Act 3 Question: The Role of Parents in Hamlet

     The parents play an important role in Hamlet. Throughout the play, the parents are seen as irresponsible and reckless, while the children, Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes, are the ones who suffer from these actions. The children are badly influenced by their parents and this affects the whole play. The children are dependent on their parents, corruption is damaging to the children. Without the parents, none of the characters of the play would suffer or have their downfalls.
   
     Hamlet suffers because Claudius (his uncle/stepfather) killed his father and his mother Gertrude married Claudius. This not only confused Hamlet, but threw him into a depression and madness from which he never fully recovered. His mother was selfish and made a decision which affected her whole family. She hadn’t even discussed the issue with Hamlet. Even after the fact, when she thinks Hamlet is going mad, she doesn’t confront him. She and Claudius send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out what is wrong. Her lack of care and concern for Hamlet leaves him to fight his depression by himself.

     Ophelia suffers because of Polonius, her father, not trusting her. Because of this she is heartbroken and lonely as well as hated by Hamlet. Polonius had no reason to stop Ophelia from seeing Hamlet, but Ophelia, being the responsible and obedient person she is, listens. The worst part is, after Polonius did this, he asks her to get back together with Hamlet. Ophelia later goes into madness over the fact that Hamlet hates her and she ends up committing suicide. Because of her father’s actions, she died.

     Laertes suffers because he is lied to by his father. Polonius congratulates his son for going to France to study and tells him how much he trusts him. However, he then sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. Polonius had no faith in his son and was only worried about his own reputation. When Polonius dies, Laertes wants revenge on Hamlet, thinking his father was an innocent man and not knowing him for who he truly was.

     Overall, the parents are irresponsible and cause the suffering and horrible things that happen in the play. In turn their children are the ones who are directly affected. The actions of the parents shape the future events of the play. The parents influence their children for the worse and ultimately lead to their downfalls.

Hamlet Act 2 post

     Act 2 scene ii, Hamlet’s feelings towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern change. At first, Hamlet is excited and overjoyed to meet up with two of his childhood friends. “My excellent good friends! How dost thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both?” After Hamlet sees the ghost, he trusts few people and is excited to see his old pals who he believed were loyal. The sight of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will gives him some enjoyment in these stressful times.
     However as they begin their conversation, Hamlet discovers the true reason for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern coming to see him. His once friends have betrayed him and have lost all trust Hamlet might have had in them. Hamlet feels as if he is being used. “Nay, then, I have an eye of you.--If you love me, hold not off.” He now watches his so-called friends carefully in case they are hiding anything else from him. He knows that if he didn’t confront them about being sent, they would have never told him. They attempted to sell him out.

     Hamlet no longer considers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as his friends, although he doesn’t let them know that. He now sees them as a way to feed Claudius with false information. Hamlet is smarter than them and confuses them with his language. As far as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are concerned nothing has changed, but it is all part of Hamlet’s plan.