In the tragic drama Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the hero, Hamlet, seems to be guilty of pride, of exceeding the limits of his destiny and that of the humanity, which ultimately leads to its downfall. Reading the play with a view to how Hamlet's pride manifests itself sheds light on why he performs certain actions and simultaneously enlightens the reader about the dangers of attempting to overstep the bounds of humanity. In this essay I will prove that Hamlet is extremely proud and is therefore guilty of hubris; Consistent with Harold Skulsky's assertion in his article "'I Know My Course': Hamlet's Confidence", Hamlet is arrogant because although he believes his own soul to be inscrutable based on his outward facade , he feels that he possesses the supernatural ability to know the internal truths of others based on their external appearances. I will illustrate how Hamlet's pride grows throughout the play as he gradually draws more drastic conclusions about the inner nature of others based on their outward actions, and how his pride ultimately leads him to commit crimes. crucial errors that contribute to his downfall, but do not cause it. .From the beginning of the play, Hamlet is confident in the inability of others to know what is going on in his mind based on his actions. After being questioned by his mother as to why he still seems bothered by his father's death, he tells her that he doesn't just appear to be grieving, he is, and that his displays of grief cannot not “really designate him,” because “these are actions a man might play,” even though his grief is real (1.2.76-86). This statement reveals Hamlet's belief that his outer nature cannot reveal his inner nature and, as Skulsky remarks, "yields no results... middle of paper... never really knowing nature interior of others. If Hamlet's storyline isn't compelling enough, an examination of the situations of Polonius – whose attempts to see inside Hamlet based on Hamlet's actions kill him – and Claudius – who also falls plagued by the belief that one's soul is impenetrable and dies as a result - can be useful. As Hamlet demonstrates, there are certain moral principles beyond human control, and sometimes, as in Hamlet's case, it is best not to challenge them. "Hamlet." Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. Portable 10th ed. New York: WW Norton and company, 2011. 1024-1129. Print.Skulsky, Harold. “'I know my course': Hamlet's confidence. » PMLA 89.3 (May 1974): 477-86.