Lakhasly

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark CHARACTERS Claudius, King of Denmark Hamlet, son of the last king, and nephew of the present one Horatio, friend of Hamlet Polonius, Minister of State Laertes, son of Polonius Marcellus, a guard Ghost of Hamlet's father A group of Actors Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet Ophelia, daughter of Polonius Less than two months after the sudden death of King Hamlet, Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, married his brother Claudius.This was judged by everyone at that time to be a strangely unwise or unfeeling act, or even worse.But young Hamlet had strong suspicions that Claudius himself was the snake, and that the snake that had bitten his father now wore his crown.Being of a most honourable character himself, he was gready troubled by the shame of his mother's marriage; shame, and grief at his father's death, made him fall into a state of deep 54 sadness.Although the loss of the crown was a bitter wound to this young prince, it was not this that troubled him and took away all his cheerful spirits - it was the fact that his mother had shown herself to be so forgetful of his father's memory.This in itself was a very improper and unlawful marriage, as they were such close relations, but it was made much worse by the speed with which it was done and by the unkingly character of the man whom she had chosen.In this way he was able to prevent young Hamlet, the son of the buried king and his lawful heir, from becoming king.Claudius was in no way like her first husband in the qualities of his person or his mind.o

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
CHARACTERS
Claudius, King of Denmark
Hamlet, son of the last king, and nephew of the present one
Horatio, friend of Hamlet
Polonius, Minister of State
Laertes, son of Polonius
Marcellus, a guard
Ghost of Hamlet's father
A group of Actors
Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet
Ophelia, daughter of Polonius
Less than two months after the sudden death of King Hamlet,
Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, married his brother Claudius.This
was judged by everyone at that time to be a strangely unwise or
unfeeling act, or even worse.
Claudius was in no way like her first husband in the qualities
of his person or his mind. He was as worthless in appearance as
he was evil in character. Some people even suspected that he had
killed his brother, the last king, so that he could marry Gertrude
and become King of Denmark himself. In this way he was able to
prevent young Hamlet, the son of the buried king and his lawful
heir, from becoming king.
This unwise action of the queen had a very great effect on the
young prince, who loved and honoured the memory of his dead
father. Being of a most honourable character himself, he was
gready troubled by the shame of his mother's marriage; shame,
and grief at his father's death, made him fall into a state of deep
54
sadness. He no longer found any pleasure in his books or his
sports. He became tired of the world, which seemed to him like
an uncared-for garden, in which all the best flowers have died for
lack of space.
Although the loss of the crown was a bitter wound to this
young prince, it was not this that troubled him and took away all
his cheerful spirits - it was the fact that his mother had shown
herself to be so forgetful of his father's memory. He had been so
loving and so gende a husband to her, and she had always
appeared to be a loving wife to him. But in less than two months
she had married his brother, young Hamlet's uncle. This in itself
was a very improper and unlawful marriage, as they were such
close relations, but it was made much worse by the speed with
which it was done and by the unkingly character of the man
whom she had chosen. It was this, much more than the loss of
ten kingdoms, which made the young prince so unhappy.
Everything that his mother Gertrude or the king could do to
try to raise his spirits was useless. He still appeared in court in
black clothes, in memory of his father. He had not even taken it
off on the day his mother was married, and he could not be
persuaded to join in any of the celebrations on what seemed to
him a shameful day.
He was most troubled by an uncertainty about the manner of
his father's death. Claudius had made it known that a snake had
bitten him. But young Hamlet had strong suspicions that
Claudius himself was the snake, and that the snake that had bitten
his father now wore his crown.
How right was this guess? What ought he to think of his
mother? Had she known of this murder, and perhaps even agreed
to it? These were the doubts which continued to worry him and
were driving him mad.
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