Hamlet=Relationships Essay

840 Words4 Pages
“In his representations of human nature, Shakespeare’s play Hamlet reinforces the ongoing importance of relationships” The intricate tragedy plot of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is only achieved through the relationships between key characters. Hamlet’s relationship with his father caused the entire revenge plot, so without the relationships between parents and their offspring the events of the play would not have occurred. Shakespeare conveys this importance through the effects of character interactions. The relationship between Hamlet and his father, Hamlet Senior, is never clearly shown throughout the play as their interaction is minimal. It is clear however that Hamlet does have a deep respect for his father and this is evident in Act 3 Scene 4. In this scene he compares Hamlet Senior to Claudius with a tone of awe and admiration. When describing him to Gertrude he compares him to the Greek and Roman g-ds, “Mars”, “Hyperion” and “Mercury”. This clearly shows the level of respect Hamlet has towards his Father and also the strength of their relationship. This strong connection between father and son is demonstrated in Act 1 Scene 4 and 5 when the ghost appears to Hamlet. Without hesitation Hamlet trusts the ghost and follows him, “Go on. I’ll follow thee”. This shows the extent of their relationship since Hamlet, without hesitation, follows the ghost and does not even consider that he may be “the devil” in disguise. Without this key relationship Hamlet would not have been coerced to “put an antic disposition on” and thus the events in the play would not have occurred. In comparison is Fortinbras’s relationship with his Father. This relationship is also not thoroughly explored, but there is evidence of a close bond. Fortinbras without hesitation gathers his army of “twenty thousand men” and seeks revenge by invading Denmark. This contrasts with Hamlet’s
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