In this crazy play, it's Hamlet vs. the rest
of the world.
Let's take a look at Hamlet's former friends—and
current enemies—next.
You'd think that a guy could at least count
on his parents, right?
But Hamlet's stepdad, the scheming King Claudius,
and his treacherous mother, Queen Gertrude,
are either busy shipping him off to foreign
lands or trying to get him killed.
Nice.
So what about the girlfriend? Nothing like
the comfort of the girl you love when you're
in trouble, right?
But Ophelia—convinced by her father and
brother that Hamlet will only break her heart—spurns him
And in Hamlet's time of need, too.
That's harsh.
Maybe that's why I didn't feel bad for her
when she goes crazy in Act IV.
OK, so forget the family and the gf. At least
Hamlet's friends have his back, right?
With names like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,
what could his friends be other than fools?
Not only do they do Claudius's dirty work
by trying to prove Hamlet mad, they also cart
him off to England where poor Hamlet is going
to be killed.
With friends like that, who needs enemies?
Well, enemies is right because everyone else
in this play has it in for Hamlet, too.
Polonius, Ophelia's father, helps Ophelia
break Hamlet's heart. And Laertes, Ophelia's
brother, kills Hamlet with a poisoned sword.
Surrounded by people like that, no wonder
Hamlet went crazy
