Hamlet the Play within a Play

By: Brian Freeman

William Shakespeare is an important literary writer. He is responsible for many famous plays. Hamlet is just one of these many plays. Hamlet is about a young prince by the name Hamlet. Prince Hamlet is known for his indecisiveness. A ghost, who appears to be his father, pays a visit to Prince Hamlet and instructs him to kill King Claudius. The ghost explains that the person responsible for his untimely death is King Claudius. He wants to abide by his father but he ends up hurting others in the process. Prince Hamlet’s indecisiveness affects his lover Ophelia, his mother Gertrude, and his uncle King Claudius before losing his own life.

Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain. She is Prince Hamlet’s lover. Hamlet states, “I love Ophelia: Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum” (5.1.241-243). Prince Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius. This drives Ophelia to insanity. The Queen tells Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, of her death. She states, “One woe doth tread upon another’s heel, so fast they follow: your sister’s drowned, Laertes” (4.7.163, 164). Ophelia’s death remains uncertain whether it was suicide or just an accident.

King Claudius takes Queen Gertrude as his new wife. Queen Gertrude is also Prince Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet states, “…You are the queen, your husband’s brother’s wife; And – would it were not so! – you are my mother” (3.4.15, 16). Prince Hamlet is not happy with his mother’s relationship to his father’s murderer. Prince Hamlet and Laertes have a duel. During the duel, Queen Gertrude drinks from a poisoned cup that is meant for Prince Hamlet. The queen states, “No, no, the drink, - O my dear Hamlet, - The drink, the drink! I am poisoned” (5.2.282-283). The Queen dies after she speaks these words.

King Claudius is Prince Hamlet’s murdered father’s brother. Prince Hamlet is very upset about King Claudius marrying his widowed mother only two months after his father’s death. Prince Hamlet states, “…married with my uncle, my father’s brother…” (1.2.151, 152). Hamlet attempts to kill Claudius after his father’s ghost visits him. He kills Polonius instead. Claudius then realizes he must take some type of action against Prince Hamlet. Claudius arranges Prince and Laertes to duel one another. Claudius also arranges for Laertes sword tip to be uncovered and poisoned so that there will be no mistake made. A cup filled with poison awaits Prince Hamlet as well. Prince Hamlet eventually carries out his father’s wish and stabs King Claudius with the poisoned tipped sword that was meant for himself. Prince Hamlet states, “Here thou incestuous, murderous, damned, Dane, Drink off this potion:” (5.2.298).

As the play unfolds, it is clear that Prince Hamlet’s indecisiveness affect those around him. Prince Hamlet’s inability to carry out his father’s wish changes his whole life. He accidentally kills Ophelia’s father, Polonius. The death of Polonius sends Ophelia into insanity which ends in her death. After several tragic events, all of the people that Prince Hamlet loves and loathes pass away. This includes his mother, his uncle, and himself. These tragic events occur due to Prince Hamlet’s inability to trust his father’s ghost and he fails to follow his last wish.