Is it true that we admire Hamlet as much for his strengths as for his weaknesses?

Hamlet has often been condemned as "indecisive," which is seen as a sign of weakness. Yet some critics, such as Rene Girard, admire Hamlet as wise rather than indecisive, as strong rather than weak. A weaker soul, such as Hamlet's friend Laertes, rushes in angrily, ruled by emotion, to avenge his father's murder without first checking the facts. Hamlet, however, though he loves his father dearly, takes the time to verify that the ghost (supposedly...

Hamlet has often been condemned as "indecisive," which is seen as a sign of weakness. Yet some critics, such as Rene Girard, admire Hamlet as wise rather than indecisive, as strong rather than weak. A weaker soul, such as Hamlet's friend Laertes, rushes in angrily, ruled by emotion, to avenge his father's murder without first checking the facts. Hamlet, however, though he loves his father dearly, takes the time to verify that the ghost (supposedly the ghost of his father) actually is his father and is actually telling the truth about having been murdered. (See link below.) Hamlet shows strength and initiative in staging a play about a murder to see if his uncle, his father's supposed murderer, acts like a guilty man. Much of the play, in fact, revolves around Hamlet's ability to take the time to question the difference between appearance and reality. We admire Hamlet for his desire to break through the corruption that surrounds him--the "something rotten in the state of Denmark"-- and to seek truth.