Hamlet Post 1

After reading the first two scenes of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, I am amazed at what Hamlet’s mother and uncle/stepfather are putting him through. Not only does his mother, Queen Gertrude, show little to no remorse over her late husband’s death, she marries his brother, Claudius, shortly after the death of the king. When Hamlet begins to act depressed, the newlyweds find it strange and instead of asking the young prince about it, they enlist the help of his two best friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Instead of just asking if they could help Hamlet, they bribe them with money and rewards. Not only is Hamlet’s immediate family solely worried about themselves, so are his closest friends. In the end, Hamlet is left to fend for himself in a pool of sharks. I found it depressing and disheartening that one of the only people to tell Hamlet the truth in these first scenes is the ghost of his father. This shows me that in the rest of the play, Hamlet is most likely going to have to be his own advocate and watch his back. I feel that the people he holds most dear will end up stabbing him in the back for their advancement in the government. The fact that Hamlet has to resort to acting like he is crazy is one of the most disenchanting facts of all. In doing so, he can properly devise a plan against his mother and uncle/stepfather.