Since I was absent for the Socratic Seminar on Hamlet, I have decided to write about question 16, "Is Hamlet's intellect a source of strength or weakness in his character?"
 
I believe that Hamlet's intellect is both a strength and a weakness in his character. I see his intellect as a strength because this shows that he is able to think rationally and make clear decisions.  It also shows that he is educated.  Finally, his intellect is something that makes me believe that he is a person that is able to clearly see others and can understand them to help them. These are qualities that a strong leader would need.
 
I believe that Hamlet's intellect is a weakness because in his intellectual processes of accomplishing things, he spends so much time thinking and not acting.  He is too busy weighing consequences and planning his every move to actually act.  By the time he finishes his calculated plan to avenge his father's death and expose his corrupted uncle, several people have died and it is too late for his plan to go into action.

I think these ideas could relate to today's world because the nations of this world are all trying to put the "perfect" person in power so their country can be the best that it possibly can be.  I don't believe that there are perfect people to put in power, but I do believe that they would need a good amount of intellect.  They need to be able to think things through and make decisions so as to best benefit their nation.  But, unlike Hamlet, they would have to be able to curb their intellect, so to speak so they can act accordingly and at the appropriate times.