Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince Hamlet replaces the letter that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are carrying to England with a forgery of his own making, thus sending these two men to their deaths. He does this without giving it a second thought and never suffers from any guilt or remorse for his actions. Considering that these two men were friends from his youth, this would at first glance seem to reflect poorly on his character. However, one must consider carefully the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern before passing judgment on Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent for by the King and Queen to spy on Hamlet and learn why he "puts on this confusion" (III, i.2). While some are fooled by Hamlet's act of insanity, the king is not. He is convinced that it is an act and, being a sly man himself, he suspects that Hamlet is up to something. Having obtained the throne through deceit and murder, he believes Hamlet capable of the same. While King Claudius is evil, he is not a fool and he would never have sent for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern if they were such close friends of Hamlet. They are even told outright that they will be rewarded for their efforts (II, ii. 21-6). The very fact that they undertake this
task for the king is proof enough of their lack of love and loyalty toward Hamlet. " They are involved in a conspiracy to destroy Hamlet and he will see them "hoist with (their) own petar. Either way, they are indeed fools and they die a fool's death in the end. However, once he was convinced of that guilt, he saw the guilt of those closest to the king as well. When the king rose in anger and left, he was followed by everyone except Hamlet and Horatio. A poetic justice is served to these unfaithful "friends. Hamlet asks them to "be even and direct with me, whether you were sent for or no. Horatio's heart was turned toward Hamlet, so he also remained behind. " Not only does he intend to outsmart these meddling fools, but he will relish it as well. His contempt for them shows that he now views them as the enemy. By showing so much reluctance, they show themselves to be allied with the king. They openly discuss Hamlet's actions and motives with the king, once again showing their true alliance. Later, when the king decides to send Hamlet to England guarded by these men, they affirm his actions and any future actions that may be carried out toward Hamlet.
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