What do you find particularly nasty about Hamlet, Alanabit? He's a bit of a witterer. not very nice to Ophelia (but how many of us can claim to have been wonderful in all our relationships?). I think calling him the villain is pitching it a bit strong.
   I think Shakespeare himself found Hamlet extremely confusing. The character seems to twist and turn a lot. Even the elemntary fact of his age is notoriously tricky to pin down. There is plenty in the text to put him in his late teens, and also in his thirties. And to justify, explain or condone some of his actions, it would be nice to have a clearer idea of which he was, upset youth or mature man. I reckon Shakespeare cobbled the play together from two(at least) attempts to make a coherent play out of the story.
    It is a great play,no doubt his most famous, and rightly so. But directors alway cut it viciously in one direction or another, because it doesnt make sense as a whole (and it's way too long).
    And incidentally, it's got some stunning music(remembering we are on Mudcat). And I would recommend anyone, right now, to read Hamlet right through, if you havent recently. You'll be stunned, particularly by how many of the lines are totally familiar. As someone said once "Hamlet is all quotes".