I am not surprised, nor am I angry with Hamlet's decision to have his "friends" , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed without remorse due to their alliance with Claudius. At a time when Hamlet was most confused, angry, and in need of companionship, to discover that his friends were informants for Claudius must have really pushed him over the edge in what was already a mad state of mind.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are by no means innocent victims here. Their purpose was to subconsciously help Claudius kill Hamlet. Also, Rosencrantz ans Guildenstern should have denied Claudius and Gertrudes request to spy on Hamlet in the first place. If they were loyal friends to Hamlet, they would have made him aware of what they were really doing... spying!
Hamlet's real motive for the demise of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, however, was mainly to spite Claudius. Throughout the play, Hamlet develops a disgust for not only Claudius, but everything associated with him. Hamlets decision to send R and G to their deaths shows me that he will stop at no cost to achieve vengeance on behalf of the ghost.
Hamlet finally comes to terms with the belief that destiny controlls everyones life. After returning from exile in act five, he overcomes his anxiety and becomes calm, rational, and less afraid of death. In act 5, scene 2, Hamlet says to Horatio, "Sir, in my heart their was a kind of fighting that would not let me sleep" and "Our indescretion sometimes serves us well when our deep plots do pall, and that should learn us there's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will". This new "enlightened" Hamlet suggests to me that Rosencrantz and Guildensterns' fate have already been decided by God and that Hamlet must carry out his plans for Claudius and let no one stand in his way.
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3 comments:
But "no shriving allowed" is not precisely merciful, no?
never thought abouth it that way but wouldn't it be ok to think that R and G were merely concerned for their friend and thought that what they were doing was going to be in his favor instead of the contrary? as for H i think he's just the worst!
Hamlet dealing with Guildestern and Rosencrantz was a part of business- nothing personal even Hamlet did not realize that and thought it was their destiny Hamlet has really a emotional relation with Horatio which was personal to him than a part of business.
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