the plasy, Hamlet mentions but refuses "philosophy" twice. That Hamlet is influenced by natural philosophy is shown in that he keeps on probing into the metaphysical meaning of existence. But Hamlet’s contemplative nature is combined with his spiritedness, leading to his inappropriate understanding of soul and virtue, and further brings about his tendency of relativism and sophism. In virtue of prince Hamlet’s lack of an appropriate knowledge of human nature and human affairs, he finally heads for cosmopolitism. Through a presentation of the improper joint of a potential man of politics with philosophy, Shakespeare reveals his hidden concern about the possible corruption that philosophy could do to politics.