Hamlet Act 1

Hamlet (1.2.80-89): Arriving at the celebration of the newly wedded King and Queen, the Queen (also Hamlet's mother) questions why Hamlet must continue to wear black clothes and weep over his father's death.

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, (good) mother,

Nor customary suits of solemn black,

Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,

No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,

Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,

Together with all forms, moods, [shapes] of grief,

That can denote me truly. These indeed “seem,”

For they are actions that a man might play;

But I have that within which passeth show,

These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

This is the first long passage we see of Hamlet in the play.  It is revealed that Hamlet still is very upset about his father's death and can't fully portray his emotions.  Since Hamlet seems to struggle coping with his father's death right off the bat, readers can figure he must have had a good relationship with his father.  Also, the readers see some tension forming between Hamlet and his mother since this quote is directed towards her;  Hamlet seems awfully agitated speaking about this topic with her.

Hamlet (1.4. 21-25 and 33-41): Hamlet is talking to Horatio and Marcellus about drinking as a custom he's native to but thinks negatively upon.

...it takes

From our achievements, though performed at height, 

The pith and marrow of our attribute.

...

The form of plausive manners—that these men,

Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,

Being nature’s livery or fortune’s star,

Their virtues else, be they as pure as grace,

As infinite as man may undergo,

Shall in the general censure take corruption

From that particular fault. The dram of evil

Doth all the noble substance of a doubt

To his own scandal.

Here, Hamlet is talking about how one small wrongdoing can taint someone's whole reputation even if they are a good person.  This shows something about his character because it shows he might be afraid of doing something wrong to ruin his image; however, he knows there is no way to avoid this outcome since people will always assume the worst of people no matter how hard they try.  I think this passage also foreshadows what the readers will discover in the next scene where Hamlet is visited by the Ghost.  The Ghost talks about how the father didn't have enough time on earth to make up for his wrongdoings and now has to suffer.

Hamlet (1.4.72-76): While Horatio and Marcellus warn and beg Hamlet not to follow the Ghost, Hamlet tells them he'll be alright.

Why, what should be the fear?

I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,

And for my soul—what can it do to that,

Being a thing immortal as itself?

It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.

Hamlet clearly could care less about his life now.  Ever since his dad's death, Hamlet's been really upset and emotional.  At this point, he is fearless of death since his father figure already went through it.  Also, since Hamlet seems like he really respected his father, he wants to follow the Ghost to find out more information on his death.  Perhaps Hamlet is using a fearless approach to hide that he's really afraid?

Hamlet (1.5.188-201): After seeing the ghost, Hamlet asks Horatio and Marcellus for a favor.

But come,

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,

How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself...

...That you, at such times seeing me, never shall—

With arms encumbered thus, or this headshake,

Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

As “Well, well, we know,” or “We could an if we would,”

Or “If we list to speak,” or “There be an if they might,”

Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me-

Jumping off of the last passage, this shows Hamlet's thought process continued.  In the last passage, Hamlet said that he doesn't value his life; this passage Hamlet is saying that he might act as someone else.  This shows that Hamlet is willing to act like someone else than be himself to seek revenge.  This shows how big an influence his father was to him since he is willing to change his personality to seek revenge.

I think that Ed Westwick would play Hamlet well if we look at him from playing the successful role of Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl.  From the passages I chose, Hamlet clearly has some sort of confusion after his dad's death and is visited by the ghost of his father.  Similarly, Westwick's character in Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass has trouble after his dad's death and isn't sure how to cope with it; Chuck's father returns to him however, in a plot twist, which is similar to Hamlet's Ghost.  As for understanding Shakespeare, this Gossip Girl star recently filmed a version of Romeo and Juliet so I'm sure he can handle the speech as well.