Introduction
In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the playwright presents two cases of relationships between family members. The first one concerns the titular character’s frustration with his mother remarrying after his father’s death. The second one concerns Hamlet’s feelings for his father, causing an internal conflict regarding whether he should kill Claudius. These two situations torment the main character and contribute to his demise.
Family Relationships Portrayed in Hamlet
At the start of the play, Hamlet expresses his disdain for his mother’s remarriage. In Scene II of Act I, he compares her to Niobe, whose grief was significantly stronger than hers, in his opinion. The titular character perceives this situation as a betrayal, causing a conflict between the two. The young man’s issues with the woman’s remarriage are related not only to his distaste for the situation but also to the fact that such a relationship is incestuous by the standards of that time(I.ii, 145-155; I.ii, 156).
Another event that may have strengthened Hamlet’s distrust of his mother is her response in Scene II of Act III. He asked the Queen about her opinion of the play, the events of which mirror the ongoing events in the kingdom. Gertrude says that the Queen in the play is dishonest, implying that the marriage vow does not matter much (III.ii. 215). By the end of the play, the woman drinks the poisoned wine destined for Hamlet by Claudius and dies.
Regarding the titular character’s relationship with his father, while it is clear that his grief for the latter is intense, avenging the King’s death triggers an internal conflict. On the one hand, Hamlet seems to seek reasons not to do it, as shown in Scene II of Act II and Scene III of Act III (II.ii, 598-605; III.iii, 73-78). Simultaneously, the young man berates himself for his reluctance in Scene II of Act II (II.ii, 548-555).
In the fourth act, the Prince witnesses Fortinbras’ army march across Denmark, and while he views the conflict as worthless, he is embarrassed by his reluctance to avenge his father (IV.iv, 43-66). At this point, the young man is motivated to commit the act of revenge. By the end of the play, Hamlet expresses his frustrations with Claudius for killing his father, marrying his mother, and taking advantage of his absence to become king (V.ii, 63-70). During a duel between Hamlet and Laertes, with the two being fatally wounded, the former finally accomplishes his revenge goal by killing Claudius, ending the ordeal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, two of the most vivid portrayals of family relationships are Hamlet’s disdain for his mother’s remarriage and his internal conflict caused by the ghost asking him to avenge King Hamlet. The first situation becomes more twisted as Prince Hamlet invites Gertrude to a play, the events of which coincide with the ongoing ones. Her response to the question about the fictional Queen demonstrates her carefree attitude toward the marriage vow. The issue concludes as she drinks the wine that Claudius had poisoned, initially intended for Hamlet.
The second conflict is the young man’s internal conflict between reluctance and caring for the deceased king. Eventually, the Prince becomes motivated to do it and succeeds by the end of the play, while dying after a duel between him and Laertes.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. 1603.