What impression does the audience have of Hamlet by the end of act one?

Hamlet is introduced to the play in act one. Amongst the eerie atmosphere of tension and unease the fact that he does not actually speak until scene two stimulates intrigue about his character in the audience. Hamlet's first soliloquy gives us a first glimpse of his inner thoughts, and helps us to understand his character better. The speech is particularly important to the audience because Hamlet conceals his true feelings from the other characters around …

…As the act closes, Hamlet acknowledges that his plan to take revenge will probably result in his own death. He is a reluctant hero, which in some ways makes him a more admirable character, since he is sacrificing his own happiness in the pursuit of his father's. He does not take revenge because of the anger that he feels towards Claudius, but far more understandably because he feels a sense of duty to do so.