Who's To Blame In Hamlet

Hamlet Essay

After reading Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one may assume that it was King Claudius whom was responsible for the tragedy that befalls its characters. However, upon reevaluating the novel, one should realize that another character is to blame. Indeed, it was none other than Polonius, chief counselor of the king.

It all began with Polonius halting the correspondence between his daughter Ophelia, and Prince Hamlet. Polonius said, “I would not... from this time forth… have you so slander… as to give words or talk to Lord Hamlet” [Act 1 Sc.3 L.141-144]. In modern English, he just said that she is no longer allowed to speak to him. His reasoning was that she was too young and naïve to be with him [Act 1 Sc.3 L.110]. Ophelia obeyed her father’s

This behavior concerned King Claudius, who then searched for an explanation from Polonius. He told the king that the cause of Hamlet’s lunacy was due to Ophelia, and her advised rejection of his letters. He says that Hamlet “fell into sadness” which lead him “into the madness wherein now he raves”

[Act 2 Sc.2 L.158]. They then decided to spy on the prince.

Consequently, Hamlet killed Polonius when he realized he was being spied on, mistaking him for the king. For this reason, Ophelia went crazy. She was later found at the bottom of a river. Furthermore, an angry Laertes returned from France, determined to avenge his father. Sharing a common interest, he and King Claudius devised a plan to poison Prince Hamlet. This plan, however, went horribly wrong.

First, the celebrating queen unknowingly drank the poison and called out, “The drink! The drink! O, my dear Hamlet! I am poisoned” [Act 5 Sc.2 L.340].

Second, Hamlet forced the king to drink the poison when he discovered that this was his plan. Third, Laertes died from a wound he had obtained from the poisoned rapier in the scuffle. Finally, Hamlet died when he drank the remaining poison, to speed up the effects of his contaminated